Who Are the Next Generation of Men’s Tennis Players to Watch Out For?

The Big Four — Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray — have dominated men’s tennis. USA Today reports that they have won every Wimbledon since 2003, and 53 of the past 68 Grand Slams. Additionally, they have alternately dominated the top spot of the ATP Tour tennis rankings. In bwin Tennis’ Wimbledon 2019 feature it documents how Djokovic Federer, Nadal, and Murray are the only players to hold the number one spot in the past 15 years. It is a streak that is likely to continue given how well Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have been playing this year. Yet with Federer turning 38 in August, and Djokovic and Nadal in their 30s, the tour could open up in the near future. The question many tennis fans want to know is who will replace them as future champions.

Alexander Zverev

Zverev is only 22, but he is already the reigning (and youngest) ATP Finals champion. He is also the only player outside of the Big Four player to win three Masters titles. In addition, the Hamburg-born Zverev has already beaten Federer, stunning the 20-time Grand Slam winner in the semi-finals of the Halle Open in 2016, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3. He nearly upset Nadal that same year, pushing the Spaniard to the brink at Indian Wells before losing, 6-7, 6-0, 7-5. That match prompted Nadal to remark how Zverev has the makings of a future number 1, with his excellent shot-making, strong serve, and willingness to take risks.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

In 2017, Tsitsipas became the first Greek player to crack the ATP Ranking’s top 100 by winning that year’s Aon Open Challenger. In 2018, Tsitsipas added the Stockholm Open and Next Gen Finals titles to his name, and beat several players ranked in the top 10. Yet it was his performance at the 2018 Rogers Cup that marked him down as a future champion. Tsitsipas went on to beat Dominic Thiem, Djokovic, Zverev, and Kevin Anderson before losing to Nadal in the final. The youngest on this list, Tsitsipas is still developing his game, but already he is showing signs of a star in the making.

Nick Kyrgios

At this year’s Wimbledon, Kyrgios once again got the headlines for all the wrong reasons, including a deliberate body shot at Nadal. These controversies have overshadowed his potential as a Grand Slam champion despite many top players commenting on his ability. Even his Wimbledon rival Nadal has stated how good Kygrios is on court. In 2016, the Spaniard described Kyrgios as having “unbelievable potential” but needed to “focus on himself.” Unfortunately, Kyrgios seems unable to do so. But if his wins over Nadal (at Wimbledon 2014), Federer (2015 Madrid Open), Djokovic (2017 Mexican Open and the 2017 Indian Wells Masters), and Murray (2018 Queen’s Club Championship) are any indication, Kyrgios has what it takes to be a top player.

Karen Khachanov

The 9th-ranked Khachanov won his first ATP singles title at the 2016 Chengdu Open by beating Albert Ramos-Viñolas, 6–7, 7–6, 6–3. But Khachanov’s most impressive feat so far has been his championship run at the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters, where he beat John Isner; fellow rising star Zverev, and Djokovic to win the tournament. Khachanov got to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at this year’s French Open, and finally broke into the ATP Ranking’s top 10 — two developments that may set the young Russian up for future success.

As the players on this list make their way up the tennis ladder, they will be looking for ways to break the dominance of the Big Four. All of them will be looking at how players like Federer have conditioned themselves to be consistent match winners. With Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal all reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon this year they still all have a long way to go before they replace these champions.