Just like in any other sport, tennis has been ruled by greats who have headlined and upheld the integrity of the game. From Fred Perry, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and now Novak Djokovic.
Current ATP world No. 1, Djokovic, started his ascendance towards the pantheon of tennis greats in 2011, when he won three majors and five Masters titles. Until now, he remains the king of the tennis world, fending off up-and-coming talents and keeping his title as the best in the world.
The Serbian is already 36 years of age, and still in his prime, the true definition of “aging like fine wine.” Novak Djokovic, LeBron James, and Cristiano Ronaldo are the epitome of longevity, and they have seemed to surpass every other adversary in their generation.
But all good things must come to an end. Ultimately, Father Time always comes out victorious. Maybe not now, not even in the next couple of years, but a new king of tennis will emerge sooner or later.
Luckily for the sport of tennis and its fans all over the world, it seems like the sport is in good hands. Young guns and phenoms are steadily making their mark and, on some occasions, getting the better of even the savvy veterans.
So, courtesy of SBOTOP, let’s take a look at the upcoming tennis superstars that are poised to take over the game.
Carlos Alcaraz
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Carlos Alcaraz is only 20 years old. Maybe because he’s accomplished so much already at such a young age.
The Spanish phenom finished the 2022 campaign as the World No. 1, besting the likes of Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, and Novak Djokovic in the ATP Rankings. Ever since his meteoric rise, Alcaraz has never looked back and has maintained his place in the upper echelon of the tennis world.
He finished the 2023 season as the world No. 2, posing as the only threatening adversary to Djokovic for the top spot. He is in the same spot at this point in the 2024 season, trailing No. 1 Djokovic by just 600 points.
Alcaraz boasts a 159-44 career record and 12 career titles, including two major titles and four Masters 1000 titles. He holds the record for the youngest player to win the Miami Open, the Madrid Open, and the youngest to become ATP world No. 1.
The Spaniard also won numerous special awards, such as the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2020, the ATP Player of the Year, and the ATP Most Improved Player in 2022, as well as the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in 2023.
Now that’s an impressive trophy case most tennis players could only dream of, and he’s only 20 years old!
Alcaraz spearheads the charge of the next generation of tennis superstars with his proven aggressive style of play and his perseverance to be the best in the world.
Jannik Sinner
There’s a new challenger for the top spot, and his name is Jannik Sinner. The 22-year-old Italian was headlining all the ATP 2024 news stories after his herculean effort to come back and beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 to clinch the Australian Open 2024 men’s singles title.
Thanks to his recent success, he now finds himself in the fourth spot in the ATP Rankings with 8,070 points, more than 3,000 points clear of fifth-placed Andrey Rublev. Sinner also finished the 2023 season as the world No. 4, trailing Medvedev, Alcaraz, and Djokovic.
After his win in the Australian Open, Sinner captured a new generation of football-obsessed Italian fans and turned them into tennis buffs, which will go a long way not just for Sinner but for the entire sport of tennis.
Slowly but surely, we are witnessing a whole new generation of fans entering the realm of tennis, signalling a new age of competition and devotees, thanks to the contributions of young players like Sinner.
With Sinner continuously improving, expect him to be one of the consistent ATP 2024 betting odds favourites moving forward.
The rivalry
Rodger Federer and Novak Djokovic had Rafael Nadal, Ivan Lendl had John McEnroe, and recently, the whole tennis world found out who would rival Carlos Alcaraz.
The Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner rivalry is widely considered by most to be the next “Nadal vs Federer” on which the sport of tennis and its fans would happily thrive on in the future.
Both stars have already accomplished accolades way beyond their years, and who knows how much greater they can be as individuals and as competitors?
Their impending rivalry started in 2021, when the duo faced each other for the first time in the Round of 32 of the Paris Masters. The Spaniard won his maiden match against Sinner in three sets. But their rivalry really got its footing during the 2022 season, where Sinner and Alcaraz faced each other three times during the campaign.
They entered the 2023 season tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head matchups. But Sinner got the best of his 20-year-old rival, winning two of the three clashes he had with Alcaraz that term, ending the season with a 4-3 lead.
In the 2024 season, to the fans’ delight, the Carlos Alvarez vs Jannik Sinner could potentially have five matches minimum. Everyone will just have to wait and see if this rivalry transpires into something bigger than the marquee. It has to, right?
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