Posted by James Martin, TENNIS.com
American tennis has been one of the game's biggest punch lines over the last few years. It's easy pickings, really. Aside from
Andy Roddick making an occasional run in a Grand Slam event, there's been no major threat from the U.S. men since the days of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. On the women's side, Venus and
Serena Williams continue to prove that playing part time is the key to long-term success, but the other standard-bearers of American tennis in the last decade -- Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles -- are retired.
Lindsay Davenport might as well be.
Who are the new rising stars who have the industry buzzing? Can't think of anyone? Well, that's the point. (And please, don't try to make the case that Sam Querrey is going to save American tennis. He's a good player, destined for top 20 glory.)
But the U.S. Tennis Association wants to rescue American tennis. Just days after
Roger Federer won his fifth consecutive U.S. Open, it announced the hiring of well-known coach Jose Higueras. The Spanish-born Higueras, who worked with Michael Chang and Jim Courier back in the day, is the new director of coaching for USTA Elite Player Development, reporting to the general manager, Patrick McEnroe.
In keeping with the way the USTA runs the U.S. Open, this was a big move with a big name, coming on the heels of bringing McEnroe on board.
Higueras brings a wealth of experience to the position. As a former top 10-player and now coach, Higueras should help shore up America's biggest weakness, playing on clay. The Spaniard helped Chang and Courier win French Open titles, and hopefully his know-how will rub off on our best talent so they can develop all-surface games. It's a tall order. While the South Americans and Spaniards, long lambasted as "clay court specialists," have worked hard to become successful on hard courts, the Americans continue to look completely lost on the dirt. They are the new niche surface specialists.
Higueras could help turn that around. One USTA official also said Higueras will be an expert "talent evaluator." But the Spaniard doesn't have a strong background in developing young players, so you have to wonder. His two most celebrated pupils, Chang and Courier, came to him when they were established pros. And this season he worked with Federer, a guy who understands a thing or two about playing tennis.
Overall, though, Higueras is a decent hire. The bigger question is how the USTA intends to turn today's youth into tomorrow's Grand Slam champions. In other words: What's the plan? There haven't been any details yet.
Skeptics can be forgiven for not having much faith. After all, the USTA doesn't have an exemplary track record in identifying top talent. The best players of the last generation, such as Agassi, Sampras and the Williams sisters, did not come through the USTA's system. Critics might also point out that the USTA has, in the past, seemed more concerned with taking credit for American champions rather than actually developing them.
So how will McEnroe and Higueras spot talent? Will they teach today's kids to succeed on all surfaces, not just hard courts? Can they encourage America's top talent to travel abroad more often to play against the strongest competition? Will they be willing to help the most promising kids along the way, even if they want to stay outside the USTA's system?
The answers to these questions will help determine whether American tennis catches up with the rest of the world or remains far behind.
