ATP Top 10 Void of Americans For First Time Since ”73

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, United States (AHN) – The days of Connors, McEnroe, Agassi and Sampras are clearly over, as the culture of United States men’s tennis hit rock bottom Monday with the release of the ATP Tour tennis rankings.

For the first time in the history of the rankings, there were no Americans among the top 10.

The top American was Andy Roddick, who had been a mainstay in the top 10 for the past four years.

Following a third-round loss last week at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., Roddick tumbled from his perch and is ranked 11th.

He will enter the Pilot Pen tournament on Aug. 22 outside the top 10 for the first time since Aug. 14, 2006.

Roddick is one of only four Americans ranked in the top 80 in the world.

John Isner, who won an epic match at Wimbledon, is ranked 19th, and Sam Querrey is ranked 21. The only other American in the top 50 is Mardy Fish, ranked 34th.

Maintaining a stranglehold on the top spot is Rafael Nadal of Spain.

Proving tennis has become truly an international sport, nine different countries are represented in the top 10.

As the ATP season gears for its final major, the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 30, Roddick and his fellow Americans will try to snap a 27-major losing streak.

The last time an American won a major it was Roddick, who won the 2003 U.S. Open.

Nadal and Switzerland’s Roger Federer have garnered the majority of those major titles.

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