The Latest Youth Movement in Tennis Will Stick

The Changing of the Guard in Tennis

The new guard of Andreescu and Medvedev have a chance to prove the next era of Tennis is here.

Tennis has been dominated by a trinity in the ATP for as long as I can remember, a trinity consisting of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. They will go down as 3 of the all-time greats.

In women’s tennis of late, as Serena Williams approaches the twilight of her storied career, a new wave of stars is also rising.

In the U.S. Open, 2019 edition, we’ve seen just how much things are changing. In particular, I’m talking about:

• Bianca Andreescu, who is 19.
• Daniil Medvedev, who is 23.

These two, in particular, have had breakout seasons and have now reached the final. Even Nadal is wary of Medvedev, who’s been playing so well. If Nadal is able to get the victory however he will be just 1 beyond Federer in terms of majors, a milestone often cited in the race to be the greatest tennis player of all time (GOAT).

I’m actually on the side that views Nadal as having a superior career to Federer, mainly for his record against the other 2 greats of the era. He also has a higher winner percentage when it counts. Coincidentally while Nadal leads Federer in head-to-head matches, Djokovic makes things interesting, being superior to Nadal by a wide margin in Finals against Nadal himself.

I’m also wary of breakout teenage Female stars. As much as I admire the grit of Andreescu, too many times have we seen inconsistency when women reach success too early in their careers. It’s a long list of unfulfilled promises and careers cut short by early fame.

Many however believe Andreescu is different, and her record in 3 set matches shows a strong mental game with en emphasis on world-class level fitness. This is something that might enable her to beat Serena Williams today.

Canada’s new tennis star is the sports story of the year for Canadian sports. Move over, Milos. Get out of the way, Eugenie. And not so fast, Felix and Shapo. Canadian tennis has never been so bright. Oddly, it’s Bianca’s conduct as a rookie that is turning heads and not just her tennis game. She is showing maturity, class, and grit well beyond her years.

Danniil Medvedev said that Rafael Nadal is a beast on the court and a machine. Nadal gave props to Tiger Woods. It’s everything that you would expect from a U.S. Open, save for the early exits of Federer and the Joker. Medvedev is the real beast on tour of late.

Nadal overcame Berrettini (yet another up-and-comer) to reach the finals but Medvedev is the hottest male player on tour right now. Nadal will need more than his legendary resilience to beat the young Russian. In sports, youth always wins, eventually.

Tennis is a strategic sport centered on understanding your opponent, as well as on using an array of different tactics and moves to be as unpredictable as possible. Can youth be served finally after a few greats have hogged the spotlight for so long? We’ll know this weekend.

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