The common evil of a whole generation in the history of tennis

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Called to take over from the Big 3, to hasten their abrupt end and assume the reins of world tennis. This is how those born in the late 90s broke into the elite, but nothing has gone as expected. We analyze the reasons why this generation seems to have collapsed and why many are already talking about it being one of the worst in the history of tennis.

A world number 1 and champion of a Grand Slam tournament. That is the legacy of that group of players from which the ATP created the concept of NextGen and promoted them to the point of presenting them as the natural successors to the Big 3, the men who would bring about the decline of three of the best of all time and burst onto the scene to keep tennis at the top.

Only Daniil Medvedev has been able to achieve solid successes on par with, or even surpassing, the expectations placed on him. However, even he shares a series of vices and flaws with his peers, which can explain the disappointing role in the history of tennis that these players have played and are playing. Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Cameron Norrie, Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz... All of them have clinched some Masters 1000 titles and had their moments of glory, but they seem completely outdated and subservient to a new emerging power.

Caught between the prolonged and successful decline of the Big 3 and the premature emergence of legends like Alcaraz and Sinner

Having endured the reign of the Big 3 for longer than expected, with Djokovic still capable of anything, they now come face to face with a plethora of young stars, born well into the 21st century, showing a much greater potential for tennis, maturity, ambition, and work ethic to move out of their comfort zone and evolve. The likes of Fils, Fonseca, Jódar, Mensik, or Tien are making headway as alternatives to the dictatorial power wielded by Alcaraz and Sinner for years, creating a deadly pincer movement against players who seemed to be licking their chops at the power vacuum that would be left when Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic bid farewell to tennis.

Waiting for their moment instead of pursuing it may well sum up their careers perfectly. If there's one thing that characterizes all of them, it's their inability to evolve as tennis players. Let's quickly review. Tsitsipas stormed into the elite with the undoubted mandate to improve his serve and, above all, his backhand. Zverev assumed that the coveted Grand Slam would fall into his lap without having to alter his behavioral patterns, relying on a forehand that started as a minor weakness and has now become a glaring hindrance. Rublev always struggled with mental consistency and tactical variety and remains in the same boat. Khachanov emerged with a powerful forehand and still leans on it. And the list goes on.

An illustrative example of everything we are discussing is their relationship with grass courts (the ones you play on, not the ones you smoke, of course). None of them felt comfortable playing at Wimbledon early in their careers, and they have not known or perhaps not wanted to find a way to change that. This surface has always been a problem for most of them. This is just a microcosm of their approach to professional tennis.

They all share a failure to improve on the weaknesses that got them to the elite

The existing competitiveness today demands that no one can relax. The best are not the best by sticking with their standard version in the elite, but by constantly stepping out of their comfort zone, seeking progress and radical changes in their tennis. Nadal did it notably (compare his 2006 version with that of 2022, for instance), Djokovic has done it by continuously adding new nuances to his game, and Federer did it by finding ways to make his backhand less of a liability. Alcaraz's progression with the serve or Sinner's tactical variety application are clear examples of how legends operate.

While it's true that players like De Miñaur or Fritz have shown the willingness to progress greatly and have succeeded, making substantial changes to their game, they had a much lower ceiling of talent than some of their peers. Another paradigmatic case is that of Daniil Medvedev, who despite achieving the most success, has also emerged as the one taking the most risks in seeking a revolution in his game to compete with Sinner and Alcaraz. He didn't quite make it, but he pursued it diligently and deserves no reproach. Now he is returning to his roots, trying to rediscover a style that makes him comfortable and confident enough to aim for some significant isolated successes.

With this brief analysis, it is evident that there is a clear sense of helplessness, indifference, or apathy among those born in the late 90s when it comes to doing everything necessary to explore their limits. They often make misguided statements, come up with outlandish excuses, and behave far from what is expected of professionals destined to make history. There is time ahead in their careers, but they seem destined to be overwhelmed by the new emerging force.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El mal común de toda una generación en la historia del tenis