Unfortunately for millions of fans, the state of American tennis has fallen down significantly over the last two decades. Since Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras left the sport, no player from the star-spangled country attained the same level. Their situation seemed to be improving recently. However, after Ben Shelton’s defeat at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz, a sad reality about the state of tennis was revealed. This era was once brought about by Roger Federer, and we are seeing it again.
American tennis was thriving with Agassi and Sampras. Andy Roddick was the next in line and presumed to carry their legacy. Unfortunately for him, Roddick faced Roger Federer in many major championships, which became the first step in changing the dominant countrymen in the sport. Now, we are witnessing the effects of it.
Sad state for American players
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Playing straight away in round 2 of the Canadian Open, Carlos Alcaraz played against Ben Shelton. For rank 1, the match had some competition in the second set. But Alcaraz won it regardless of Shelton’s efforts. With his loss, Shelton added to the statistic of American players losing against players ranked 1 in the sport.
Opta Ace revealed an even more eye-opening number. On their ‘X’ page, they shared, “25 – Players from the United States have now lost 25 consecutive matches against the ATP’s #1 ranking. The last time this happened was in 2006, when James Blake lost to Roger Federer at the ATP Tour Finals (F). Streak.“
25 – Players from the United States have now lost 25 consecutive matches against the ATP's #1 ranking. The last time this happened was in 2006, when James Blake lost to Roger Federer at the ATP Tour Finals (F). Streak.#NBO23 | @NBOtoronto @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/0VrQeieKgE
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) August 10, 2023
This defeat is another sign that American players need to step up. The efforts made by Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz have improved their overall state, but it is not enough as of yet. The current situation, as revealed by Opta Ace, happened during the peak of Roger Federer. But the Swiss Maestro had created the downfall of American players prior to setting the record.
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How Roger Federer broke the American dominance
During the 1980s and 90s, American players dominated ATP to an unbelievable extent. Every other slam would be won by either John McEnroe, Agassi, or Sampras. When Roddick arrived, it seemed as though American dominance would continue. However, Roger Federer changed the course. Beating Andy Roddick in every slam finals they played together, the Swiss Maestro put Europe back on the map.
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Federer’s disruption is still continuing, as none of the top five players are from the US. While Fritz reached 5 this year, he fell down quickly. Now, Tiafoe and Fritz are in the top 10, can they bring back the era which saw American nationals winning every tournament?
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