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Looking Back at 2014, Forward to 2015 for American Men

Dec 15th 2014

For American men, 2014 did not bring a competitor to the surface to immediately challenge the elite of the game.  However, it showed positive signs for some despite more of the same for others. When the dust settled, these five men separated themselves from the remaining Americans on the ATP Tour.

John Isner

John Isner

Isner began 2014 with hopes of cracking the top 10 but was unable to find adequate consistency and ended the year ranked at world No. 19. While he maintained his status as the top American, a young group lingers in his shadow. Now at age 29, the Greensboro native has become a seasoned veteran and while he has reasonable hopes of working his way back into the top 10, his window of opportunity for a potential Grand Slam championship is steadily decreasing.

However, Isner did win two ATP titles for the fourth consecutive season, earning career titles Nos. 8 and 9 with championships in Auckland and Atlanta. But it was a season of missed opportunities against top-10 caliber competition, since he finished 0-6 against that group of players. On a positive note, Isner competed in 24 tournaments in 2014 despite nursing an injured ankle and knee at various points in the season. Those injuries forced withdrawals from the Australian Open and his home tournament in Winston-Salem. Nonetheless, he maintained a schedule comparable to the younger Americans.

Isner hopes to enter 2015 healthy and will likely advance as far as his powerful serve takes him.  Along with Milos Raonic, he continues to own one of the best first strikes in tennis. Additionally, hoping to maximize his potential in the coming year, Isner has inked a new coaching agreement with former ATP player Justin Gimelstob. The American, who has spent much of his recent time working in television, comes from a family with a legacy of coaching.  With maintained good health and consistency in service games, Isner is still capable of deep runs at Grand Slam events. And now, with a new coach, the American seeks to put these elements to the test with a successful run at Melbourne in January.

Sam Querrey

Sam Querrey

Querrey struggled for the vast majority of 2014 but found late success in Challenger events after the U. S. Open. These results secured the 27-year-old as American No. 2 with a season-ending ranking of world No. 35.

The California native began the season with some optimism after eliminating Ernests Gulbis at the Australian Open. However, he could advance no further than the round of 32. What followed was a series of first- and second-round losses in tournaments following Melbourne and disappointing defeats to James Ward and Andy Murray in Davis Cup competition at San Diego. Querrey would watch his ranking plummet to world No. 82 after Roland Garros, which culminated a clay season where he would fail to qualify at Rome and Nice.

After lukewarm success during the grass season, Querrey returned to the American hard courts, where he had historically found positive results. But a semifinal run at Winston-Salem was his best performance, and his American hard-court season was capped by a straight-sets defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the round of 32 at Flushing Meadows.

Determined to find some form of success in 2014, Querrey bypassed the Asian swing and chose to turn his attention to three Challenger events in California. He would earn titles at Napa, Sacramento, and Tiburon, finishing the season on an uptick.

Entering the year, Querrey admitted that he had fallen into “a little rut.” That rut continued for a good portion of the season, but he can take a positive from the fact that he escaped significant injury, which has plagued him in seasons past. Still in his prime and with a big serve as a weapon, his string of championships at the end of 2014 could be the formula that fuels momentum heading into 2015. It will likely be a challenge for Querrey to hold the spot of American No. 2 in 2015 with three young Americans nipping at his heels. However, a fast start will go a long way in avoiding another rut. Querrey will look to Melbourne, where he has found his most consistent Grand Slam results, to accomplish that goal.

Steve Johnson

Steve Johnson

Seldom do you witness a rise up the rankings with as little fanfare as was seen by Johnson in 2014. Flying under the radar, the Californian improved 123 spots and finished at world No. 37. At age 24, he must now be considered someone who, with continued improvement, could eventually challenge Isner as the top American. Known as a fighter on the court, Johnson scrapped for wins against the likes of Ernests Gulbis, Tommy Haas, Kevin Anderson, and Isner. Nearly as impressive was his competitive nature against superior players in defeat. He battled against Milos Raonic three times and Kei Nishikori once and while he failed to secure victories in those matches, Johnson competed intensely. A handful of points in his favor during tiebreaks could have changed those results.

Johnson began the season by mixing Challenger events with ATP tournaments. He played in all four Grand Slams but struggled to find success, failing to advance past the first round in three of those tournaments. An unfortunate, severe cramping incident forced a first-round retirement at the U. S. Open during a period when he was playing at his peak level. However, 2014 was a success and one that should benefit the American heading into 2015. With his improved ranking, Johnson will likely face more favorable early-round opponents in the more prestigious tournaments. With continued success, and only modest points to defend in the elite events, Johnson will have an opportunity to maintain his status and even continue to advance up the rankings next season.

Jack Sock

Jack Sock

Perhaps the American with the most upside is Sock, who at just 22 years of age, saw his potential emerge in 2014. Sock improved to world No. 42 after beginning the season at No. 100. However, the Nebraska native produced uneven results early in the season. Struggling with consistency, Sock defeated Tommy Haas but failed to advance beyond the first round at Challenger events in Maui and Sarasota.

Interestingly, it may have been a doubles result that became the turning point for Sock in 2014. Pairing with Vasek Pospisil of Canada, the duo put together a spectacular result, defeating the Bryan Brothers to earn the Wimbledon doubles title. Playing with a renewed confidence, Sock finished his singles season strong as the potential that so many had anticipated began to consistently show. Although he did not find significant success at the Grand Slams, Sock was strong in the Shanghai and Paris Masters as well as the Tokyo ATP 500 event late in the season.  He would log victories against Kei Nishikori, Jeremy Chardy, Bernard Tomic, and Alexandr Dolgopolov in events that followed the U. S. Open.

Certainly, 2015 will be a season to keep an eye on the young American. Showing his desire to continue to improve, Sock added James Blake to his coaching staff. The former world No. 4 will not travel to all events but will mentor Sock throughout the much-anticipated season. Blake had similarities to Sock at his age and can relate to the distractions and mental challenges he is currently facing. The American has all of the tools to rise towards the top, and with Blake’s input, it is hopeful that he will continue to blossom and give the United States a young player with the potential to compete with the best.

Donald Young

Donald Young

The resurgence of Young continued in 2014 when the former anointed “Great American Champion” rose to world No. 57 after a fall to No. 202 in 2013.  Now, at age 25 and once again showing glimpses of a game that once had some insisting he would eventually fill a trophy case with titles, Young made strides this year.

And while his improvement did not produce significant results in tournaments, Young passed the eye test at times in 2014. Most notably, he defeated two higher-ranked opponents in Robin Haase and Andreas Seppi in a run to the round of 32 at the Australian Open. He would duplicate that result at Roland Garros, eliminating Feliciano Lopez on the red clay during that fortnight. But perhaps it was in Washington where Young particularly highlighted his potential. There, he would defeat Julien Benneteau, Denis Istomin, and Kevin Anderson in route to a competitive semifinal loss to Milos Raonic. After defeating a string of higher-ranked opponents, it appeared he might have finally turned a corner. However, Young finished the season on a whimper by losing six of his last eight matches in main draws, beginning with the U. S. Open.

Nonetheless, in 2014, the Chicago native showed more potential than has been seen in years. Yet, he enters 2015 still searching for the consistency that could elevate his game. Now in his prime and no longer an up-and-comer, the coming year will be one in which he hopes potential turns into reality.

It has been nearly a decade since the retirements of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, and the fortunes of United States men’s tennis have not resembled that era since. Andy Roddick represented well, but the country remains in the midst of one of its longest dry spells in the open era without producing a consistent Grand Slam contender. And while this group may not evolve into a player of the caliber many in the United States have been historically accustomed to, there are still positives to embrace. They are an entertaining mixture of competitors who should continue to stride in 2015 giving hope to a country starved for success in the ATP.