With the start of the U.S. Open on Monday putting a sharper focus on an embarrassing new low for American men’s tennis, John McEnroe suggested the USTA start stealing taller athletes from the basketball court.
It is likely a second straight year will end without an American men’s player advancing to the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam tournament. Before 2012, that never had happened, according to tennis historian Randy Walker, author of “On this Day in Tennis History.”
The 6-foot-9, rocket-serving John Isner, is the highest-seeded American at No. 13, but he got a bum Open draw: Rafael Nadal in the fourth round. In the unlikely event he advances, Isner could meet Roger Federer in the quarters.
“You could see a 7-footer come along — we’ve been trying to encourage some kids that were going to play basketball or American football to get out on a tennis court,’’ said McEnroe, who runs academies on Randalls Island. “When I watch Isner, he’s an extremely dangerous guy to play against because of his height. It’s not that some of these guys aren’t good athletes, but we need truly great athletes, try to nab some of the kids playing other sports.
“Do we go with a 6-2, 6-3 guy or do we go with guys 7-foot and serve like 150 [mph]. What happens when the guy is 7-1, 7-2? Imagine what his serve would do.’’
If McEnroe’s plea sounds desperate, the USTA is. Andy Roddick’s retirement after last year’s Open further exposed the bare cupboard in a sport dominated by the European Big 4 (Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray).
At least in Roddick, who won the 2003 Open, there was an American lurking as a threat to win a Slam. No longer.
Isner hasn’t gotten out of the third round in a major this year. After Isner, the drop-off is severe. Young up-and-comers Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock are struggling. (They are ranked 97th and 87th, respectively). Harrison drew Nadal in Round 1.
“I don’t see either one of them progressing to where we would like to see them go,” ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale said.
Women’s tennis legend Chris Evert said, “There’s so many more choices in sports in America. Our boy athletes are going to those other sports. Tennis is number one in these smaller countries. It’s more intense.’’
Then Evert appeared to point a finger at the USTA’s general manager of player development.
“That’s a good question,’’ Evert said of the absence of Americans in the top 10. “I think maybe you have to ask Patrick [McEnroe] about that since he’s head of the USTA.’’
Patrick McEnroe didn’t bother sugarcoating.
“Obviously we’re in a bit of a rough go with our top men at the moment,” he said. “We’re well aware of that. We’ve been well aware for a number of years, even before Roddick retired, which obviously surprised us. But we’re starting to feel some more optimism about some younger guys coming up. Obviously we need better athletes and more kids in the pipeline.’’
Patrick McEnroe said Harrison and Sock are still two years away from being Open threats. Isner, meanwhile, is 28, and his lack of a return game gives him little chance to win a Slam.
John McEnroe said he sees Isner’s ceiling as a “legitimate quarterfinal, semifinal threat.’’ CBS’ Mary Carillo said Isner has too many long matches in the early rounds — because many of his sets go to tiebreakers — to sustain a deep run.
“To be on the verge of two straight years without an American man in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament is pretty stark,’’ tennis historian and author Steve Flink said. “It’s a little more extreme than in the past. The Spaniards and Serbians have improved so much. It looks terribly bleak right now.’’
Flink recalled how panic surfaced in 1987 when Jimmy Connors was fading and John McEnroe lost a step. Not long after came the American boom with Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.
“[Patrick and I] both want to be part of turning this around and getting America to dominate,” John McEnroe said. “We could get back on top. Doesn’t look good right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t in five years.”