Bill Simons
On September 7, 2003, a strapping lad from the prairie blasted three aces in a row to down Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero and claimed the US Open title.
When he was a kid in Nebraska, young Andy Roddick bought his first tennis racket for $4 at a neighbor’s garage sale. At 12, he snuck into the Open’s Players’ Lounge and promptly chucked ice cubes at unsuspecting competitors. Nine years later, he won the Open and fell to his knees, wept, and embraced his family and his girlfriend, Mandy Moore. Inside Tennis’s headline blared, “The Torch is Passed.” It was said he was “half boy, half wizard.” Andy bristled: “No more [questions about] what’s it like to be the future of American tennis crap.”
In some ways, Roddick’s victory wasn’t a big deal. Yes, there was a new American champ and a fabled tradition was now in good hands. The history of American men’s tennis dominance is easy to trace. Think Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer, Vic Seixas, Pancho Gonzales, Chuck McKinley, Tony Trabert, and Stan Smith. More recently, Ashe, Connors, McEnroe, Chang, Courier, Sampras and Agassi.
From 1989 to early 2003, four American men collected 27 Slams – that’s almost two a year. Now the cocky, appealing Roddick was ascendent. He joked that his best shot was his “between-the-legs, topspin dropshot.” But it was his born-on the-prairie forehands and flaming 140-mph serves that gave us assurance that Andy would continue the American charge – “Nothing to worry about.”
But don’t take anything for granted. In 146 years of play, the longest stretch that American men had gone without winning a major was four seasons: 1964-1967 and 1985-1988. Who knew that a handful of Europeans named Roger, Rafa, Novak, Andy and Stan would stage a non-hostile takeover?
Now, an American guy hasn’t won a Slam in 20 years.
Yes, a slew of Yankees have reached the Slam semifinals – Roddick, Robby Ginepri, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul. But only Roddick was a threat to consistently get to the very end of Slams. He not only scored many big wins on the circuit and in Davis Cup – four times he made runs to the Aussie semis, plus he got to the 2004, 2005 and 2009 Wimbledon finals and the 2006 US Open final. But it was his devastating fate to fall to Federer in each of those matches.
Plus, he had a perplexing “coulda, shoulda, woulda” moment at the 2009 Wimbledon final, when he was poised to go up two sets to one over Roger, but on set point he muffed a makeable forehand to the open court.
Yet, despite not lifting another Slam trophy after 2003, the Hall of Famer considered himself lucky. Sure, he confided, “The Big Four guys pissed me off…[but] I got to guard Jordan. I went the distance with Ali, I pitched to Babe Ruth. I know what it’s been like to watch Picasso. I saw it all.”
Explaining the US men’s drought has become a cottage industry that’s often fraught with controversy. Some say it’s a matter of cycles and the emergence of tennis’ Big Three.
Others point to the sometimes one-dimensional nature of the American power game that’s largely played on hard courts. Some contend that talented American kids are drawn to the many other sports that thrive here. That we don’t sufficiently tap into our pool of inner-city athletes who are great prospects, while tennis surges in the far corners of the globe.
Others claim that our culture has grown soft, or they throw jabs at American coaching. All the while, optimists insist, “Hold on, let’s enjoy the wonderful players we have. No worries – our time will come!”
But when?
Seven years ago Roddick noted, “America’s farm system is as strong as any place globally right now. We have a pack of guys that have a healthy jealousy…The narrative will be much different in five to 10 years.”
Now American men’s tennis has even greater strength in numbers. We have 12 players in the top 100, the most of any country. And for the first time since John Isner and Mardy Fish in 2012, the US has two top ten players.
The grittier than ever Frances Tiafoe, No. 10, is having a great year and No. 8 Taylor Fritz won the 2022 Indian Wells, reached the 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinals, and has a powerful game, high intent and smarts.
So, in the near future, can Paul, Fritz, Tiafoe, Korda or another one of our warriors win a Slam? Or, sadly, will the drought go on?
Anniversaries
70th – In 1953, San Diego’s Maureen Connolly becomes the first of only three women to ever win all four majors in a year – the Grand Slam.
60th – In 1963, the US, led by Billie Jean Moffit, wins the first Federation Cup. Moffit would become Billie Jean King. The Federation Cup became the Fed Cup and then the Billie Jean KIng Cup.
55th – One of the prevailing slogans of the uprising that sweeps across France is, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” And 1968, in its way, is the first year of the rest of tennis’ life. The sport becomes open to pros for the first time, and the French Open is the first open major. Arthur Ashe wins the inaugural US Open to become the first Black man to win a Slam.
50th – In 1973, at London’s Gloucester Hotel a week before Wimbledon, more than 60 women create the Women’s Tennis Association, while three miles away, at the Westbury Hotel, the ATP decides to boycott Wimbledon. The US Open becomes the first major to offer equal prize money. The Battle of the Sexes, featuring King and Bobby Riggs, becomes the most impactful match in tennis history.
45th – In 1978, the US Open moves from Forest Hills to Flushing Meadows’ hard courts. Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert win.
40th – In 1983, Yannick Noah becomes the first Frenchman to win Roland Garros in 37 years.
35th – In 1988, Steffi Graf wins the Golden Slam – the four majors plus the Olympics.
30th – Arthur Ashe passes in 1993.
25th – Czech Jana Novotna wins the 1998 Wimbledon title to make up for her 1993 Centre Court choke against Steffi Graf. Federer plays his first tournament. Julia Levering becomes the USTA’s first female president.
15th – Nadal beats Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon “Strokes of Genius” final, the greatest match of all time.
10th – In 2013, Andy Murray becomes the first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years. OMG – Federer doesn’t reach a Slam final.
5th – Naomi Osaka downs Serena at the 2018 US Open in the most tumultuous Slam final ever.
