In 2008, Ryan Harrison, then sixteen, turned pro and was declared the next great hope for American men’s tennis following the successive retirements of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.

Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, former top ten player John Isner and Sam Querrey were not capable of filling the void following the inevitable denouement of American dominance on the ATP World Tour.

Will Harrison, currently ranked 117 in the world rise above his compatriots or succumb as they had, to the relentless media glare, pressure and perhaps misplaced expectation? Is he destined to fall before rising again?

Four years ago at twenty years of age, Harrison attained a career high ranking of 43 in the world and it appeared his professional career was on an upward trajectory. He trained at the prestigious Nick Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida where he honed his aggressive style of play.

Extremely successful as a junior, high hopes and enormous expectations were placed upon his shoulders. While he possesses a powerful forehand, two-handed backhand, and an explosive serve, he has been unable to reach the third round of any Grand Slam tournament.

In 2010, unquestionably his breakout season, Harrison qualified for the US Open where he defeated the 15th seed Ivan Ljubicic in the first round for his inaugural victory in a Grand Slam event. In the following round, he lost an arduous five-set battle to Sergiy Stakhovsky despite having three match points in the final set tiebreak.

The following season, Harrison made his first ATP semi-final in Atlanta losing to eventual champion Mardy Fish. As a result of this successful run, he broke into the top 100 with a ranking of ninety-four. Incredibly, he backed up this impressive run in Atlanta the following week in Los Angeles with another semi-final appearance and another loss to Mardy Fish.

He began 2012 ranked 79th due to his consistent results. During this season, he took a set from Andy Murray, ranked world number 4, in the first round of the Australian Open. He did not, however, capitalize on his selection to the US Olympic team. The American lost in the first round to Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo even though he was favored to win and will be remembered primarily for his obnoxious demeanor as he lost control of the match.

Harrison’s downward spiral continued through the 2014 season where even at the Challenger level, he failed to progress beyond the second round and as a result, his ranking continued to plummet.

However, last season brought renewed success with a noteworthy win over former top ten player Marcos Baghdatis in the final at the Happy Valley Challenger. After progressing through qualifying at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, he dispatched fellow Americans Michael Russell and Donald Young before upsetting Bulgarian superstar, Grigor Dimitrov. This momentous victory was his first over a top ten opponent and this impressive run continued with a win in the quarters over Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic before losing in the semis in three sets to then world number seven, David Ferrer.

Previously coached by his father, Harrison is now under the tutelage of former touring pros Jay Berger - the 2016 US Olympic coach - and Brad Gilbert. In 2014, he rehired his former coach Grant Doyle and trained with Roddick in Austin, Texas.

According to Gilbert, Harrison is somewhat of a perfectionist and would benefit greatly from a more relaxed on-court temperament. During his time working with him as a consultant, Gilbert concluded that Harrison’s primary focus must be his on-court demeanor and all variables within his locus of control. He is currently working with Rickus De Villiers who was recommended by Mardy Fish.

This season he has made significant progress particularly on hard courts and once again, found success in Mexico. In February at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, he qualified for main draw play where he defeated world number 12 and the 2014 US Open champion, Marin Cilic in the first round before losing in the following in three to 85th ranked Illya Marchenko of Ukraine.

This spring in Indian Wells, a Masters 1000 event, he qualified for the main draw before losing in the second round to Cilic. During the US Open summer hard court series, he made the round of 16 at the Citi Open in DC losing 4-6, 4-6 to fellow American Steve Johnson, currently ranked 25th in the world.

Harrison last played singles at the Rogers Cup in Canada, another Masters 1000 event. After qualifying for the main draw, he lost in the round of 16 to world number 8 Tomas Berdych in three tight sets after having defeated John Isner 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-4 in the previous round.

Pundits will continue to make their predictions but only time will tell. Ryan Harrison maintains he possesses the mental and physical fortitude requisite to once again ascend the ATP rankings. He is more than familiar with the vicissitudes of a professional tennis career and is determined to persevere and rise again.