In New Year's Fashion, let's do this countdown style. We'll see the 10 players that will make the most noise, 9 young players rising through the rankings, 8 players hoping to solidify their places at the highest level, 7 players who will excel in doubles action, 6 minor tournaments in the ATP World Tour held in the United States, 5 major tournaments held in the United States, 4 Davis Cup ties (hopefully), 3 players who could see 2015 be their last chance, 2 semi-bold predictions, and 1 bold prediction that hopefully is not too crazy.
10 - Players that will Make the Most Noise
John Isner (19)
This man has been the number 1 American for quite some time now, and he should keep these title for at least a few more months in 2015, if not the whole year. With a new season comes more experience on the tour, and new coach in Justin Gimelstob should help give him the push he needs to get closer to the top 10 again. John is coming off of his lowest year-end ranking since 2010, but the bright side of this is that he does not have as many points to defend as he has the past few seasons. Starting his season with the Hopman Cup should work him up to his highest level of form, and prepare him for a good run at the Australian Open and continued success throughout 2015.
Sam Querrey (35)
Sam got off to a very pour start in 2014 in which he struggled to win many matches at the tour level. Despite this, he had a very successful end to the season, winning three challenger tournaments in a row. This is a great sign for Sam, as he is brimming with confidence heading into the season. Sure they were just challengers, but winning at any level breeds more winning. Sam is ready to bounce back into the tour level events and win a lot of matches, and potentially tournaments, this year. He's used to being the number 2 guy for American tennis, but this year he's ready to leap John in the rankings, as well as many other players in front of him.
Steve Johnson (37)
Steve is coming off of his best year as a pro by far. He had his first top 150 finish, which also just happened to be his first top 40 finish. Steve did end the year on a 3 match losing streak, but he's poised to bounce back and start off 2015 in the best of ways. He has a lot to defend early in the season, unfortunately, after making the quarters in Auckland, winning the Le Gosier and Dallas challengers, making the semis in Delray Beach, and the final in Irving. He will be playing more tour level events this year which should make up for any points lost from these results, but it will be difficult to keep his ranking from dropping. However, if there is an American who is ready to make the jump to tour level events and have consistently good results, it is Steve Johnson.
Jack Sock (42)
Jack is one of the brightest spots in the future of American tennis. This guy has the potential to be top 10 in the world, and we could see that happen in the next couple of years. He unfortunately will miss all of January with an injury, but is expected to come back at Memphis in February. Jack is currently at a career high ranking after his first top 100 finish landed him at 42. After a successful year that saw him make 5 quarters, 2 semis, and a challenger final, we can expect good results from him in the tour level events. He only had 4 wins each at masters events and the grand slams, so much more will be expected of him from these events. Expect Jack to continue to rise in the rankings, and maybe get a seed at Wimbledon or the US Open.
Donald Young (57)
Donald has been an enigma for his whole career, but guess what...he's only 25 years old. It feels like he's been on the tour forever, but this year will be his best year so far. He had his highest year-end ranking since 2011, and he doesn't have many points defend through March, as he only had 4 main draw wins in that period in 2014. He did, however, have a very strong middle portion of the season, making the quarters of Houston and Sarasota, the semis of Tallahassee and Washington, and the 3rd Round of the French Open. After his semi-final run in DC, though, Donald finished 4-8. This leaves the beginning and end of the season with a lot of potential for Donald to make some big points and possibly crack the top 30.
Denis Kudla (121)
Denis has so much potential that its astonishing. He's coming off a season in which he made 6 quarters at challengers, the semis at Charlottesville, a final at Guadalajara, qualified for the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Memphis, and won Winnetka, all while he missed 4 months of the season due to injury. If this guy has a full 2015, he will have no issue cracking into the top 100 and possibly the top 75. He may not be ready for the jump to tour level events yet, but he will be soon, and a big 2015 will help him get there.
Austin Krajicek (152)
Austin is coming off of his first top 240 finish and is sitting at a career high ranking. Thanks to making 9 quarters at challengers, the semis at Rimouski, qualifying for Newport, and winning Medellin, Austin is primed for an even bigger 2015. He's full of confidence and will get more direct acceptances into challengers along with some seeds, as well as a few appearances in tour level events. Expect Austin to continue his good form into this season and get near the top 100 in the world.
Ryan Harrison (191)
Let's just pretend like 2014 didn't happen for Ryan. We all know it was a terrible year as he saw his worst year-end ranking since 2009, including 17 losses in the 1st Round or qualifying rounds of tournaments, as well as a 5 match losing streak at one point. On the bright side, he qualified for 4 tour level events last year and had a lot of tough draws including Monfils, Dimitrov twice, and Hewitt, just to name a few. With not many points to defend this season and an offseason in which Ryan surely got his act together, expect him to get back into the top 100. Remember, he's only 22 years old, he's still figuring some things out.
Jarmere Jenkins (193)
The UVA grad is coming off a career year in which he won more than triple the amount of matches he lost (46-15). His first finish in the top 330 sees him inside the top 200 after winning 5 futures events, making the semis at Burnie, and the quarters at West Lake. This year will see the insanely athletic Jarmere play in more challengers, and possibly get some wild cards into tour level events, increasing the amounts of points he will be receiving. If he continues his good form into this season, expect a finish near the top 150.
Jared Donaldson (261)
The last player to expect a lot of noise from is also the youngest on this list. Jared finished almost 500 spots higher in the rankings than in 2013, coming off of 3 futures titles, qualifying at 2 challengers and Washington, as well as a semi at Napa, and a quarter at Sacramento. Same with Jarmere, Jared will be playing in more challengers and tour level events, which will only boost his ranking, as well as his confidence. Jared could get near the top 200, as he leads a large amount of young American tennis stars.
9 - Rising Stars
Jared Donaldson
Jared is utilizing 2 years of training in Argentina to get a jump start on his career, as he has risen through the rankings quicker than anyone could have imagined. Turning pro in 2014 and deciding to forego college, he made his first tour main draw as he qualified for Washington. Next up was a wild card into the US Open, something that any young start would dream of. 2015 will be bright for Jared, as well as the many other young stars behind him.
Marcos Giron
The 2014 NCAA champ from UCLA has a very big game and incorporates a high level of fitness in his matches. In 2014, he won a futures event and made another final, as well as qualifying for 5 events, and getting 6 wins in the main draws of challengers. He's coming off a very strong finish in 2014, making the quarters in Champaign, and making the final of a futures in Mexico. After having wins over guys like Ante Pavic, Bradley Klahn, and Gastao Elias, Giron should be brimming with confidence heading into the 2015 season.
Stefan Kozlov
Everybody knows about Stefan Kozlov, and this young man has earned that right. Stefan works harder than any other player his age, and this has earned him a spot as one of the rising stars of American tennis. Coming off a year in which he made 2 junior slam finals and won the Orange Bowl, he is primed for another big year, jumping 701 spots from 2013 to 2014. After making the final in Sacramento beating Harrison, Smith, Williams, and Smyczek along the way, as well as making his tour level debut in Valencia, Stefan can only be full of confidence as he looks to continue his rise in the rankings.
Noah Rubin
The 2014 Wimbledon juniors champ is heading to Wake Forest for college, but could still have a big 2015 in the pro ranks. This young man has drawn comparisons to David Ferrer thanks to his speed around the court and great defensive ability. These skills earned him 2 finals at futures events, as well as a title at Kalamazoo. Noah will continue to put in the hard yards at college, setting himself up for a great career in the future.
Bjorn Fratangelo
This guy is ready to make it big. Ever since he won the 2011 French Open juniors, he has been labeled with a lot of potential, and he's ready to show it. After winning 5 futures events and making the quarters at Tiburon and Sacramento, Bjorn will be playing in more challengers and receiving a lot more points for wins, which will boost his ranking massively, possibly approaching the top 200. On top of this, he only has 1 main draw win to defend through May, which means a lot of points will be coming his way. Finishing the season 31-6 has this man full of confidence heading into 2015.
Dennis Novikov
After winning 4 futures events in 2014, Dennis is sitting at a career high ranking. This man beat Jerzy Janowicz at the US Open in 2012, that's all you need to know about Dennis and what he brings to the court. He fights out every single point, putting him in the position to win a lot more matches than he truly should. Expect Dennis to get into more challengers this year and make some noise in those tournaments.
Ernesto Escobedo
Escobedo is another guy with a lot of potential. We've seen his ability as he made the semis of 3 futures events, as well as the quarters at Binghamton and the FRQ at the US Open. This young man who is known for his power and speed is ready to make some noise in 2015, as long as he can stay healthy.
Michael Mmoh
Coming off a big year in the juniors, Mmoh is poised for a big 2015. He won a futures event, made the quarters at the Orange Bowl, Round of 16 at the French Open and Wimbledon juniors, as well as the final of the Eddie Herr tournament. Drawing comparisons to Gael Monfils, this young man has the entertainment level and will hopefully prove he matches the skill level as well.
Francis Tiafoe
Tiafoe made his name known in 2014 as he made his tour level debut at Washington. After winning the Easter Bowl, making the quarters at 3 futures events, and the semis at the US Open juniors, Francis is primed for some big results in 2014, and hopefully a few appearances in challenger tournaments. Expect Tiafoe to continue his rise through the rankings, as this man can beat anyone on any given day.
8 - Players Looking for Solidification at the Highest Level
Tim Smyczek
Smyczek has hovered around the top 100 for the past couple years and has won some big matches and had many good results on tournaments. It just seems that he doesn't bring the same level of play to the court week in and week out. He did make 3 quarters, 3 semis, and a final in challengers in 2014, as well as qualifying for 2 tour level events. Despite this, he had 11 1st Round losses (5 in challengers, 6 in tour level events). Sure, some of the losses were to Kevin Anderson and Gilles Simon, but others were to Facundo Bagnis and Yoshihito Nishioka, guys that Tim should not be losing to. If Tim could simply win one match at each of these tournaments, his ranking would drastically improve. If he can match the level of play that earned him 7 appearances in the quarters or better every week, Tim could be a top 50 player.
Bradley Klahn
Bradley is the definition of streaky. He started the year 13-2(!!!) but followed this up with an 8 match losing streak. At the end of the season, he was 4-6 before winning Traralgon, but then had 2 1st Round losses. Klahn did win 3 challengers and made the quarters at Binghamton, but he dropped 51 spots in year-end rankings and had losses to guys like Adam Pavasek and Axel Michon. Klahn has a lot of points to defend through early February, but if he can keep his ranking inside the top 200 during that time, expect him to bounce back and get near the top 100 again.
Wayne Odesnik
Odesnik is one of those guys that you either love or hate, but that's a story for another day. He had his lowest year-end ranking since 2006 (not counting 2010), had 17 1st Round losses, and 2 4-match losing streaks. To contrast this, he won the US Open wild card by making the final in Bighamton and the semis in Lexington, as well as making back to back quarters in Santiago and Santos (which was promptly followed by 3 1R losses), and winning Chitre. He also qualified for 4 tour level events, but after qualifying for Winston-Salem, he finished the year 3-7. Odesnik is another guy that needs to find some consistency from week to week if he wants to get back near the top 100.
Alex Kuznetsov
Kuznetsov had a very good year last year, making 3 quarters, a semi at Charlottesville, an FRQ at the Australian Open, and qualifying for 4 tour level events. He had wins over Goffin, Kukushkin, Mannarino, Stakovsky, and Groth, but he also had losses to Thibaud Berland (his only win of 2014), Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, and David Guez. He also had 17 1R losses, and followed a 5-2 run with a 4 match losing streak. Add Kuznetsov to the list of guys who needs more consistency from week to week.
Rhyne Williams
Now that I have Lang's attention...Rhyne is an amazing tennis player with great ability. He showed us this by making the quarters in Delray Beach, as well as two challengers, making the semis at Aptos, and qualifying for 3 tournaments. He had a win over Alejandro Falla, but had losses to Josh Milton and Stefan Kozlov (don't get me wrong, Kozlov is a great player and I love the kid, but he shouldn't be beating Rhyne at this point). After dropping 93 spots in year-end rankings and being 107 spots below his career high, we have to remember that Rhyne has the ability to be a top 50 player, and consistency isn't really his issue. For him, it may be more of a mental block. If he could put everything together, he could easily be back in the top 100 in 2015.
Chase Buchanan
The Ohio State grad is coming off a career year in 2014, making 4 quarters, 2 semis, and a final all in challenger events. A good thing for Chase in 2015 is that he started and ended 2014 somewhat poorly, going 10-19 from January through April and mid-August through the end of the season. In other words, Chase was in his best form from May to August, going 18-10. If Chase could play at that level all season, his ranking will continue to rise near the top 100.
Tennys Sandgren
Tennys' problem isn't mental or consistency, it's his health. Tennys only played in 11 tournaments in 2014, as he missed February through August. While he played, however, he made the semis of a futures event, the quarters in Charlottesvill, and 3 semis in doubles tournaments, also garnering wins over Blaz Rola, James McGee, and Gastao Elias. If he can stay healthy for most of 2015 and is able to find some good form, Tennys could return to the top 250, and maybe even crack the top 150.
Donald Young
Yes, Donald is going to make a lot of noise in 2015...if he can handle playing tour level events every week. Donald could easily be a top 10 player if he brought his A-game every match, but sometimes he leaves it at home, and unfortunately that tends to be at the beginning of tournaments for Donald. I saw him play Blaz Kavcic at the US Open in 2014, and, to put it nicely, Donald could've left his racket in the bag for the match and had a better result. With matches like that thrown in throughout the season, he could struggle to stay in the top 60. Expect him to limit those types of matches this year, though, and solidify his spot near the top 40.
7- Doubles Stars
Bob and Mike Bryan
Everybody knows the Bryan twins because they are the best, and they're also pretty cool guys. After yet another amazing year in 2014 that included 10 titles (6 masters, the US Open, the World Tour Finals, and two others), 3 more finals, and a 25-match win streak, there are no signs of these guys slowing down. They will turn 37 in April, and guess what...they will still be the best. The team they thought would be the toughest competition in 2015 (Llodra/Zimonjic) is not happening anymore, as Llodra is still not healthy. Of course they will have their fluke matches where they lose to teams like Herbert/Przysiezny (Tokyo 2014), but no one will be able to beat these guys consistently. Continue to bring the trophies home, guys.
Eric Butorac
Eric is coming off his best year since 2011 as he had a very successful partnership with Raven Klaasen. They made the finals of the Australian Open, won Memphis and Stockholm, semis at 3 250 events and 1 500 event, and the quarters at the US Open and Paris Masters. This team is breaking up though, and Butorac is expected to be playing with Sam Groth this year, a team that could strike fear in the hearts of a lot of other teams. Expect Butorac/Groth to have a very strong start to the season, on their way to qualifying for the World Tour Finals.
Scott Lipsky
Scott is one of the most underrated American tennis players. He consistently finishes in the top 60 (4 straight top 32 finishes), despite having to play with a lot of different partners. Scott won 3 titles in 2014, as well as 2 semis appearances, and a final. He did play with Santiago Gonzalez in 18 out of his 30 tournaments in 2014, but Gonzalez is leaving, so Scott is on the market again. Rajeev Ram could be a potential partner for Scott as they made the semis at the US Open together, and played 3 other tournaments as a team. Expect another top 40 finish from Scott, no matter who his partner ends up being.
Jack Sock
I guess we can call him a Jack of all trades...*crickets* Ok, ignore the bad pun. But yes, Jack is just as good at doubles as he is singles, if not better. We all know he won Wimbledon with Vasek Pospisil, as well as Atlanta, but he also made two semis, and two finals. He was very successful with Ryan Harrison, making the semis in Delray and Miami, but hopefully him and Pospisil stick together, as they just seem to have this great chemistry together in which they very rarely lose a match. If they play a full season together, they could be a top 4 team.
Austin Krajicek
The lefty is another underrated doubles player for American tennis. After winning 3 challenger titles, making 6 semis, and 3 finals, Krajicek has proved his worth as a doubles partner and could attract bigger name players for higher level tournaments, like Dustin Brown. They played 4 tournaments together and won a few matches, but Austin's most successful partner was JP Smith. Together they won a title and made two finals and two semis. This team could win a lot of tournaments in the challenger ranks this year, and possibly work their way into some tour level draws.
Kevin King
A relatively unknown player, the Georgia Tech grad is an incredibly skilled doubles player. He seems to be trying to make it big in singles and plays doubles on the side, but he has a lot more success in the doubles draws. He had 8 different partners in 2014 and won 4 titles (2 futures and 2 challengers), 4 finals, and 5 semis. His most successful partner was Juan-Carlos Spir, a teammate from Georgia Tech. Together they won 3 titles, had 2 finals, and 3 semis, and had their ranking sit just outside the top 100 all year. If they keep making deep runs into challengers, expect them to reach the top 100 very soon and get some appearances at tour level events.
6 - 250 Events in the United States
Memphis, Delray Beach, Houston, Newport, Atlanta, and Winston-Salem are the hosts of 250 level tournaments in the States, and they hold great amounts of opportunity for American players. With 3 wild cards present at each of these, we often see young stars get big opportunities to make their names known. Also, the home nation advantage is always beneficial to Americans, even on the clay in Houston as we have seen John Isner and Ryan Sweeting take home the trophy there in the past few years. In 2015, expect guys like Kudla, Donaldson, and Kozlov to make some noise in the 250 level tournaments.
5 - 500, Masters, and Grand Slam Events
Indian Wells, Miami, Washington, Cincinnati, and New York are the hosts of some of the greatest tennis moments of the season. Indian Wells and Miami always show who is going to make it big throughout the season, while Washington and Cincinnati show who is ready to make a deep run at the US Open. If you've never had the opportunity to go to one of these tournaments, put it on your bucket list. I've been to Washington and New York, and those have been some of the greatest days of my life. Watching the best tennis players in the world play in our home nation is an honor, and hopefully some of the Americans can make themselves a force to be reckoned with at these tournaments and defend their home nation.
4 - Davis Cup ties...hopefully
It's safe to say that all American tennis fans were disappointed with the Davis Cup performance in 2014. A loss to Great Britain in the Round of 16 was not something that many people expected, but the stars and stripes are ready to turn that around this year.
Round of 16
With a shot at redemption, we face Great Britain again in the Round of 16, but this time we have to go across the pond. If a fully healthy team of Isner, Querrey, and the Bryan brothers goes to Great Britain, a win is certainly expected, even if Murray plays 3 matches. The tie is currently set to be played on an indoor hard court, which greatly benefits the powerful games of Isner and Querrey. They would each be expected to win a singles match against the Britain number 2, while the Bryan brothers can always be chalked up as a win. If one of these players is hurt, expect Steve Johnson to be called upon, because Jack Sock would still be out at this point of the season. Johnson should definitely be ready to make his Davis Cup debut, and could get a win if need be.
Quarterfinals
After a win against Great Britain, the United States would either host France, or go to Germany. Going to Germany may be better for the USA, even if the tie will be played on clay. France has such a dominant team comprised of Tsonga, Monfils, Simon, Gasquet, Benneteau, and Chardy, that facing a team of Kohlschriber, Becker, Struff, and Brown on clay in Germany doesn't sound too bad. Isner does have a great track record on the road on clay in Davis Cup, with wins over Federer, Tsonga, and Simon, and Querrey has always had a knack for the red stuff. Against France, there would be more nerves playing in front of a home crowd, and facing a much tougher team could be difficult for the states.
Semifinals
The semis would likely see a matchup against the Czech Republic or Italy. We would host the Czechs and go to Italy, and honestly neither one is that appealing, but a win is certainly possible in either scenario. Again, Isner's record on the road on clay would be huge against Italy, having to play against two great clay courters in Fognini and Seppi. Meanwhile, a home tie with the Czechs may not be that bad, as they would have to rely on Berdych for most of the tie. Again, the Bryans could be chalked up as a win against either of these sides, but may have difficulty against a doubles team of Berdych/Stepanek that has a great record in Davis Cup play.
Final
Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself, but a spot in the finals would likely see the US face Argentina, Serbia, or Switzerland. Argentina and Serbia would be on the road, while we would host Switzerland. Argentina would likely be the easiest of the three, however they could use Juan Martin del Potro, if he is healthy at the time of tie. Other than that, Monaco, Berlocq, Mayer, and Delbonis would not be that tough to beat on the road. Serbia on the road would be very difficult with Djokovic and Zimonjic leading the way, as well as Troicki, Lajovic, and Krajinovic fighting for the other two spots. If Isner and Querrey could both beat the number 2 Serb, a win would be expected though thanks to the Bryans. Lastly, we definitely don't want to face Switzerland, even if the tie is at home. A team of the GOAT and Stan Wawrinka is scary, especially after their Davis Cup win in 2014. The tie could be won though, if John and Sam step up big.
Expect Steve Johnson and Jack Sock to get some looks in Davis Cup action this year. If John or Sam don't play to their full potential in 2015, they could easily step in and do the job for America.
3 - Players in Their Final Year?
Rajeev Ram, Michael Russell, and Robby Ginepri could be nearing the ends of their very successful careers. Ram could still get into some tour level events and rely on doubles to stick around for a while, but Russell and Ginepri have to rely on challengers to continue their careers. If any of these guys does decide to call it quits in 2015, we will be saying farewell to a tremendous player and representative of the United States.
2 - Semi-bold Predictions
A. The Bryan brothers will win the calendar slam this year. They have done literally everything except this, and it could be the last year to do it. There aren't very many doubles teams set up that could scare the Bryan brothers this year, and coming off their momentum from a great 2014 (or their entire career for that matter), they could certainly pull off the calendar slam.
B. Ryan Harrison will return to the top 100 and win a 250 tournament. Coming off his worst year as a pro in 2014, Ryan is looking to bounce back in a big way. As I stated earlier, he won't have very many points to defend and could quickly raise his ranking back near the top 100. Doing so could get him into a 250 tournament, and I fully expect him to go all the way in one. My guess is either Nottingham or Bogota.
1 - Bold Prediction
Sam Querrey will win a Masters 1000 event and make the quarters of a Grand Slam (either Wimbledon or the US Open). You heard it hear first. I fully expect Sam to have a career year this year, coming off of a subpar 2014. Carrying the momentum from the end of the season will set up him for a great start to 2015 and continued success throughout the year. Remember this post, ladies and gentlemen.
Bonus - Who to Follow on Twitter for American Tennis
@LangTennis
@BaselineBagels
@jokelley_tennis
@MikeCTennis
@Dimonator
@TheTennisNerds
@TennisAtlantic
@matthigh1111
@JaredPine
@jmeistennis
@rourkeytenis
@Smith_J1989
