In case you haven't noticed, American men are playing next week in the Australian Open. You probably haven't, because American men are no longer a factor in grand slam events.
John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors are long retired. Peter Sampras, Jim Courier and Andre Agassi are nearly two decades in the rearview mirror.
MORE: Top men's seeds | Top women's seeds | Five matches we hope to see
The most recent U.S. man to win a grand slam tournament was Andy Roddick … at the 2003 U.S. Open.
Check the seeds for Aussie, which begins Monday, and you will find the first American player behind gentlemen from across the globe.
John Isner, top Yank in the field, is No. 19. He is the only American in the top 32.
Not that American women are much better. Sure, Serena Williams in No. 1 in the women's seeds, but that list includes only older sister Venus at No. 18 and Varvara Lepchenko at No. 30.
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Not that this is news. American men's tennis hasn't been this weak in ages. Still, as Tennis.com noted, the question is: What constitutes success for U.S. players?
It's not unfair to say winning a match would be cause for celebration. Reaching the third round might be a wonder. Quarterfinals? In your dreams.
It hurts that Jack Sock isn't playing. Sock is the youngest Yank in world rankings, No. 42 at age 22, but he is recovering from surgery. Sam Querry and Steve Johnson hold higher rankings but aren't in the top 32 at Melbourne.
Querry and Donald Young were the only Americans to reach the men's third round last year. Any bets whether a compatriots gets that far in '15?
It's OK to cheer for someone else, like Canada's Milos Raonic, in the men's draw. Or pick your favorite international star.
With the exception of players in qualifying, Denis Kudla is the only other American in the field with Isner, Querrey, Young and Johnson. Full list here
Yes, tennis is a world sport and the U.S. should not expect to claim dominance. Still, why aren't Yanks better?
Courier and others believe young American players lack work ethic and toughness, The New York Times reported last year. And bad as it is, things could get worse.
"That is really extreme, and I certainly hope for better," Courier told The Times. "I think the one thing that hopefully it does is wake up our fans. We should let go of this sense of entitlement that Americans deserve top players. We don't deserve it. We have to earn it like everybody else."
So enjoy watching men from Croatia, Japan, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Bulgaria bid for the 2015 Australia Open title. And hope for a W or two for the Red, White and Blue.