It has been a difficult season for American men in 2014. With a disappointing Davis Cup loss to Great Britain early in the year and poor performances in the Grand Slams, they are in search of a positive story. One such story could be Steve Johnson and his quiet rise to American No. 2.

Since the retirements of Andy Roddick and James Blake, the most consistent torch bearers leading the American efforts have been John Isner and Sam Querrey. However, with Isner approaching the age of 30 and Querrey unable to consistently pierce the top 20, the United States is in search of their next man capable of competing with the best in the world. And while the jury is still out as to Johnson's potential, he has watched his ranking rise to its career peak, breaking into the top 50.

The 24-year-old's rise in 2014 has been a quietly impressive one, having started the year ranked world No. 160. Early in the season, he entered Challenger events while taking advantage of his opportunities in ATP tournaments which became more frequent with his success. Building momentum, Johnson notched victories against players such as John Isner, Kevin Anderson, and Ernests Gulbis. He served notice of his pending success back in February, when he won the Dallas Challenger and then followed that effort with a run to the semifinals in Delray Beach. There, he would eliminate Tommy Haas and Feliciano Lopez before falling to Anderson. In thesSpring, he would continue his progress, capturing another title at the Guadelupe Challenger.

During the mid-summer, where he has a history of resilience during the U. S. Open Series, Johnson was strong at both Washington and Cincinnati. And, despite falling to Querrey in both Atlanta and Winston-Salem, he entered Flushing Meadows on the heels of quality tennis. However, Johnson became a victim of extreme cramping at the U. S. Open and was forced to retire in the first round with a lead against Tatsuma Ito. It was an unfortunate event on the United States hard courts where he had built momentum.

The California native's path to the ATP World Tour was an interesting one. Choosing to play tennis at the University of Southern California, Johnson not only became one of the all-time great collegiate players but received wild card entries into the U. S. Open in both 2011 and 2012 by virtue of winning back-to-back NCAA singles championships. In 2012, he reached the third round at Flushing Meadows. Since then, he has shown flashes of potential but has finally found consistency in 2014.

Historically, as the U. S. Open concluded, Johnson would typically enter the $100,000  Sacramento or Tiburon Challengers in his home state. However, with his ranking now inside the top 50, he may opt to pursue entry into some upcoming tournaments during the Asian swing by way of qualifiers or other means. While a number of Americans, including Querrey, have entered the Sacramento tournament later this month, Johnson's immediate plans are not yet clear.

Regardless, Johnson will look to finish the season strong and maintain his ranking moving towards the 2015 season, when play will shift towards the Australian Open. His breakout season started with a run in a pre-Australian Open event in Auckland earlier in the year, and a duplicate run could thrust him further as he looks to build upon his best season to date.

As this season moves towards its final quarter, Johnson's move up the rankings may well be the brightest light to an overall dim season for American men. Which direction he moves from here is a story many hopeful Americans will be fully engaged in.