The best current American tennis players
They say in sports stats don’t lie – and nowhere is this more evident than in the world of professional tennis.
Back in the day, in its pomp in the 80’s and 90s’, apart from the odd Swede or a certain Czech, American men dominated the sport. In 1980, for example, US players held 6 spots in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings, 23 in the top 50. For several seasons on the tour there were never less than 4 players in the top 10.
In the decade that followed US men won 50% of all the Grand Slam titles up for grabs. During this golden era US tennis produced the greatest players the game has known: Connors, McEnroe, Agassi, Sampras. So it’s fair to say that US mens tennis was in pretty rude health at the end of the 20th Century.
The greatest American tennis players of all time
Moving in to the new millennium however and things began to change, and change dramatically. Since the turn of the century Americans have only won 6 Grand Slam titles in 92 attempts; and not a single one since 2003, 19 years ago! The last time an American even made a Slam final was Wimbledon 2009 when Andy Roddick lost in a dramatic five setter to Roger Federer.
Now of course the era of the Big 3: Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic and their dominance over the rest of the tour is some mitigation but consider this: only 4 times since 2008 has a single American player made the year end top 10 rankings – that’s 14 seasons. Quite a fall from grace since the heady days of Connors and Johnny Mac.
The state of US mens tennis for the last decade and a half has made for pretty grim reading.
However, all is not lost – results over the last year or so seem to suggest that a sea change is coming and that mens tennis stateside could be experiencing something of a renaissance.
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$1,000 In Bonus BetsBONUS CODE: PLEDGEThis was most noticeable at this years Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, commonly referred to as the ‘5th Slam’, where 7 players from the home nation made the 3rd round – the highest number since 1994. Not only that but the eventual winner was 23 year old Californian Taylor Fritz, the first American winner since Andre Agassi way back in 2001.
Fast forward to the US Open in September – 20 US players made the main draw; and by making it to the semi-finals, Francis Tiafoe became first American to do so since Andy Roddick in 2006, some 17 years ago.
American men now make up 9 of the top 50 players on the official ATP Rankings, 8 of those having achieved a career high ranking in 2022; and for the first time since 2008 we could see 2 players inside the top 10.
What’s most encouraging is the relative youth of this new crop of talent; take away 37 yr old John Isner and the average age of the top 10 US men is just 22.
So who are these young guns leading the fight back for US mens tennis?
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Taylor Fritz
Well leading the pack is the aforementioned Taylor Fritz (current ranking #10) The 24yr old Californian is having his best season: winning his first Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, and reaching the ¼ finals at Wimbledon. His efforts have been rewarded by making the ATP top 10 for the 1st time with a career high ranking of 8th. And on 5th November Fritz Fritz got a place in 2022 ATP Finals due to Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal with an abdominal injury.
Francis Tiafoe
Next up is Francis Tiafoe (#17) another player having a career best season. ‘Big Foe’ as he’s affectionately known is starting to show his early promise. He reached the 4th rd at this year’s Wimbledon, and the semi’s at the US Open defeating 22 time Grand Slam champion, and one of the favourites for the title, Rafa Nadal. He played a key roll in the Rest of The World’s victory over Europe in the Laver Cup, and will be full of confidence going in 2023. One to watch at the Australian Open.
Tommy Paul
25 year old Tommy Paul(#30) from New Jersey is emerging as one of the toughest competitors on the tour. In 2021 he won his first tour title beating junior rivals Fritz and Tiafoe at the Stockholm Open. This season he claimed two of the biggest wins of his career with victories over No. 3 Alexander Zverev in Indian Wells and current World no.1 Alcaraz in Montreal.
Sebastian Korda
22 year old Sebastian Korda (#33) has some big shoes to fill – his father is former World no.2, and 1998 Australian Open Champion Petr Korda. But the rangy 6ft 5 native of Bradenton, Florida, has many labelling him as a future Slam Champion. He already has an ATP title under his belt and a top ranking in 2022 of 30.
Maxime Cressy
French born Maxime Cressy(#34) at 6ft 7 is one of the tallest players on the tour. He certainly used all that height to serve and volley his way to a first tour title on the grass at Newport, RI. Another final appearance, again on the grass, at Eastbourne in England, showed he certainly suits the turf. One to watch at Wimbledon in 2023.
Reilly Opelka
Big serving Reilly Opelka (#36) broke in to the top 20 for the first time in 2022 with two titles: Houston and Dallas. His win over 6ft 10 John Isner in the Houston final must rank as the tallest match in history; Reilly is even taller than Isner at 6ft 11.
Two of the youngest players in ‘Team USA’ are Brandon Nakashima (#44) and Jenson Brooksby (#50). Nakashina, just 21, has seen a stellar rise up the rankings in the last 18 months, breaking in to the top 50 for the first time. Brooksby, 22, made 2 finals and 2 Masters 4th rounds on his way to a career high ranking of 35.
Other notable players include: Marcos Giron (#56), JJ Wolf (#58), Mackenzie McDonald (#65).
So is this a genuine renaissance in the fortunes of US mens tennis, or a false dawn? Time will tell, but looking at the stats the future certainly looks bright. Roll on 2023!
Author – Damian Byrne.
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