The United States Tennis Association is not blaming Patrick McEnroe for the worst showing by American men at the U.S. Open and at this year’s four Grand Slams.
According to a USTA source, McEnroe has agreed in principle to a multi-year contract extension to remain as the organization’s general manager of player development. McEnroe’s current contract expires at the end of 2013. He has been in the position for five years.
This is the first Open in history in which no American male advanced to the fourth round. It also marks the first time no American man got to the fourth round in any of the four Grand Slams. Last year, no American male got to a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
McEnroe, who announces all four Slams for ESPN, told The Post yesterday he actually took away a positive vibe from the performances at Flushing Meadows.
Though top prospect Ryan Harrison lost in the first round to No. 2 Rafael Nadal, Jack Sock and Tim Smyczek made it to the third round, unexpectedly. Of the 15 American men in the main draw, eight won their first-round matches. Baby steps.
The biggest disappointment was 13th-seed John Isner’s third-round flameout to Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.
“I’m actually more optimistic than I’ve been in a while about the men,’’ McEnroe said. “We have some good young players starting to come around. We’d all like to have [Sam] Querrey and Isner do better in the majors than they did this year.
“But we knew with [Andy] Roddick retiring and Mardy Fish’s problems [he withdrew] and now James Blake retiring, those were our best guys the last 5-10 years. This wasn’t really surprising. But we have young players, Harrison, Sock, [Denis] Kudla, Bradley Klahn, Steve Johnson and Smyczek had a nice tournament.
“We feel we should have six players in the top 100 soon. Do we have a Slam champion coming? I don’t know. It takes longer in the men’s game to get in the top — early to mid-20s. Maybe a Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal comes around, but I don’t see that coming anywhere in the world, not just the U.S.’’
McEnroe said the American women are “a year or two ahead’’ of the men and said their depth could be attributed to women having fewer professional sports options in the U.S. than men have.
Attendance at the Open has thrived even without a dominant American male.
“The U.S. Open as an event probably doesn’t need American players to be successful,” McEnroe said. “That’s been proven over the last few years — it’s an event. But for the overall buzz of the sport and long-term health, we need American players competing for majors. We’re certainly aware of that and we’re putting in the time, energy and money to get it done.’’
The key, McEnroe said, is to funnel the top athletes to tennis and away from basketball, baseball and football by making the sport “more attractive and affordable.’’ McEnroe said girls’ junior tournaments have “more diversity’’ than the boys, citing the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus.
Another movement is to get more clay courts at USTA’s training sites. McEnroe’s office is at the National Tennis Center and he had four Har-Tru (artificial clay) courts built there to be put under a bubble.
“We’re doing the legwork and gruntwork to make this happen,’’ McEnroe said. “You’re talking a 10-20 year kind of deal, to get a system in place to work in the long-term — and short-term.’’