Up and coming Players

Tennis · Newbie

Up and coming Players

DavidC · Tennis legend

One of the pleasing aspects of following junior tennis is that players develop at different stages and there is lots of potential for good careers for many if they have the desire. There is a much higher correlation between junior success and pro success with the girls than boys, primarily because of earlier physical and emotional development on average, with some top junior girls already being in or close to the WTA top 100 by the time they finish being a junior. I don't want to single out individuals, though there are some which are deservedly attracting close attention for their results and/or game. Just enjoy the ride and come to your own conclusions after following results and watching where possible for a while.

paulisi · Tennis legend

It is a difficult call - players progress at different rates.

There are a whole host of good 13-14 yr old girls coming through and some very good 15-16yr old boys and of course there are some that take education more seriously and don't play much on the junior tour. That excludes the obvious players in the top 150 juniors who have already broken through.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

I am completely with DavidC to pick out specific individuals when they are so young is a bit unfair as there is so much that even the most talented committed youngster has no control over.

Training and playing tennis seriously as a youngster is so expensive that really you are looking at 3-4 children/young adults in each age group and Paulsi has picked out the most promising years. Follow the junior section for 4-6 weeks or look back over the last 4-6 weeks and you will soon workout whose who. Good luck to them all.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The others have all made very good points.

David's comment about 'watch and see' is very good advice. I have quite a few 'faves' but it's because those are the people I've seen play - I feel that it is almost impossible to have an informed opinion about someone one hasn't seen play.

But it's obviously based a bit on luck and circumstance.

i.e. I've been raving about Holly Fischer (because I watched one of her matches ages ago and a couple on livestream). But it's in no way a negative comment on, say, Emma Raducanu who I've never, ever, seen hit a ball. It's not a comparison. Just an absolute opinion.

It's also very easy to simply say that, in general, the one's to watch out for are those with the highest ranking in their age category. That's a given.

But there are many kids who don't figure at all, or hardly at all, on the lists who I've seen play who've really impressed me.

But often/usually I know nothing about their backgrounds, their priorities, the important things .... so it's not really an opinion that they might make it in tennis as it's no good just to have some exciting elements. It's a comment that they have exciting elements, no more.

Enjoy !

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, so difficult and probably unfair to single out individuals for many of the reasons folk have given.

So let's single out a couple - for what I read from others so it's them, guv

14 yo ( 15 in December ) Jack Draper, very good results and ranking in comparison to his peers, I hear a pleasing natural looking game, has just this week lost a Grade 2 SF to 16 yo Aidan McHugh ( good looking British prospect himself ) 7-6(7) 6-0

13 yo ( 14 next March ) Holly Fischer, those that have seen her like CD speak very well of her and again very well ranked ( 2nd, was 1st, ITF ranked 2003 girl ) but soo early days based on a few tournaments. And as CD mentions, Emma Radacanu, 13 ( 14 next month ) is also very well regarded by others and for whatever reasons hasn't been seen much, particularly lately, in ITFs. Then many youngsters spend a lot of time on education - whatever is the world coming to !

As said, such different paths though at young ages that there will be hidden young gems,( hopefully some hidden British young gems ) and it is great when they break through. Very early days for many, much water to pass under the bridge etc, and the best must be for those that can see some directly and identify and follow their own big prospects. But not all of us can so yes also read and take pointers from others

The biggest thing, particularly the younger they are, is to give them time and space, there will be plateaus, even backward steps, it's the destination that matters much more than how you get there. But interesting to follow various journeys ...

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 23rd of October 2016 09:03:33 PM

Tennis · Newbie

I see coup mentioned Jack draper. has anyone ever seem him play ? Thanks

indiana · Tennis legend

Not seen Jack Draper myself, but one or two at least have, since as I said I have read good reports on a natural style.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Tennis wrote:
I see coup mentioned Jack draper. has anyone ever seem him play ? Thanks

Don't think there was anything in my post about Jack Draper smile

A couple of people have said that he's quite small and slight for his age (which is not very old anyway, being only a December baby)

But that might have changed in the last 6 -12 months - kids can sprout up very quickly at times.

seagull · Hall of fame

Tennis wrote:
I see coup mentioned Jack draper. has anyone ever seem him play ? Thanks

My son actually played against him. However he was 8 at the time so probably improved a bit since then!!

It was in orange ball I think. Remember my son won the first 2 points and thinking an upset may be on the cards!! (think you only had to win 10 points!)

DavidC · Tennis legend

Tennis wrote:
I see coup mentioned Jack draper. has anyone ever seem him play ? Thanks

With a lot of top juniors you can see for yourself past matches on YouTube - in Jack's case https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92FuputHW9Q shows a match last year against the top rated Tennis Europe under 14 of Jack's year, who has gone on to help Russia secure the Junior Davis Cup - Timofey Skatov (also mentioned in one of the recent Spanish G2s)

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Some of our better prospects both male and female are at very academic state schools, limiting opportunities for tournament playing time although not necessarily practice and training. So there are players who do well in tournaments when they play but relatively under ranked because of academic commitments.

I think it is way to early to pin too much expectation on the kids singled out here, but progress in the junior Davis Cup I think historically is a really good marker of individuals or indeed groups of players who may progress onto the ATP/WTA tour as is a semi final or better in a junior slam, indeed when you combine both performance indicators you have a pretty reliable guide.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Thursday 27th of October 2016 05:21:59 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The Junior Davis Cup competition is a good competition but, for detecting young players, it obviously suffers from a huge drawback - namely, it only involves those few who have been selected by the federation.

Now, the federation may be a good selector of the best, or not, or - indeed - they may have used other valid criteria. Our Junior boys this year had none of the 1998-ers in it. It certainly doesn't mean that the 1998-ers aren't worth following.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

My point was more that the 95ers won it, Kyle also knocked out consecutive junior grand slam doubles wins and a Wimbledon singles semi, similar good performances by Hev and Tara, in Fed Cup. Hev and Laura in slams etc... is a pretty reliable way of picking out the upper and coming players for the next generation i.e. Likely to be top 150 or better.

I agree every age group is worth following and the more unpredictable late bloomers the better as we have had other talents that tick all the junior boxes but for some reason or another don't go on to make top 200 let alone the main tour. OG had as good a junior pedigree as you could wish for but has taken a different course.

Things are looking pretty rosie just now but to have had two youngsters in the top 50 would have, could have? Should have ? been Nirvana. Transition to seniors is far from a precise science

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes. But that's picking the ones who did well in Junior Davis Cup and THEN did well in adult tennis.
That doesn't make Davis Cup a good indicator.
Because how many do well in Davis Cup but DON'T do well in adult tennis?

i.e. the British team made the final in 2009.

It was Andy Bettles, George Morgan and Oli Golding.

For whatever reason, none of them has made it in adult tennis.

Not saying it's irrelevant, obviously, but I think it's even less reliable than Grand Slam success/ranking success which, at least, is (broadly) neutral of federation bias.