Not long ago everyone was starting to say things to the effect of 'The game has changed and players can't break through as teens anymore.' Given we suddenly seem to have lots of players doing just that and looking likely to be future top players in the post Big Four era and how they are often playing the Brits we are all following (and losing to them this last week or two!!) I thought it would be an interesting time to get some of people's opinions here on two things and watch them change over time:-
A - which of the players currently under 21 do we think will end up having had the best careers overall.
B - which of them do you most enjoy watching.
I tend to follow the men's side a bit more and am commenting based on that only but feel free to comment on the women's too if you like I guess.
I'm sure these will change massively as they're not well researched like I'm sure those of some others will be plus I'm biased towards liking players when they're up and coming and sometimes tend to loose interest later but here are my current lists.
A
1 Alex Zverev
2 Taylor Fritz
3 Denis Shapovalov
4 Felix Aguer Aliassime
5 Nick Kyrgios
6 Borna Coric
7 Andrey Rublev
8 Francis Tiafoe
9 Duckhee Lee
B
1 Shapovalov - love the athletic attacking style, sh backhand, confidence at net and expressiveness.
2 Kyrgios - pure entertainment (though clearly cross lines too often)
3 Zverev - reminds me of a young Andy so much
4 Duckhee Lee (would be fascinated to see a deaf player at the top of the game)
Useful link for considering who:Sorry if this duplicates any similar thread a bit
There are a couple of good 14yr old girls in Potapova and Anisimova to watch out for. The Russian is playing Greece ITf this week. The American Grade A in Brazil.
I suspect the American will become junior no.1 soon and given her age and limits on her main draw appearances will be for sometime.
Just to mention, along the theme, that the final of the 25k in the US is being contested by 18 year-old Mmoh and 17 year-old Caspar Ruud.
However, in terms of 'appreciation', I've seen Mmoh play and thought he was rather arrogant and, although good, not amazingly so.
And Bob say Caspar play recently and thought that the young Australian, 16 year-old Minar, beat him hands down in terms of talent.
There are truly lots in the girls, so many you'd almost have to put the cut-off at 16. As said, on the other thread, young Amercians seem to keep popping us from nowhere (14 year-old Natasha Subhash being their most recent 'find'). But until one has seen them live or on livestream, they're just names really.
Just to mention, along the theme, that the final of the 25k in the US is being contested by 18 year-old Mmoh and 17 year-old Caspar Ruud.
However, in terms of 'appreciation', I've seen Mmoh play and thought he was rather arrogant and, although good, not amazingly so.
And Bob say Caspar play recently and thought that the young Australian, 16 year-old Minar, beat him hands down in terms of talent.
There are truly lots in the girls, so many you'd almost have to put the cut-off at 16. As said, on the other thread, young Amercians seem to keep popping us from nowhere (14 year-old Natasha Subhash being their most recent 'find'). But until one has seen them live or on livestream, they're just names really.
Just as a caveat to that, I should also remind people that the day I saw both Ruud and Minar, Ruud retired injured so perhaps it wasn't a totally fair comparison. But Minar certainly is an exciting prospect.
