May 9, 2011 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Credit: John Foxx
For the very first time since the inception of the WTA rankings in 1975 and ATP rankings in 1973, there is no American player ranked in the top 10 on either the men’s or women’s side. The last remaining American was Serena Williams on the women’s side, who slid out of the number 10 spot in the WTA rankings.
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands improved to number 38 after reaching the quarterfinals of the Madrid tournament this past week. Mattek-Sands lost to seventh-ranked Li Na of China 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in Madrid. Eight Russians are ranked ahead of Mattek-Sands, with two in the top 10. Earlier this year, the top-10 was made up of 10 players from different countries.
Mardy Fish dropped from the number 10 spot on the ATP side last week to leave no American male player in the top 10. Former number one-ranked Andy Roddick currently currently in the number 12 spot, one place higher than the 13th-ranked Fish.
“There’s a lot of talent out there, but it’s just tough right now," said Mattek-Sands. "A lot of juniors get injured and their flame gets put out before they get a chance to go out on tour. There is a lot of pressure in the U.S. to be number one.”
