Mike Holder continues his series reflecting on what some notable Americans achieved this year. 

Sam Querrey entered 2013 in a solid position to surpass his career-high ranking of No. 17 and advance towards the ATP top 10. With few points to defend in the first half of the season, the second-ranked American man was presented with a golden opportunity to compile points that could have launched him on the way to his best season. However, things did not play out according to plan, and optimism turned to disappointment followed by a season in which his ranking fell to No. 46.

Querrey started the season ranked 22nd, just nine spots behind top American man John Isner. He began the year with modest success, advancing to the semifinals in Auckland and San Jose.  Querrey also fell in straight sets to Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round of the Australian Open, a respectable loss considering the stellar season that Wawrinka would produce. After reaching the semifinals twice in the first five weeks of the season, then, Querrey would advance to just one more semifinal during the rest of the year.

As spring arrived, Querrey stumbled through poor results in Europe as he prepared for the year’s next two majors. He lost in the first or second round in five events prior to Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and he had little success in at either of those majors, including a first-round exit in London.

After struggling abroad, Querrey had hoped to recover on the hard courts of North America, prior to the U. S. Open. But he found scant success, falling in the early rounds at three events, and was forced to withdraw from the Rogers Cup due to personal reasons. His best result came with a semifinal appearance in Winston-Salem, where he fell to eventual champion Jurgen Melzer in three sets. Querrey's American season ended predictably with a whimper. He fell to Adrian Mannarino in the second round of the US Open after failing to break the French journeyman’s serve through the course of four sets.

Aside from lifting the United States past Brazil in Davis Cup play in February, there was little to celebrate for the 26-year-old American in 2013. It was a season in which Querrey failed to win a title, nor did he reach the second week at a major. Only once did he defeat a top-10 opponent, Wawrinka in Beijing in his next-to-last tournament of the year.

Additionally, Querrey was part of a dubious distinction for American men’s tennis. With the retirements of Andy Roddick and James Blake along with the absence of Mardy Fish, American hopes turned to Querrey and top-ranked American man John Isner. But what unfolded was one of the most unsuccessful seasons in this nation’s tennis history. At one point in 2013, the American men fell out of the top 20 for the first time in forty years. Isner rallied to finish at No. 14, but Querrey fell 24 spots from his ranking when the year started.

However, the native Californian is in no immediate danger of losing his spot as American No. 2. Underscoring the current status of mens tennis in the States, the gap between Querrey and the third-ranked American man spans over 40 spots.

During the U. S. Open, Querrey stated that he felt no added pressure following the Blake retirement and the shifting landscape of American tennis. He put his career into perspective.

“The rest of my career I want to enjoy it a little more when I'm out there and really try to have more fun because I know they (family and friends) get joy out of seeing me happy and having an enjoyable experience out there,” said Querrey philosophically. “I want to make the rest of my career a fun, enjoyable experience not only for me but for my close family and friends, too.”

A month later, the American accomplished his best result of the season by defeating a surging Wawrinka in straight sets. Moving to 2014, the 26-year-old seven-time titlist appears to have a clear vision of his future. Does that translate into championships on the court, or is simply playing tennis on the highest stage fulfillment enough for Querrey? We will likely get answers to those questions in the near future.