After
nearly a decade without any real change at the top of men’s tennis, and not one
player in the top 10 under the age of 25, could 2014 be the year the next
generation of stars make their presence felt?
As
the first grand slam of the season kicks off in Australia, here are five
potential champions of the future to keep your eye on.
GRIGOR DIMITROV
The
Bulgarian’s classical one-handed technique quickly earned him the moniker "Baby
Fed," allowing
many to believe he was the heir-apparent to the Sampras-Federer legacy. An
outrageous level of expectation for any player, regardless of their talent.
Yet,
despite being criticized for much of his short career for winning more hearts
than matches - his high-profile relationship with Maria Sharapova has made more
headlines than his on-court record - 2013 proved to be a year of baby steps forward for
Dimitrov.
Back in May, the 22-year-old defeated then world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in
three sets,
and capped the season by becoming the first man from his country in the Open
Era to win an ATP World Tour title when he defeated French Open
finalist David Ferrer in October's Stockholm final. Heading into 2014 on the cusp of the top
20, Dimitrov will be hoping to capitalize on that momentum and he could - if it
is indeed possible - at last live up to that nickname.
JERZY JANOWICZ
I was
privileged enough to witness firsthand the very best and the very worst of
Janowicz up close and personal during the Miami Open last March. In a match
that he dominated in every phase of the game over Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci,
the big-hitting Pole managed to turn the occasion into a verbal free-for-all
between him and the heavily partisan crowd.
He
lost on the crowd, and lost the match. But his talent was obvious.
Three
months later, Janowicz appeared to have regained his composure and capitalized
on early exits from Rafa and Roger to make a run to the semifinals of
Wimbledon,
showing the world the frightening potential this athletic powerhouse possesses.
Built
in the Marat Safin mold, the 6 foot 8 inch Janowicz is a force to
be reckoned with. He’s got a massive serve, moves well, hits heavy from the
baseline with apparent ease, and has the deftest of touch moving forward.
If
the 23-year-old can keep his composure and stop picking fights with the crowd,
the sky's the limit.
MILOS RAONIC
As
the most accomplished of the “up and comers,” the big-serving Canadian has
already claimed five ATP titles and cracked the top 10.
Noticeably
absent from Raonic’s resume are major scalps. In 13 attempts against Rafa
Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and David Ferrer, the 22-year-old is yet
to claim a single victory. Strikingly, however, he actually has a winning record (albeit only 2-1)
against Wimbledon champ Andy Murray.
After
several years of slow but steady improvement, a favorable draw could see this
talented big-hitter - the 2011 ATP newcomer of the year - knock on the door of a grand slam
title.
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA
This hitherto
unknown is only the 12th-highest Spaniard in the ATP rankings and is yet to win
a single set at a grand slam tournament. However, in 2013 Busta claimed a
remarkable 92 victories, including 11 titles and a winning streak of 39
matches.
Granted,
these successes were at the second-tier Challenger level, but at any rate, one
key ingredient a player needs to reach the top of the game is the ability to
win week in, week out. It's a skill Busta has in abundance.
He
took French veteran Julien Benneteau to five sets before losing in the first
round in Melbourne this week, and expect this 22-year-old to claim some big
scalps during the clay-court swing of the tour and improve his ranking from
63rd.
NICK KYRGIOS
Back
in March 2013, the Australian teenager won the Sydney Challenger event,
becoming only the 16th player to ever claim a second-tier professional title
before turning 18.
Those
who had come before him included Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del
Potro, Tomas Berdych, Richard Gasquet, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin, who
between them have 24 grand slam titles and currently occupy half the spots in
the world’s top 10.
If
ever there was an indicator of future success, this would be it. And to
emphasize his potential, just weeks before he became the junior world No. 1 by
winning the Australian Open boys' title.
Equally
impressive was his debut on the biggest stage, eliminating former top-10 player
Radek Stepanek in the first round at Roland Garros in May in three straight
tiebreak sets. He reached a high of 177th in the rankings, also qualifying for
the main draw of the U.S. Open.
Whether
or not 2014 will be the season Kyrgios breaks through is hard to say - he won
his first-round match in Melbourne this week - but watch out for this talented
18-year-old in the near future.