With his win over Feliciano Lopez in the semis of Houston, John Isner becomes the 12th different player to hold the distinction as top U.S. male since the ATP rankings began in August 1973. Isner passed Mardy Fish for the No. 9 spot and will go to No. 8 if he wins the title. "It's something I never would have imagined," the 26-year-old said.
The first four men to hold the top U.S. ranking—Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, and Andre Agassi—combined for 25 Grand Slam singles titles. The middle four of Michael Chang, Brad Gilbert, Jim Courier and Pete Sampras combined for 19 major titles, while the last four—Andy Roddick, James Blake, Fish and Isner—own just one Slam in singles, Roddick’s victory at the 2003 U.S. Open. Neither Blake, Fish nore Isner has reached the semifinals of a major.