What is Happening to the American Tennis Players?

Serena Williams © Getty Images

Andy Roddick © Getty Images

Serena Williams is the only American left in the 2012 Australian open singles draw and with the ankle injury she sustained last year, very few are confident that she will go far in this tournament. None of the ten males made it into the second week. It begs the question: what is going on with the American Tennis players?

This marks the first time in the Open Era that no American male has made it to the round of 16. They seem to be losing their passion for the sport. Andy Roddick, who used to be a force to reckon with a few years back, has been playing really lethargic tennis the last few months (granted he retired yesterday due to a hamstring injury and he was the last American male to win a grand slam in 2003) and just before the start of the Australian Open, Serena claimed that she did not love tennis or liked any sport. Really! 27 grand slams and you never enjoyed the sport? Well the world of tennis has certainly been kind to you and enjoyed you on the courts. 

Vania King looked promising out there today but the ever graceful Ana Ivanovic was relentless in her comeback attempt beating King in straight sets 6 - 3, 6 - 4. Mardy Fish, after a classy season last year, crashes out to Alejandro Falla like a cranky toddler. The heavy hitter John Isner battled an intense five setter but could not withstand the unwitting strength the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez brought to Hisense Arena.

Donald Young, Christina McHale, Sloane Stevens, Ryan Harrison and other young and upcoming stars still have a lot of work to do to improve their games but there is light at the end of the tunnel. With Wimbledon and the French Open coming up and U.S Open 7 months away, we hope to see more Americans move to the round of 16 and one of them possibly winning the grand slam. Till then we will be watching Serena who
is on a collision course with Maria Sharapova . Sharapova has played phenomenal tennis and is one of the favorites picked to win this tournament but their head-to-head heavily favors Serena.