Are Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime destined to be nearly men?

Kevin Palmer 14 Aug 2023 10:52 PM

They were hailed as the trailblazers who would take over from the ‘Big Three’ of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, but the ‘Next Gen’ of tennis may have missed their chance to shine.

ATP Tour chiefs appreciated the need to build new heroes in the sport as the dominant era of Roger, Rafa and Novak edged towards a conclusion, with the ATP Next Gen Finals starting in 2017 to showcase the rising stars of the game.

The first edition of the end-of-season tournament featured Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapavalov and Borna Coric, with all of those players going on to enjoy stellar careers at the top of the game.

Yet none of them has claimed a Grand Slam title six years later and the changing of the guard at the top of the game suggests they may have missed their chance.

World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz, rising star Holger Rune and the impressive Italian Jannik Sinner all appear to be a step or two ahead of the original ‘Next Gen’ stars, and these nearly men will be fearing their moment has passed.

ZVEREV’S NEAR MISSES

Germany’s golden boy appeared to have it all as he made his big breakthrough at the top of the game when he won the 2018 ATP Finals.

That victory confirmed this big-serving star had what it takes to win the biggest tournaments under pressure, but his faltering service motion and tendency to crack when the pressure was applied was a factor in his faltering progress.

Dealing with expectations as the biggest star of the game and trying to blank out negative headlines away from the court contributed to Zverev’s failings, with his narrow defeat in the 2020 US Open final against Dominic Thiem a golden chance that passed him by.

Zverev has impressed since returning from a serious ankle injury sustained in the 2022 French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal, but getting over the winning line in a Grand Slam will be tough for him now.

TSITSIPAS SLIDING BACK

He may have won a welcome title in Los Cabos earlier this month, yet Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas no longer looks like a contender for the game’s biggest titles.

The 2021 French Open finalist also made it through to the final of the first Grand Slam of 2023, but he was well beaten by Novak Djokovic in both of those matches.

There is no shame in losing against the game’s most successful male Grand Slam competitor, yet Tsitsipas’ form since that encouraging run in Melbourne has been alarming.

He has struggled to find consistent winning form and has made more headlines for his relationship with fellow tennis star Paula Badosa than for his performances on the court.

Tsitsipas could come again, but Alcaraz and Sinner, in particular, appeared to be well ahead of him on current form.

WILL FELIX FIND HIS FORM?

There was a time when Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime was being hailed as a future world No 1.

His elegant style on the court was matched by his ability to test the biggest names in the sport as he burst through the ranks, but he has got stuck in neutral over the last year.

First-round defeats at the French Open and Wimbledon this summer did little to back up the belief that he has what it takes to shine at Grand Slam level and while the 23-year-old has time to bounce back, his game lacks the punch to break through when it matters most.

BRITS HIT HURDLES

Britain’s Kyle Edmund was promoted as the successor to Andy Murray when he made it through to the 2018 Australian Open semi-finals, but that was not the breakthrough moment to launch a winning career.

He won two ATP 250 titles in 2018 and 2020, but Edmund struggled to live up to his billing as a rising star and was then struck down by injury that halted his ambitions.

Aborted attempts to come back have done little to fuel his belief and it seems as if Edmund’s best days are behind him.

What of his fellow Brit Jack Draper?

An alarmingly similar story is being played out for the youngster who burst into the top 50 of the ATP rankings before injury halted his momentum and forced him to go back to the drawing board.

Draper is currently playing an ATP Challenger as he tries to get back into shape for the US Open, but he needs to conquer his physical demons to make the most of his power-packed game.

ON THE FRINGES

Sebastian Korda will look to challenge Carlos Alcaraz

Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda started 2023 in sparkling fashion as they reached the Australian Open quarter-finals, but that has been the end of their success so far.

Shelton has lost a lot more games than he has won this year and while that may be expected for a youngster trying to find his feet on the ATP Tour, he is a similar age to serial winners Alcaraz and Sinner.

Shelton will get time to develop his game, but he has been beaten too easily at times in recent months and that suggests he has a lot of learning to do.

Korda has struggled with injuries and aside from a run to the semi-finals at The Queen’s Club in June, he has failed to back up his reputation as one to watch on the ATP Tour.

VERDICT

The harsh reality must be that tennis has skipped a generation and the next collection of champions are standing up now.

Zverev, Tsitsipas and Auger-Aliassime have the talent to win a Grand Slam, but they have yet to confirm they have the temperament to win seven matches over two weeks, as Alcaraz has already done twice.

Sinner is still chasing his first major, but that will come if he continues on his current path and Rune will also challenge if he files off the rough edges to his game.

The new ‘Next Gen’ is here and they have left the original pack who were handed that tag in their rear mirrors.