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Where are the great American men tennis players?
Posted on 9/10/21 at 9:56 pm
Posted on 9/10/21 at 9:56 pm
I grew up when Sampras and Agassi were winning grand slam events at a consistent clip. Hell, even Jim Courier was a big name. It seems like Roddick was the last hope for the US when it comes to competing for singles Grand Slam titles.
With the country’s population and economic base, considering tennis isn’t a cheap sport to play, why are we not producing championship level tennis players?
Golf is usually lumped in the same class, but we have many American golfers winning major titles.
Any big tennis fans care to weigh in?
With the country’s population and economic base, considering tennis isn’t a cheap sport to play, why are we not producing championship level tennis players?
Golf is usually lumped in the same class, but we have many American golfers winning major titles.
Any big tennis fans care to weigh in?
13
Posted on 9/10/21 at 10:14 pm to TexasTiger08
Y’all suck for not telling me about this Serena Williams dude. Guy is a stud.
Posted on 9/10/21 at 10:18 pm to TexasTiger08
As I understand it, other countries identify talent at an early age and put them into elite training camps whilst the US relies on high school to develop talent.
This post was edited on 9/10/21 at 10:29 pm
Posted on 9/10/21 at 10:24 pm to TexasTiger08
Kinda sad that it seems Canada has more competitive men than us
Posted on 9/10/21 at 10:35 pm to MF Doom
Tiger made golf the cool country club sport.
Posted on 9/10/21 at 10:43 pm to TexasTiger08
They’re to busy playing video games and wearing skinny jeans. Most of the younger generation is allergic to sweat
Posted on 9/10/21 at 11:33 pm to TexasTiger08
The young Americans that play tennis have largely become too one dimensional. It's all about the big serve and big offense. Not enough focus at a young age on developing movement and defense. This is largely because tennis is mostly played on hard courts in America. We need our younger players to develop better well rounded games and that can be done on grass and clay courts. I think Jenson Brooksby has a shot to be really good.
Quite of few Americans in the Top ATP 100 - last I counted we had six but that might be off. All of them are under the age of 25 and considering you generally peak in tennis in your late 20's, they will likely continue to improve.
All that to say - don't expect any of them to be the next Nadal, Federer, or Djokovic but I think we will see some success from that group of Americans.
Quite of few Americans in the Top ATP 100 - last I counted we had six but that might be off. All of them are under the age of 25 and considering you generally peak in tennis in your late 20's, they will likely continue to improve.
All that to say - don't expect any of them to be the next Nadal, Federer, or Djokovic but I think we will see some success from that group of Americans.
This post was edited on 9/10/21 at 11:34 pm
Posted on 9/11/21 at 5:38 am to TexasTiger08
Not really sure. Probably similar to soccer. Our best athletes play other sports.
Posted on 9/11/21 at 6:51 am to Gatorbait2008
Tommy Paul seems to be too busy banging Kiki Passo to care about tennis (don't blame him). Sebastian Korda might be the hope at the moment
Posted on 9/11/21 at 6:53 am to kkhere
Korda is probably the best hope now. Tiafoe is slowly getting better, but I can't see him go much higher than about 10. I agree with Gatorbait that our best athletes are going into other sports.
Posted on 10/8/21 at 3:16 am to Bunk Moreland
quote:
orda is probably the best hope now. Tiafoe is slowly getting better, but I can't see him go much higher than about 10. I agree with Gatorbait that our best athletes are going into other sports.
Korda and Brooksby could end up being real. It's a weird phenomena, though. None of the explanations totally make sense.
Posted on 10/8/21 at 3:18 am to kkhere
quote:
Tommy Paul seems to be too busy banging Kiki Passo to care about tennis (don't blame him).
Jack Sock is probably the most talented american player, but he is definitely too busy banging his smokeshow gf to care about tennis.
I probably wouldn't wanna leave the house either. Laura Little == Solid Dimepiece
Posted on 10/8/21 at 3:20 am to Gatorbait2008
quote:
Our best athletes play other sports.
Two points on this:
1. This has always been the case
2. This is the case in other countries as well.
Despite point #1 being true, we still popped out a Pete Sampras somehow, but we haven't popped out any quite like him since.
Posted on 10/8/21 at 3:21 am to Zappas Stache
quote:
whilst the US relies on high school to develop talent.
Eh, not really
Posted on 10/8/21 at 6:50 am to Zappas Stache
quote:
As I understand it, other countries identify talent at an early age and put them into elite training camps whilst the US relies on high school to develop talent.
Well, it's also a difference in popularity. In other countries, tennis is a huge sport (after soccer of course) and top athletes want to play it. Whereas in the US, the vast majority of top athletes want to play football, basketball, baseball, etc..
Also, the vast majority of player development for youth tennis players comes from junior tennis outside of high school.
I think it also doesn't help, in terms of media attention, that a lot of the top American guys are big serve, big forehand-type of players with more subtle personalities, which aren't the most exciting to watch. I'm a big tennis fan and even I get bored watching a Taylor Fritz vs Reilly Opelka match.
This post was edited on 10/8/21 at 6:52 am
Posted on 10/8/21 at 8:00 am to TexasTiger08
We frankly play too many sports.
Tennis is not "it' now.
It was 'it" in the late 70s and early 80s which is why it produced 70s baby stars in the 90s..Agassi, Sampras, etc.
We don't have European state funded programs. Its College which nobody cares about or get your kid out of school at age 4 and pay for 16 years at the BollettIeri Camp.
Tennis is not "it' now.
It was 'it" in the late 70s and early 80s which is why it produced 70s baby stars in the 90s..Agassi, Sampras, etc.
We don't have European state funded programs. Its College which nobody cares about or get your kid out of school at age 4 and pay for 16 years at the BollettIeri Camp.
Posted on 10/8/21 at 8:06 am to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Korda and Brooksby will be top 10 in the world
Posted on 10/8/21 at 8:35 am to Zappas Stache
quote:
As I understand it, other countries identify talent at an early age and put them into elite training camps whilst the US relies on high school to develop talent.
Not the case at all. The elite are in tennis academies early on
Posted on 10/8/21 at 8:45 am to TexasTiger08
Another question that needs to be asked is where is the next generation of great male tennis players? We've been hearing about Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic for 2 decades and nobody has stepped up to challenge them. I dont really follow the sport but thats odd to me.
This post was edited on 10/8/21 at 8:46 am
Posted on 10/8/21 at 9:14 am to EvrybodysAllAmerican
quote:
Another question that needs to be asked is where is the next generation of great male tennis players? We've been hearing about Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic for 2 decades and nobody has stepped up to challenge them. I dont really follow the sport but thats odd to me.
I lean towards that tennis basically got 3 Michael Jordans at once. These guys are just a different level and the generation(s) that have followed just haven’t had anyone close. Fed and Nadal have certainly slowed down now though.
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