Top coach reveals what held American tennis back for ‘decades’ as he provides an alternative solution

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The United States have been searching for a top American star in men’s tennis for several years.

22 years America have waited for a Grand Slam champion on the ATP Tour, the longest drought in the nation’s history.

When Andy Roddick lifted the trophy high on Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2003, not many would’ve predicted such a long wait would follow.

Many have tried and failed since but no player returned to a Major final ‘post-Roddick’ until Taylor Fritz did just that in New York last year.

Enjoying the best year of his career, he reached the final of the US Open and ATP Finals as Fritz finished 2024 ranked fourth in the world, the highest year-end ranking for an American in 18 years.

Several of Fritz’s countrymen have also enjoyed success recently, as young American Ben Shelton advanced to the semi-finals in Australia.

Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, and Alex Michelsen have also shown promise, as the next generation of stars look set to challenge for years to come.

The future may look bright for tennis in the USA but questions still must be asked over the nation’s failures, as one top coach now reveals the big mistake that has been going on for ‘decades.’

Tennis coach Scott Perelman says youngsters weren’t taught how to be ‘classical tennis players’ for ‘decades’

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Mail, American Collegiate tennis coach Scott Perelman explained the mistakes the country have made while developing young players.

“This is what’s been going on in America for decades,” he said.

“All you need is a big serve and a big forehand.

“You had a generation teaching that Western forehand grip where you could jack the s— out of the ball.

“That’s a piece of what held us back, because we’re not teaching kids from the beginning to be classical tennis players.”

America’s most recent Major champion was as Perelman describes, a player with a ‘big serve and a big forehand’, often dominating his rivals with powerful ball striking.

Roddick is one of four Americans who hold a place in the top ten list for all time ‘Aces’, a measure that clearly shows the nation’s serving success.

Roddick’s fellow American John Isner leads the way with a remarkable 14,470 aces, a record that may well never be touched.

Isner reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2018, as he peaked at number eight in the world, never quite matching Roddick’s Major performances.

How are top American stars performing at this week’s Mexican Open?

World number four Fritz withdrew from this week’s Mexican Open through injury, as he continues to struggle with an abdominal problem he picked up recently.

There are, however, plenty of other top American stars who traveled to Acapulco, many of which advanced through to the last 16.

Youngster Nishesh Basavareddy was the only American to lose in round one, as seven others advanced to the second round.

Shelton, one of America’s top rising stars took down Flavio Cobolli in straight sets, and will now face a tough test against Belgian veteran David Goffin on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Paul will play Marcus Giron in an all-American clash, and Tiafoe takes on an in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

They’ll all be hoping for a strong week in Acapulco, as American tennis continues it’s resurgence in 2025.