At the US Open, the young wild ones shine, while the old stars have already been eliminated or have not even competed. There seems to be a generational change in tennis.
The question was perfectly valid. “The end of an era?” Wrote the organizers of the US Open on Twitter under a picture with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Serena Williams.
For the first time since 2003, none of the “Big Three” or the tennis queen was in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Instead, young stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe, Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff up to their quarter-finals trump in New York.
McEnroe: “I’m excited about the new guys”
It seems like a generational shift is happening at the US Open. This could also be read in the world rankings after the tournament: The Spaniard Alcaraz (19) and the Norwegian Ruud (23) can snatch the top position from Nadal (36) in a final in Nadal (36), which the old master would otherwise take over from the Russian Daniil Medvedev . “I’m excited about the new guys, I think their time has come,” said former professional John McEnroe: “People have to get used to the many new and often unknown faces.”
Federer’s playfulness, Nadal’s fighting heart, Djokovic’s perfection, Williams’ drama – all of this fascinated the fans for many years. But times change. Williams said goodbye in New York, Nadal was badly beaten in the round of 16, Federer is fighting for his comeback after a serious injury, and Djokovic lost his chance for the title by refusing to vaccinate.
The professionals from the so-called “Next Generation” don’t wait for their former idols. They are young, fast, strong, hungry – and entertaining. Nick Kyrgios, who is also still one of the young wild ones because he only knows how to exploit his enormous talent at the age of 27, always put on a great show until his quarter-finals – even if he sometimes overshot the mark.
“The future is probably already here”
“You see how he fills the stadiums whenever he plays,” said Tiafoe (24), who himself has great entertainer qualities and has a noble fan in basketball star LeBron James. “Alcaraz also has a great personality. Plus Jannik Sinner,” said Tiafoe: “It’s cool to see a new era beginning.”
The example of 19-year-old Alcaraz shows how good the boys are. The Spaniard has no real weaknesses in his game. “Carlitos” won 75 of his first 100 matches on the professional tour – and started much better than Nadal (67), Djokovic (65) and Federer (51) at a young age.
The respect for the old stars is still great. After Tiafoe defeated the great Rafael Nadal in the round of 16, the American said almost in awe: “Now I have something to tell my children and grandchildren.” And after that, he wore a sweater that said “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) in honor of Serena Williams.
The many successes of the tennis icon will continue to accompany Coco Gauff. Many Americans hope that the 18-year-old can fill the void left by her compatriot’s resignation. But the huge talent, who only lost to the outstanding Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia in the quarter-finals, wants to write her own story. “The future is probably already here,” the teenager said a few weeks ago.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
