Where have you gone, John McEnroe?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you, woo woo woo. Not to mention Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier. Heck, at this point, U.S. men’s tennis would probably take a hard look at Bobby Riggs considering the sorry state the program currently finds itself, and he’s been dead for fifteen years.
That’s right folks, while we were busy focusing on the far superior and more entertaining women’s game, the caliber of tennis among male professional American players has been in a steady decline for years. How bad? With Andy Roddick, the current prominent American player on tour sliding from No. 9 to No. 12, for the first time since 1973 when computer rankings began, no American male will be among the top 10.
What in the holy heck has happened?
Patrick McEnroe, when he is not living off his brother John’s name (just kidding, he’s great), also serves as the captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team as well as the general manager of player development for the U.S. Tennis Association, says the reason is simple, as usual: too many damn foreigners. Well, that’s not exactly what he said. You know, why I don’t I just let his words speak for themselves? Via an AP report on NBC Sports:
“It’s a big thing to say, ‘Look, there’s no American in the top 10.’ That’s certainly not something I take lightly.
“But it’s not that surprising when you look at the way the game has changed and the global nature of the game,” McEnroe added. “Players are coming from all over the world.”
Indeed they are. But as is the case in nearly every other sport, people from all over the world are entering the fray, yet Americans in most cases seem to retain some perceptible level of dominance – especially in Beer Pong, which I think speaks for itself. What it says, I’m not sure, but it’s pretty awesome.
Nevertheless, why are we as imperialist American pigs lagging so far behind in tennis? Whatever the reasons behind the run U.S. men’s tennis is in, the powers-that-be will not take it sitting down, especially one Patrick McEnroe, who plans on standing at the baseline, firing serves until he finally lands one in the service box, even if he, like me, has to blast countless serves over the fence and into the parking lot…metaphorically speaking, of course:
“That’s why the USTA has put more money into player development,” McEnroe said. “They realize that for the continued success of the U.S. Open, and continued success of television deals, and continued success of growing the game, it’s important to have our players at the top of the game.”
So, let’s go, Americans! Let’s get behind tennis and reassert our dominance of this fine sport. Get the kids – especially the boys – involved in tennis. It’s about grass roots – or clay roots, I suppose – people! Heck, Andy Roddick, partly due to his success on the tennis court, managed to land the stunningly sexy swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker (see what I did there? Brilliant!). And if you ask me, that’s all the motivation we should really need, right?
***
No US men will be ranked in ATP top 10 next week [NBC Sports/AP]
-
- Al Kuhn - Aug 7, 2010 at 2:18 PM
-
First, women are only more interesting than the men off the court, not on. Second, Andy will be back in the top ten with just an average performance in Toronto. And we should not forget Isner and Querry, both in the top 25 in the world. Sure, there are writers and fans in the US who think players are no good unless they are #1 or win the Open. The level of tennis has never been higher in the history of the game. No Americans. Oh my! No Australians. either. Oh my! Enjoy the game. Best, Al
-
- Kirk - Aug 7, 2010 at 4:26 PM
-
“the far superior and more entertaining women’s game” ?
Only while you’re sitting there ************* !
1) An article once stated Serena Williams is the greatest female player of all times YET she couldn’t make a top 10 boy’s college team.
2) Tennis is determined by “winners”, women’s tennis is determined by “unforced errors”. Watching women makes tens of millions of dollars who can barely serve the ball over the net or watching the Williams sisters hit 60 unforced errors in 2 sets is not any serious tennis fan’s idea of superior.
3) Women argue they’re more popular and deserve equal money even though they play fewer sets. The most popular women’s player was Anna Kournikova who never won a tournament !
4) Players like Monica Seles or Lindsey Davenport played their careers in less then prime shape because so few women play well enough to beat them.
5) The woman who’d argue my point the most, Martina Navratilova, at age 53 would still beat most women players today !
6) What has led us to this preposterous conversation of the merits of womens’ tennis was Billie Jean King beating Bobbie Riggs. A man 26 years older who won his first tournament long before she was born ! Meanwhile Serena has turned down requests to play Jimmy Connors in a “Battle of the Sexes” knowing she’d be slapped around the court and that’s neither superior or entertaining !
-
- Tricky Dicky - Aug 8, 2010 at 3:17 AM
-
Calling the women’s game “far superior and more entertaining” indicates a lack of understanding of tennis. Writing that American men “suddenly suck” and yet have been “in a steady decline for years” highlights your confusion.
Querrey, after winning the US Open Series last year, just defended his title in LA and has won titles on every surface this year (total=4). He and Isner are both top 20 and are both still improving. The Bryans just broke the record for team titles won. Roddick will miss the top 10 by what…a few dozen points? I’m not worried.
And none of this “sucks” to me.
-
- Chris Condon - Aug 8, 2010 at 8:44 AM
-
The fine NBC golf analyist, Johnnie Miller, commented a while ago that the United States has in recent decades not produced the great athletes it produced earlier in its history. It’s not just tennis. Wonder why so many of the baseball players are Hispanic? Because the United States hasn’t produced a lot of great ballplayers lately. But what about Tiger Woods? We do need to keep in mind that one of the reasons why Tiger Woods won so much in his prime is that he was competing against a field devoid of star players aside from Woods himself. Women’s tennis is a similar story. The Williams sisters are still very strong, but then again they have been around for many years and are getting long in the tooth. Where are the younger American tennis stars? About the only sport I can think of where Americans are still strong is women’s golf. Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr can play with anyone. I believe the principle reason why professional football has become the #1 sport is that it’s a thinking man’s game based mainly on strategy where the absence of individual stars is not that big a deal.
-
- Huh - Aug 8, 2010 at 9:27 AM
-
“…far superior and more entertaining women’s game…” ???
Seriously? The women have recently had two players ranked at #1 that haven’t even won a slam (Jankovic and Safina). That’s superior?
The current #1 woman was literally thrown out of last year’s US Open after threatening a lines-woman with physical violence for calling her on a foot-fault, after having been given a warning for smashing a racket. That’s entertaining, I guess, if you like Jerry Springer style entertainment. And in an ironic segue, that very same match featured a woman who retired, and was away from the game for two years and had a baby, and was able to win a slam in her first slam back, almost immediately upon her return. A tour that features a woman gone from the game for two years being able to come right back and win a slam is a superior tour? (Sorry, Kim, we all still love you, and it does speak to how great you really are, but it does also shed some light on the state of the current women’s tour at the same time)
While we’re at it, please find a slam final the women have had in the past three years that have even come close to the quality of the Federer/Nadal epic Wimbledon final of 2008 (or 2006 or 2007 for that matter), the Federer/Roddick Wimbledon final of 2009, the Federer/Del Potro US Open of 2009, or the Federer/Nadal Australian Open of 2009.
The women have had interesting rivalries and players over the years, but when players who can’t even win slams reach #1 just because they play a lot of tournaments in a system that rewards quantity over quality…players can take ridiculously long sabbaticals and still come back and immediately win slams, and the biggest events are decided in mostly straight-set affairs, as they have been in the past few years, it takes a whole lot of disingenuousness (dare I say ignorance?) to claim the women’s game is “far superior and more entertaining.”
-
- docbrody - Aug 8, 2010 at 10:04 AM
-
Wow! You really struck a nerve there with the whole “Women’s Tennis is far superior”
Since these idiots don’t seem to get the slant and the intended humor, let me lay it out for everybody…. He is saying that women’s tennis is far superior because so many women’s tennis players these days are hot. Its the only sport where women play in short little sun dresses and make up.
So everybody just f’ing relax with the defensiveness over men’s tennis. In this same article the guy makes reference to beer pong and links to no less than 6 separate images of Brooklyn Decker. He’s juvenile, but he’s not actually saying that women’s tennis is better on its athletic merits.
-
- wettennis - Aug 8, 2010 at 1:49 PM
-
Maybe there is a lack of really good tennis coaches in the U.S.A.
When will we start using the knowledge of Sampras, McEnroe(John),Agassi, Courier, Connors etc.
-
- just me - Aug 8, 2010 at 7:06 PM
-
First, I love playing tennis, I hate watching it! The simple fact is that tennis is a WORLD sport…like soccer…and..(gasp) golf. More players in the world = more competition. Pretty simple math right?
-
- Opie - Aug 8, 2010 at 7:51 PM
-
I’m still laughing @ all the comments! Hysterical to say the least.
The bigger question is how tennis can be so popular, yet NOT develop the level of star talent? Particiapation levels have never been higher, but U.S. children have more options than playing tennis.
A lot of other countries do not have these same opportunities. Hence, the reason their tennis “programs” develop young talent.
By the time most kids are 14, they are playing tennis in addition to other sports. Show ANY athleticism and you’ll be playing football, basketball, baseball or even hockey…..not playing tennis against Miles Rockefeller and his cheatin line calls.
Tennis: fun to play, but “most” matches are not fun to watch. I’ll stick with ALTA and the finals of the majors. The rest of the really good matches that happen during a year, I will watch the replay. Saying all that, I did watch Isner’s Wimbledon marathon in its entirety – awe inspiring, to say the least!
-
- fsilber - Aug 8, 2010 at 11:16 PM
-
The women’s game is less interesting than it could be. I wouldn’t fault them for wearing modest granny-panties under their skirts, but why the Great-Grandma underwear — the Playtex Living Girdles that all the female tennis players are wearing these days?
-
- Mental - Aug 9, 2010 at 3:45 PM
-
As to Billie Jean King advancing the women’s game by beating Bobby Riggs — yes she did. But, don’t thank her for that, thank Bobby. I was there and can say with little doubt in my mind that Bobby “The Sharkster” had a rematch in mind when he took that dive. Only problem was that BJK was taking the whole thing too seriously and Bobby never got the second chance. Also, he probably got better odds by betting on her.
-
- JJ - Aug 11, 2010 at 7:51 PM
-
Silly silly boys! Know what you are talking about before you talk. You can’t compare apple to orange except they are both fruits. Women’s tennis is just as entertaining as men’s….but in a different way.
-
- JJ22 - Aug 30, 2010 at 12:13 PM
-
Jeez boys, if yer going to try and insult athletes, at least know what you’re talking about:
Tennis, actually Kirk, is determined by how many sets you win. Not by “winners.” You do know, right, that you can have more ‘winners’ and lose a match, yeah?
You also know, Kirk, that players get paid by the ROUND, not the set. So… if Nadal wins a final in 3 sets and Serena does too, they should get the equal prize money? You said it. Women have said for years they’d play best of 5 and tournaments have said no, so do some research before you trot out tired, unsubstantiated (look it up) arguements.
To you, Huh, Serena was not ‘literally thrown out’ of the 09 US Open. She lost a point for a second code violation. (1/2 pt for racket; 1/2 point for arguing with ref.) That lost point just happened to be match point for Clijsters. It was just a loss. You too should try research.
Y’all should take a deep breath, count back from 10, and try to figure out why athletes make you so uncomfortable with yourselves.
Good luck!
-
- Turbine - Sep 1, 2010 at 1:22 PM
-
JJ22, what you say its true, but you cant argue with Kim been away for two years of the tour and coming back and winning a Slam. That really shows the poor level women tennis has. That would be IMPOSSIBLE in the mens tour, if they take a break for just one month and then return they would be in a disadvantage, thats how tight the level is in the mens side.
-
- Oliver Chettle - Sep 2, 2010 at 9:29 AM
-
Sam Querrey isn’t the future. He has only beaten one top 20 player this year, and that was a fellow American. He is incredibly lucky to have won four tournaments with such mediocre play. If you assess his year on the basis of the rankings of the players he has beaten and lost to, his true standing is probably that he is around the 40th or 50th best player in the world.
-
- Oliver Chettle - Sep 2, 2010 at 9:38 AM
-
I agree that women’s tennis is inferior, but your analysis of the way the rankings work is out. The women’s rankings use only 16 tournaments, against the best 18 for the men’s rankings. The premium given to the top tournaments is quite sufficient.
If one thinks it through, the higher the standard of play, the more likely it is that a player will be able to reach number one without winning a grand slam, because the greater the depth of competition, the harder it is for anyone to dominate. Take out half of the top ten, and the rest would have far more slams, but they would not be better individually, and the overall quality of the sport would be worse.
This applies to the men’s game as well as the women’s and also to golf and any other sport with a similar structure. Thus the common argument that Jack Nicklaus faced tougher competition because there were more multiple major winners in his day is logically absurd. There were more major winners in his day because the talent pool was smaller, being almost entirely confined to Americans, so a smaller number of outstanding talents shared the same number of majors. Make the talent pool small enough, and one outstanding athlete who chanced to play the sport could win everything year after year. This is not possible when a sport has depth.
-
- Oliver Chettle - Sep 2, 2010 at 9:45 AM
-
Great players don’t usually make great coaches. Nadal is coached by his uncle, and their are many other top players who are coached by a relation or a former pro who never got far as a player.
Also, many top players are coached by someone of a different nationality. If Americans only use American coaches, they will miss out on most of the top coaching talent.
-
- Oliver Chettle - Sep 2, 2010 at 9:54 AM
-
Tennis is higher up the list of popular sports in Europe than it is in the US, but this idea that quite a few Americans seem to have that European sporting talent is only divided between football and tennis is nonsense. Cycling is a major sport in France, Italy, Spain, and the Low Countries. Rugby in the British Isles, France, and Italy. Cricket in England. Basketball in Spain, the Baltics and the Balkans. Ice hockey in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Handball in northern Europe. Volleyball in various countries. Winter sports wherever there is snow or ice. And so on and so on. Many European countries win more Olympics medals than the US on a per capita basis.
Tennis gets more of the talent in Europe because many European countries (but not the UK unfortunately) have a strong competitive pro-youth tennis culture, not because tennis is the only option apart from soccer.
