Americans will fall out of Top 30 for first time in ATP history next week

The ATP Rankings has had a long history with American tennis, as several champions and top-ranked players have emerged over the years, ranging from Arthur Ashe to Andre Agassi and more recently James Blake and Andy Roddick.

However, there has been a dearth in top-ranked players in the last decade, with John Isner carrying the flag for the USA. However, the 36-year old is fast approaching the tail-end of his career, as he recently became a father and seems to be winding down his time on the ATP Tour.

There have been a few bright spots that emerged during this span, as Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock have all tried to make their mark on the tennis circuit. However, none has been consistent enough to compete with the powerhouses in Europe, leading to the idea that male American tennis might have reached its peak.

This will be even more evident as beginning Monday, May 10 2021, there will be no Americans ranked in the Top 30. The highest-ranked US male is Taylor Fritz, who is currently World No.30. However, he will lose that position next week due to his poor showing thus far, especially with the clay-court season upon us. And it's no secret that Americans have always underperformed on red-clay. John Isner did make the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open this week, but his gutsy performance will only keep him inside the Top 40. Therefore, for the first time in ATP history, there will be no Americans ranked inside the Top 30.

There is still some hope, as the likes of Sebastian Korda, Reilly Opelka and Tommy Paul have been spearheading the next generation of US players. Nonetheless, they still leave a lot to be desired and any hopes of the next US Grand Slam champion will have to be tampered, at least on the mens side. The women are doing significantly better, boasting five ladies (Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, Jennifer Brady, Madison Keys, Alison Riske) inside the WTA Top 30.