Serena Platt, Editor-in-Chief
@splattcourant
Annika Khurana, Executive Editor
@akhuranacourant
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the tennis world has been dominated by a select few stars, on both the men’s and women’s side. On the men’s side, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal have stolen the spotlight, winning 64 out of the last 78 Grand Slam tournaments. On the women’s side, Serena Williams and others such as Victoria Azarenka have taken trophy after trophy.
But that generation of rule is quickly leaving the stage… and in their place is a fierce and incredibly talented new wave of tennis greats, who are very young for the professional stage, many being under or around 20 years old. It’s time to draw attention to a few of the next stars that will be taking over the spotlight from the previous masters of tennis.
Player #1: Carlos Alcaraz
When someone takes out Djokovic or Nadal, that definitely turns some heads. When someone takes out both Djokovic and Nadal in the same tournament? Now this is a player to watch out for. This describes 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz from Spain, who took out both of these top players last year in the 2022 Madrid Open. Alcaraz is fierce, has incredible endurance, and noteworthy ball control. He first came into the spotlight during the 2021 US Open, defeating No. 3 Stefano Tsitsipas in a grueling 5-set match. There is no doubt that Alcaraz has a long way to go in his professional tennis career.
Player #2: Emma Raducanu
Typically, it takes players years of playing major after major to finally raise a grand slam trophy over their head. In some cases, that dream that keeps them competing never materializes. For Emma Raducanu, unimaginable glory, hundreds of sponsorship deals, and a historical grand slam title were obtained just after playing her second grand slam ever. The 2021 U.S. Open gave us a glimpse of all of the emotions, with Raducanu being the first qualifier in history to win the tournament as well as the first British woman to win the tournament since 1977. Not only was Raducanu just 18 years old, but she managed to storm each round, not dropping a single set throughout the entire tournament.
Player #3: Linda Fruhvirtova
17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova has long been a prospect for the future of women’s tennis, given her remarkable junior career and training under Patrick Mouratoglou’s (former coach of Serena Williams) highly selective Champ’Seed Foundation. While playing junior tournaments, Fruhvirtova won the Petits As tournament (won by numerous pros, including Rafael Nadal) in both singles and doubles. After shifting her attention to WTA events, Fruhvirtova found almost instant success, beating top-25 players and winning her first title in September 2022 at the Chennai Open. At the 2023 Australian Open, Fruhvirtova made her way into the fourth round, exhibiting remarkable composure, maturity, and passion. Given her steady rise, there is no doubt that we will be seeing more of Linda Fruhvirtova in the future.
These are just a few of the young tennis stars that have caught everyone’s eye, and they are must-watch players while on the court. Their growing potential does not discredit the success of the older generation, but it’s vital to acknowledge the grit and determination coursing through the veins of these hot new players.
