Rogers Cup 2013: Is There Any Hope for American Men's Tennis?

American tennis fans, it might be time to hit the panic button.

John Isner, the highest-ranked American man on the ATP Tour, lost in the first round of the Rogers Cup on Tuesday to No. 71 Vasek Pospisil, 7-5, 6-7, 6-7. 

He was the only American man in the main draw of the Rogers Cup, which is a Masters event for the men.

The loss ensured that when the computerized rankings come out next Monday, there will be no American man in the Top 20 for the first time in the 40-year history of the rankings, according to The Associated Press.

And the pain doesn't stop there. Only two Americans (John Isner and Sam Querrey) are in the Top 50, and just six Americans are in the Top 100.

These are dire times for the once-proud USTA.

The decline of American men's tennis has been a long and well-told tale over the past few years. This fall will mark a decade since the last American man, Andy Roddick, won the U.S. Open. It will also mark a year since his abrupt retirement, which left a massive void in American tennis.

Three years ago was the first time in the history of the rankings that no American man was in the Top 10, when Roddick dropped out briefly. But Mardy Fish surged to a career high of No. 7 in 2011, and Isner joined him in the Top 10 in 2012.

Then things started to go south.

Isner struggled with consistency, confidence and health throughout the past year. Meanwhile, Fish has barely played in the last year after suffering from a scary heart condition. He has dropped to No. 78 in the world. 

Querrey, the current No. 2 American, has seen his comeback from wrist injury stall and is currently ranked No. 26.

Fish might have a few good tournaments left in him, but he is unlikely to sustain the health needed to get back into the Top 10, especially considering he's 31 years old. Querrey and Isner both have talent and can wreak havoc at times, but they just don't have Grand Slam potential.

That leaves us with our current predicament, with no American presence in the men's Top 20. Though expected by those paying attention, it's still a shocking stat. 

And looking at the next generation, it's hard to see things getting better anytime soon. 

Jack Sock and Ryan Harrison are often touted as the future of American men's tennis, but both of them have a long way to go before proving that they are ready to carry the torch. 

Harrison, the 21-year-old who turned pro in 2007, has regressed in the past year. He reached a career high of No. 43 last year, but is now down to No. 104 in the world. His game lacks aggression, and his temper has been known to be an on-court distraction.

Sock, meanwhile, seems to have a bigger upside than Harrison due to his power and versatility, but at 20 years old, he only has one full year on the ATP Tour under his belt. He's currently ranked No. 90, and while the potential is there, the jury is still out.

There are other youngsters to keep an eye on, such as Ryan Harrison's 19-year-old brother Christian, who is No. 377 on the tour. College-bred players such as Steve Johnson (No. 100) and Rhyne Williams (No. 116) and 20-year-old Denis Kudla (No. 109) are also up-and-comers, but the truth is, not one of them looks like he is going to be a legend of the game.

Right now, they have to just settle for brushing shoulders with the legends.

Tennis is an increasingly global sport, and it makes sense that as the popularity spreads across the world, the United States is not going to dominate like it once did. But with one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world in the U.S. and the USTA's prominence, it is concerning that more talent isn't being produced.

While tennis is a profitable sport on a global scale, it is far behind the NFL, MLB and NBA in the U.S. Men who want to be professional athletes have so many options, they don't consider tennis. The sport needs to become more publicized and more accessible, which will be difficult to do as each generation produces fewer stars than the one before it.

These things do come in cycles, and it's only a matter of time before there's a Grand Slam contender among the American men again. Until then, it might just be time to adjust expectations. 

American men's tennis is still alive, but it is not living the high life that it once was.