File photo of Carlos Alcaraz
For any ardent follower of tennis, the last two decades have been the dominance of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. And deservingly, Andy Murray made himself part of the exclusive club as well as he contributed three of the 63 Grand Slams the Big Four won during the period.
For many, Murray's place in the 'chosen four' is still questionable given his trophy count is far less than the remaining three -- as his career went south with a hip injury -- but that's an argument for another day.
The very fact that the new generation of stars in Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem have announced their arrival among the big leagues with the 2021 US Open title, Olympic gold medal and 2020 French Open respectively, shows that the landscape of top-level tennis is changing. And Indiatvnews.com believes it's time to take a look at the remaining upcoming talents who are egging on to make their presence felt at the summit of the game.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Age 23)
File photo of Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Ruling the junior ATP and ITF circuit for years, Stefanos Tsitsipas was always expected to achieve big things. Back in 2018, aged just 20, the Greek set himself on the right path by becoming the youngest player to beat four top ten players in a single event. This included victories over Djokovic, Zverev and Thiem.
However, entering 2022, Tsitsipas must be disappointed with the fact that he is yet to win a Major title like his contemporaries. The former ATP No. 3 instead gained notoriety over bathroom breaks at the US Open, last year. However, experts and fans know that the Tsitsipas is much more than that.
That was evident in abundance during last year's Roland Garros when he defeated title contenders Medvedev and Zverev to reach his maiden Grand Slam final.
The 23-year-old Greek then almost pulled off a heist in the resulting grand finale against Djokovic, whom he took two-set down before the Serb made an epic return for his 19th Major. While the defeat left Tsitsipas in tears, it was an eye-opener for the rest of the circuit who saw chinks in the armour of the seemingly unstoppable World No.1 in hot pursuit of Calendar Slam and Olympic gold.
Technically, the 2021 ATP Monte Carlo Masters champion and Australian Open semifinalist has often struggled to control the power of his shot rendering up unwanted unforced errors aplenty. His ability to serve big, coupled with the rare strong backhand, makes him a treat to watch on all types of surfaces.
Matteo Berrettini (Age 25)
File photo of Matteo Berrettini.
Quarterfinal appearances at the French Open and US Open sandwiched between a debut at the Wimbledon final, Matteo Berrettini proved his semi-final outing at the US Open couple of years ago was no fluke. And despite lack of success on the ATP Tour, the 25-year-old burly Italian just knows how to raise his game at the big stage.
Deemed the best of Italy, he became the first player from the nation to reach at least the fourth round of all the Major's while only falling short against World No. 1 Djokovic at three of the tournament; including the Roland Garros final.
His clay-court expertise saw him reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Madrid, where he lost to Zverev in a well-fought three-setter.
Carlos Alcaraz (Age 18)
File photo of Carlos Alcaraz
Deemed the heir of Rafael Nadal, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz is an exciting prospect that's worth talking about. Becoming World No. 31 at just 18 that included a 141-spot jump in the rankings last year, Alcaraz has been emanating a game that seems way ahead of many of his aged and senior rivals. Glimpses of that quite clear during the third round of US Open, when he upset World No. 3 Tsitsipas in a battle of might. What impressed the New York fans, the most was the way Alcaraz clinched the game in the fifth and final set after conceding a bagel in the earlier set.
He ended the year on a roll as well, winning the prestigious Next Gen ATP Finals, beating 21-year-old Sebastian Korda in three sets. The Spanish teenager has been on a smooth run in the ongoing Australian Open too as entering the Grand Slam seeded for the first time, he already reached the third round and is to face Berrettini, who surely wouldn't have liked a stern challenge early in the draw.
