Tommy Paul says 'nobody cares' about tennis in United States, calls it 20th most popular sport

World number 12 Tommy Paul believes that there is not much focus on the development of tennis in the United States.

The 26-year-old was recently quoted in a report where he made those remarks where he suggested that it is great to have two American players in the top 10 despite having very little focus from the authorities.

“Tennis is probably the 20th most popular sport in the United States,” he said. “Nobody cares and we still have two players in the top 10. So it's a good thing we're at the top of the game. I mean all of our best athletes play other sports, so that's our excuse, I suppose.”

Tommy Paul might have added some more arguments proving that USA tennis is having a hard time. First and foremost, there is the absence of an American male superstar playing tennis. There’s no Sampras, no McEnroe, no Connors.

The last time an American male won a Grand Slam was in 2003 (Roddick). That’s more than 20 years ago. Secondly, there is the undeniable fact that college tennis is on the decline. Most players playing it in the USA come from abroad.

Thirdly, there is the absence of major tournaments in the States. If you look at California, there is one big event: Indian Wells. China, for instance, is nowadays hosting a string of tennis events. American investors simply seem to have moved on to other sports.

Paul is currently taking part in the Shanghai Masters where he has already booked his place in the third round after beating Australia’s Sebastian Ofner with a score of 6-3, 6-0.

The New Jersey-born will be hoping to go all the way after having a disappointing time in the big tournaments during the second half of the year.

Paul started the year brightly as he played in the semifinal of the Australian Open and lost to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic with a score of 7-5, 6-1, 6-2.

However, after that, he failed to qualify in the quarterfinal or beyond in any of the three other Grand Slams.