And with that, the American men’s drought of nearly 14 major title-less years continues.
Long gone are the days of McEnroe and Sampras serving-and-volleying their way to major titles.
Twenty-five years later, the highest-ranked American is No.
None attended college, all turning pro by 18 years old at the latest.
Donald Young, on the other hand, never came close to college, turning pro at 16 after becoming the world’s top youth player.
For most of Europe’s top players, regional or national tennis centers are the destination for top adolescent players.
Of course, there are countless other reasons for the United States struggling.
American tennis in the 1990s is the last time any country dominated mens tennis so thoroughly.
Tiafoe was one of the top youth players in the world.
All four members of the Big Four — a group that has taken 47 of the 54 slams (over 87 percent) since Roddick won the U.S. Open, are into their 30s.