The pattern of subpar performance of American open junior was evident at the 2014 French Open – yet another sign of the ineffectiveness of the USTA Player Development Program.
Some argue the issue is the clay at Roland Garros, not the leadership within the USTA. American players have not fared as well at the French Open as other Grand Slam events. The American men have only won the event four times in the open Era (47 years) while the women have won it fourteen times (Chris Evert won it seven times).
The seven American boys started the 2014 French Open on a positive note winning their first round matches (Francis Tiafoe, Noah Rubin, Alex Rybakov, Michael Mmoh, Stefan Kozlov, Henrik Wiersholm, and Taylor Harry Fritz). Unfortunately, Kozlov was the only player to advance beyond the second round.
Kozlov eventually won three matches before bowing out in the quarterfinals. With the strong first round performance, the American Boys won nine matches and lost eight.
The performance by the girls was the weakest in years. Katrine Steffensen, Tornado Alicia Black, Sofia Kenin, Riveena Kingsley, and Dasha Invanova all lost first round matches. Usue Maitane Arconada won a match before exiting in the second round and Catherine Bellis won two matches before bowing out in the third round.
Overall, the girls won three matches and lost seven.
At best, the USTA Player Development Program has been ineffective. By comparison a player from Spain has won the men’s French Open fourteen times in the past 21 years, i.e. the Open Era. During this period players from Spain have not been in the finals on only six occasions (1995 to 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2009).
On four occasions both finalists were from Spain on four occasions (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2013). Rafael Nadal played in only one of those four all-Spanish finals.
The Spanish women have won four French Opens during the open era. Despite the increased popularity of tennis around the world, It seems like the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation has figured out a way to produce world-class tennis players. Hopefully, the leaders of the USTA Player Development Program have taken notice.