Rewind some 3,367 days to discover the beginning of this narrative.
It was Feb. 8, 2005, and a young American phenom was making his much-anticipated debut on the ATP Tour. That day, 15-year-old Donald Young took the court in his opening-round match against another Yank, Robby Ginepri. It didn't last long. Fifty minutes later, the thrashing was over. Ginepri beat Young 6-2, 6-2 at the San Jose Open.
But the prospect of a future superstar was very much a centerpiece in our tennis discourse at the time. After all, Young was the world's top-ranked junior and the youngest to earn that honor. Young, a former Orange Bowl and Easter Bowl winner, not to mention a one-time Aussie Open and Wimbledon junior champ, was a rare sparkling prospect, especially for a nation that had lost some of its momentum in churning out such talent.
As the years went by, so did the beatings -- to the point that Young's career seemed fully shattered. Just two years ago, Young fell out of the top 200 in the world. But it was actually worse than that. For a player who once seemed like he could be equal parts Andre Agassi, Marcelo Rios and Kei Nishikori, we actually stopped talking about him, expect on those scarce occasions when the subject of squandered talent came up. In the great realm of sport, perhaps nothing is more discouraging than the shrill sound of silence.
Now, a decade later, we can happily report the noise and fanfare are again picking up. Young reached his first final in four years Sunday, this one coming at the Delray Beach Open, where he played brilliantly before running into one of the game's most lethal servers, Ivo Karlovic, in the championship match. Behind 13 aces, the Croatian handed Young a 6-3, 6-3 beating.
By all accounts, this was one of Karlovic's finest weeks as a pro. He belted 91 aces for the tournament and saved all 19 break-point opportunities to become the oldest winner (35) in the event's history and foil the American's shot at a first title.
"I was able to get out of tricky situations," Karlovic said. "Really proud that I was able to get out of all my break points."
Despite a disappointing end for Young, it was a great run for a player who admitted he's changed things up recently.
"I put a lot of work in during the offseason," Young told ESPN.com via phone shortly after the match. "Also made a decision to be more resilient and play tougher, especially mentally. It's worked for me so far. It's translated into wins on the court and that's all I can ask for."
Young's only other final in an ATP event came in Bangkok in 2011. But that was a lifetime ago as far as Young is concerned.
This past week, Young showed some serious resolve. He came back from a set down against both Alexandr Dolgopolov in the quarters and Bernard Tomic in the semis to win.
And though Young was overmatched in Sunday's final, we've seen a drastic change both mentally and physically this season. Just last week, he reached the semifinals in Memphis before another towering opponent in Kevin Anderson stopped him. But this is just the beginning of what should be more promising results, according to Young.
"First title, for sure tops the list," Young said when asked about his immediate goals. "I want to keep playing well week in, week out. I want to play consistently and start competing in the bigger tournaments and then get my ranking up there. Then eventually I want to start doing well in the majors."
Granted, there had been snippets of promise in the Young's capricious career (such as reaching the fourth round of the 2011 US Open), but he had spent the bulk of his existence unable to sync his tremendous talent with his on-court results. Worse, when he was garnering attention, it frequently was for all the wrong reasons.
You might recall the profanity-laced Twitter tirade directed at the USTA when Young ripped the organization for not granting him a wild card into the 2011 French Open.
Young later apologized and admitted his outburst was something of an unforced error, but the damage was done. The dissonance between the two parties seemed irreparable at the time. Young was hung on a Twitter piñata for the public manner in which he criticized an institution that had assisted his development, both financially and in personnel. It goes without saying, the hostile chain of events left both parties feeling slighted.
There was also a feeling among some in tennis circles that Young was being coddled by his parents, who rarely made him practice with the unbending intensity it takes to win in today's game. Although Young still predominantly works with them, it seems he has asserted some independence, realizing his old methods weren't exactly the best formula.
But the drama is in the past as far as Young is concerned.
"It's great. We're definitely cool," Young said of the USTA. "It was a pretty big misunderstanding. The USTA has been great with me. They've gone out of their way to help me. They've invited me up to Carson [California] to train. Jay Berger [head of player development for the USTA] actually came out to watch me this week and the USTA had someone warm me up all week."
Young has played some snappy tennis this season. He's off to a 10-4 start; last season he didn't win his 10th match until June. Young's ranking jumped to No. 45 from 56 as of Monday morning -- just shy of his career high of No. 38, which he achieved in February of 2012.
"He has a really good forehand," Karlovic said of Young. "It's unbelievable. He's use it a lot more. With fitness and confidence, he was able to create opportunities for him with that shot. It's his main weapon and he's using it well."
It's hard to say exactly what Young's results in Memphis last week and now Delray will mean moving forward. And while those visions of a future Grand Slam champion that we had back in 2005 may never fully materialize, at least there's a positive spin we can put on a longtime jagged career.
"Well, I've done a lot of losing," Young said. "So I thought, '[Might] as well try something new.' It's been working. I keep trying different things until I get it right."