American men’s Tennis has a deep and rich history. From trailblazer like Arthur Ashe to the brash John McEnroe, the America has always been at or near the top. The last great group of American players came in the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang. These four men (all hall of famers) managed to push each other and in doing so, left an indelible mark in tennis.
Andy Roddick was the only American male player with a viable chance to win majors and stayed relevant until his retirement in 2012. Still, the last American man to win a major (US Open 2003) will Roddick’s heavy footprint ever he wiped away?
Though not set in stone, the signs are promising.
Jack Sock and John Isner may need to improve
With the recent win of the once promising star, Ryan Harrison at the Memphis Open, tennis pundits, desperate for American male success has begun to sound the alarm. Harrison is just one of several American men that seem to be making significant strides this season. Jack Sock leads the pack as the number 1 American player and has taken it upon himself to set the bar for his peers.
Improved fitness and commitment to playing singles has witnessed him become established as a top 30 player. John Isner, who was the number one ranked American for several years has plateaued and is finding it harder to win simply relying on his serve.
Since losing his number one spot, Isner has made it clear that he is willing to put in more of effort to improve his weakness. If Isner could become even fifteen percent better off of the return, he would be hard to stop.
More Americans in the mix means greater competition
Apart from Harrison, there are several younger Americans that seem to be pushing each other to strive for more.
Frances #Tiafoe is the first name that comes to mind. Gifted with incredible athleticism, this young American is already in the top 100 and has committed to playing a full calendar on the ATP Challenger tour.
With constant competition, he will be able to gain experience and valuable ranking points. Noah Rubin is another young American that is quickly finding his feet on the Challenger tour.
With a recent title in following an impressive second round match against eventual and ever youthful champion, Roger Federer, the Long Island native seems to have found his footing. Other names like Reilly Opelka, Stefan Kozlov, and Jared Donaldson round out a roster that could eventually produce a grand slam winner.
Though tennis is very much still dominated by the Europeans and its global appeal grows every single year, America has the resources and talent to produce great champions. Let’s face it, once the Williams sisters retire, American tennis could die for quite a while.
