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American Tennis: how do the men’s singles players stack up?

By Harry Floyd

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 14: John Isner of The United States serves during his singles round robin match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during Day Four of the Nitto ATP Finals at The O2 Arena on November 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 14: John Isner of The United States serves during his singles round robin match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during Day Four of the Nitto ATP Finals at The O2 Arena on November 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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American tennis is going through a bit of a transition on the ATP World Tour. While several women’s singles stars are surging, the US awaits its next men’s breakout player.

With new international stars on the ATP World Tour such as Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem, the future of American tennis need some examination. Men’s singles is ripe with veteran greats and rising stars right now but the United States lacks a large and impactful presence on the scene.

Veteran player John Isner is the current highlight for American tennis on the men’s singles side. Is Isner’s recent strong play enough for the United States though?

Isner reached the 2018 ATP Finals in London, capping what has been a stellar run of tennis off with his first ever appearance at the end of year event. In the last year, the veteran Isner was not expected to be the dominant player in men’s American tennis.

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Rising star Jack Sock came onto the scene and fans thought that he would be the next big thing. Sock made headlines in 2016 and 2017, rising the singles rankings. This past year, however, he has struggled to gain any kind of consistency on the ATP World Tour.

Instead, his play has translated tremendously on the men’s doubles circuit. While Sock has not fared well in singles play, he has won two doubles grand slam in 2018 alongside Mike Bryan.

American tennis needs a star in men’s singles to emerge. A bright spot could be Frances Tiafoe or Jack Sock if he can move his newfound doubles success over to the singles circuit. Otherwise, the veteran John Isner remains the player to beat from the United States.

Another American tennis veteran in Sam Querrey tasted success on the 2017 ATP World Tour when he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and then the quarterfinals at the US Open. This year has not gone as well for Querrey though. The future of the sport in the United States could rest upon the shoulder of Frances Tiafoe. Here’s a look at the 20-year-old’s first career title.

Women’s tennis from the US is seeing the likes of Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Sofia Kenin, and others make headlines. They are replacing the old guard of Serena Williams and sister Venus Williams. The men’s singles field is still up in the air.

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For now, Isner is the player to beat in men’s singles when it comes to American tennis. Younger players need to emerge to challenge the likes of Zverev or even Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer who are not relenting. The ATP World Tour is not getting any easier. Rising stars continue to have an impact and veterans like Djokovic and Federer remain atop the rankings. The United States is aching for a new star in the near future.

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