Statisfaction: 25 Years of American Men's Tennis Decline

America used to be a men's tennis powerhouse, both on the Grand Slam stage and in the rankings. A close look at the rankings from 1988 to 2013 shows just how far the American men have fallen.

By Chris Oddo

(February 13, 2013) -- Without Andy Roddick to put lipstick on the pig, things are looking quite bleak for the state of American men's tennis at the moment.

Frustration is mounting, results aren't coming, and things only appear to be getting worse. There isn't a single American man in the top ten, and there are only three in the top 50. An American has not won a Grand Slam on the men's side in nine and a half years, and with the current crop of players that is solid but not great, that number appears destined to grow.

Is American men's tennis finally approaching the bottom of a steep decline, or are things going to get worse before they get better?

25 Years of Decline: A look Inside the Numbers:

Lowlight No. 1: After 10 consecutive years of ten or more top 100 players in the rankings in mid-February, things started to trail off. America hasn't had ten men in the top 100 at this point of the season for six straight years.

Lowlight No. 2: American men had more than one player in the top 10 in seventeen out of nineteen years leading up to 2007. Since then, it hasn't happened once. Perhaps some player--or group of players--will lift American men's tennis out of its funk someday. Until then, cue up those classic Agassi or McEnroe highlights and try not to get too upset. The empire has crumbled, but we've still got the memories.

Lowlight No. 3: From 1989-2003, American men combined to win 28 Grand Slam singles titles. Since then? Zero.