Following his run to the Toronto Masters 1000 final, American Reilly Opelka not only rose to a career-best ATP ranking but has also become the top-ranked American male player.
Opelka, who stands 6ft 11in (2.11m) in his socks, lost the National Bank Open final 6-4, 6-3 to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.
But his first Masters 1000 final saw Opelka rise nine spots to No 23 in the rankings – the highest placed American.
Opelka, 23, eclipses John Isner as the top-ranked American, although it was also a good week for Isner, who lost 6-2, 6-2 to Medvedev in the Toronto semi-finals.
Isner moved up four spots to No 26 in the ATP rankings.
While Opelka and Isner no doubt deserve their spots in the limelight, American tennis fans will be concerned when the country will again boast a male world No 1 and Grand Slam champion.
The last American to achieve the feat was Andy Roddick in 2003.
Other Americans currently in the world’s top 100 are Taylor Fritz (No 42), Sebastian Korda (No 45), Frances Tiafoe (No 51), Tommy Paul (No 56), Mackenzie McDonald (No 64), Marcos Giron (No 66), Sam Querrey (No 70), Steve Johnson (No 79), Tennys Sandgren (No 85), Brandon Nakashima, (No 86), Denis Kudla (No 89) and Jenson Brooskby (No 99).
Picture: ATP Tour – Twitter
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