The era of Roger Federer seems to be without an end, but every tennis fan must’ve already asked the question of where do we go next. What’s the next big thing after Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray? Surely there must be some big talents rising through the ranks and eyeing a place in the top 10 or even higher starting this season.
Well, there is some good news and some bad news. Starting with the bad, there seems to be no big star to bet on for 2015. The good, on the other hand, is that there are some players that could eventually replace the current top three (or four) in a respectable fashion. Yes, I am indeed talking about Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori, and Milos Raonic.
These young guys made strong impressions in 2014, with all of them making their debuts in the top 8 and two of them holding on to those spots until the ATP World Tour Finals. Throw in the fact that Nishikori also reached his very first Grand Slam final and it becomes easy to see that these three men could end up as the very top of the crop at some point in the near future.
And can we find analogies between those three and the current big four? I think that we certainly can, although I’m sure that many will disagree with my comparisons.
Most people would definitely place Dimitrov alongside Federer for obvious reasons, but I see him more as a Murray-like player: super-talented but constantly struggling with consistency and attitude issues. Just look at how good he was through Wimbledon! The rest of the season wasn’t that great, however, and the decision to not attend the ATP World Tour Finals as an alternate was questionable at best, too.
Meanwhile, Nishikori could easily follow in the footsteps of Djokovic. He’s always in the mix when healthy and his talent is undeniable. One big trophy seems to be the only thing he needs before getting the confidence that’s required for one to become a top-three player. He failed against Marin Cilic in the 2014 U.S. Open, but—unless his health becomes an issue yet gain—he’ll make it to another Grand Slam final sooner rather than later.
As for Raonic, I definitely see some shades of Federer in the Canadian. He’s nowhere near the Swiss in terms of elegance, but they do share plenty of other things: a great serve, a great forehand, and the ability to beat the lesser players without much fuss. The latter can certainly come in handy during Grand Slams.
Alright, that will be the new top 3 then; but what comes after that, you may ask. Well, that’s a discussion that should be postponed until 2016 at least, although we should all certainly keep an eye on Dominic Thiem, Borna Coric, and Alexander Zverev. Count on at least one of them will ultimately make it to the top 10.
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