ATP World Rankings, No American in Top Ten
While the women from the United States of America are setting an example for the entire tennis world with their dominance, class and aptitude, men’s tennis projects a totally different story at the moment. No one had even imagined such an embarrassing state of American men’s tennis a few years ago.
However, it is the reality of the present day without any measure of speculations. While the top ranking from the women’s side is led by American tennis ace, Serena Williams, there is not a single American man in the latest top ten ATP world rankings. This is the first occasion ever since the ATP rankings were introduced back in 1973 that no American man is in the top ten.
Andy Roddick is the highest ranked American tennis player from the men’s side, at number eleven in the latest ATP world rankings. The former United States Open Grand Slam winner, Andy Roddick was upset by a French tennis player, Gilles Simon at the Washington Classic tennis competition a few days ago. After Roddick’s latest defeat, no American player remained in the ATP top ten men’s rankings.
Moreover, the fact that there are only six US male tennis players in the top hundred ATP list shows the decline of a nation which earlier dominated the game of tennis.
This definitely reflects the deterioration of US men’s tennis that previously produced all time greats, including Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, Arthur Ashe as well as John McEnroe.
As far as the stats are concerned, none of the American male tennis player has grabbed a Grand Slam title since Andy’s victory at the United States Open championship back in 2003. In the past, the only gap came after John McEnroe captured a US Open trophy in 1984 and then after a period of five complete years, another American Michael Chang won a major crown at the French Open.
While female American tennis players have reached the pinnacle step by step, American men's tennis has without any question reached its lowest point, at least as far as the rankings and results are concerned.
There can always be a rebuttal that the past few seasons in men's tennis have been ruled by two top tennis contenders, Rafael Nadal as well as the Swiss tennis mastero, Roger Federer. But, despite their undeniable supremacy, players such as Juan Martin Del Potro, the Serbian Novak Djokovic and Scotsman Andy Murray have proved their talent and class to the entire world. American men’s tennis players have faded with time.
According to some American sports experts, they have failed to produce a single male American player who is strong enough to beat the big guns at major tournaments, excluding Andy Roddick.
The likes of James Blake, Robby Ginepri, Justin Gimelstob, Jan-Michael Gambill and others have been good but not good enough.
However, it’s not yet over completely. Over the last few years, we have seen the emergence of a few young American men’s tennis players that have the ability to reach the top ten rankings in the years ahead. Some of them include, Sam Querrey as well as John Isner apart from those mentioned above.
No one can deny the fact that the right-handed Andy Roddick still has some more years to play. Hope is still alive for American men’s tennis.
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