April 29th, 2022, is something of an interesting anniversary in tennis history. On that date, 20 years previously, an effectively unknown 15-year-old Spaniard called Rafael Nadal Parera won his first-ever ATP singles match.
Little did the small crowds watching in Mallorca know that they would be witnessing history, or what would come next.
Of course, now we do know. Nadal, along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, would go on to dominate men’s tennis for the next 20 years. It feels like they have been around forever, such has been their longevity.
But while speculation on retirement has dogged those players, particularly Federer, in recent years, we know it must happen sooner rather than later.
But who, if anyone, is primed to take over from the next generation? We have already seen the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev creep up on the number one spot in the world rankings.
And yet, we want to look further than that, at the teenagers who may blossom into superstars one day. Below we present our list of five best male tennis players under 20 in the world right now.
1. Carlos Alcaraz (18) – Spain
Starting with the youngster that many pundits tip to be the next big thing in men’s tennis. Comparisons are inevitably drawn between Alcaraz and Nadal, given they are compatriots, but, in truth, they are different kinds of players.
His game is suited to hard courts, as evidenced in his run to the quarter-finals at the 2021 US Open. Such has been his explosion onto the world stage, he is already listed among the favorites in the tennis betting for the 2022 US Open.
He still needs time to develop, particularly the psychological side of his game, but remember the name – Carlos Alcaraz – he will be a Grand Slam winner one day.
2. Holger Rune (18) – Denmark
A former ITF Junior world number one, Rune has been quietly working his way up the ATP rankings since turning pro in 2020 at the age of 16. He is a clay-court specialist, having won the Junior French Open in 2019 although he is handy on hard courts too.
So, keep an eye out for him at the upcoming 2022 French Open. He is perhaps not ready to challenge the big boys yet, but he could certainly spring a surprise or two should he qualify.
3. Dominic Stricker (19) – Switzerland
While Stricker has yet to qualify for a (senior) Grand Slam or crack the world’s top 100, there are plenty of signs that he could develop into one of the world’s best players within a few years.
Like Rune, he is very comfortable on clay. And like Rune, he is a former Junior French Open (2020) champion. Most of his recent success at the senior level has come in doubles, but he has all the goods to make a big impact in singles competition.
4. Flavio Cobolli (19) – Italy
Cobolli has less than a year on the professional circuit, so it’s perhaps not enough time to make strong judgments on his career trajectory. We have little information on how he will perform on grass, for example.
Still, in his nascent pro career, he has shown that he can hang with more experienced talents. While he didn’t set the world alight in his junior career, there is enough to suggest that he can be one of the leading lights of Italian tennis in the 2020s and beyond.
5. Dalibor Svrcina (19) Czechia
As with many of the world’s precocious male talents, Svrcina has been honing his craft in doubles competition, while also making little splashes in the singles seen. He won the 2019 Junior Australian Open Doubles, and he has a couple of challenger titles as a singles player.
Czechia has a fine reputation for producing talented players, and we would certainly stick our necks out and say Svrcina is going to be one of them.
Conclusion
It will be interesting to see how these young tennis stars progress in the next few years and whether any of them can break into the top ranks.
In the meantime, we wish them all the best of luck as they continue to compete and make their mark on the sport.
Who do you think will be the next big thing in men’s tennis? Let us know in the comments below.
My name is Reagen and I started AllTennisGear (earlier AllTennisShoes) as a way to share my humble experience and help new Tennis players. Thank you for spending a few minutes of your day here and know that your feedback is always welcome.