The all-American matchup at the Australian Open between Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka ended in the middle of the night in the United States, which meant few back home saw their entertaining five-set marathon.
That's nothing new — U.S. men's tennis hasn't been prime-time material for years. The last American man to win a Grand Slam tournament was Andy Roddick at the U.S.
Open in 2003, and there's no sign the drought will end anytime soon. Fritz, who rallied to beat Opelka in Melbourne on Wednesday, was the only seeded American man when the tournament began, and he's 27th.
Only three Yanks are ranked in the top 50. “For a country this big, with these resources, it doesn’t make sense,” said longtime coach Rick Macci, who helped develop