Young Americans to Look Out for in 2011

You know the names … Roddick, Isner, Querrey, Serena, Venus, and Oudin … but in 2011 there are other Americans looking to make a splash in the rankings, while making their mark on the tennis world. In the men’s and women’s divisions, here are a few Americans who hope to make their mark on the sport in 2011 …

Ryan Harrison
Even if it is cliché to say, it is the best way to describe Ryan Harrison: You can’t judge a book by its cover. The 6-ft., 160 lb., 18-year-old does not look like a tennis player and is often dismissed by his opponents as an easy win. Maybe that is part of his strategy as last year in the U.S. Open, he reached the second round and quickly became a fan favorite despite losing a grueling five-set match against Sergiy Stakhovsky. Before this breakout performance, Harrison was best known for being the third youngest player since 1990 to win an ATP level match. The other two players to achieve this feat were Richard Gasquet and someone by the name of Rafael Nadal. Harrison is currently ranked 176th in the world, but his career goal is to be ranked in the top 10. To achieve this goal in 2011 might be a stretch, but the sky is limitless for this all-around finesse player.

Vania King
The United States is full of successful immigrant stories and Vania King is a perfect example of a great success story. Vania’s parents moved to the U.S. in 1982 and seven years later, Vania was born in Monterey Park, Calif. Under the tutelage of her coach/father, David, Vania is currently ranked 85th in the world with one WTA singles title. While her singles record is a modest 130-132, her doubles record is an outstanding 157-95 with 12 career WTA titles and two ITF titles. Her career highest ranking in doubles is fourth and often partners with Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. In 2010, they won the Wimbledon and U.S. Open Women’s Championships. It is clear that she has mastered the doubles game, but can she reach a singles ranking of higher than 50th which is her career best? We will see what the 2011 season holds for this young American.

Coco Vandeweghe
The pressures of being part of an athletic family can sometimes be a lot to live up to, but it is obvious that Coco Vandeweghe has risen to the challenge. The athletic genes began with her grandfather, Ernie Vandeweghe, who played in the NBA as well as her uncle Kiki. Her mother Tauna was an Olympic swimmer in 1976, and also played volleyball in the 1984 Olympic Games. As far as tennis goes, it’s safe to say that Coco is the star of the family even if her brother, Beau, thinks he can beat her.

In 2008, Coco won the Girls U.S. Open Championship and ever since making her professional debut in 2007, she has climbed the WTA rankings and is currently ranked 113th in the world. Over the last few months, she has been working hard on her training regime and it has paid off greatly as she won back-to-back USTA Pro Circuit titles, including a victory over then currently ranked number two, Vera Zvonareva. The 2011 season holds endless possibilities for the 19-year-old Vandeweghe. Despite being part of an extremely athletic family, Coco is not being over looked by anyone in her family or the tennis world.

Donald Young
Once thought of to be the next great American phenom, Donald Young is rarely put into the conversation of current, top American talent. He is currently ranked 105th in the world, and his highest career ranking is 73rd. These are modest rankings in comparison to what was expected of him when he was the number one-ranked junior player in the world. Many people attribute his lackluster performance to jumping into the pro circuit too soon. He started playing professional tournaments while his game was still developing. Early in his career, he did not have the match experience that his opponents had, and due to this fact, his confidence was dwindling. He has since played in more tournaments and is starting to gain that experience and confidence back.

Donald made a name for himself by dominating junior tournaments, and he is now putting in the work to salvage a career that was once predicted to rival the careers of other American greats. The year 2011 is a make or break year for Young, but is it too late for him to develop into the player everyone thought he would be?