Former Grand Slam winner Dominic Thiem has expressed his admiration for the latest emerging talents in men’s tennis, identifying a trio of players who are seemingly the catalyst for a new, highly-intensive style.
Thiem himself remains an impressive competitor on the tour, although a long-standing knee injury has seen him miss out on a string of tournaments after being sidelined for over a year while in recovery.
The 2020 US Open champion recently explained how the latest talents to emerge off the conveyor belt have ushered in a new era for tennis, with a heavy emphasis on fast-paced, hard-hitting characteristics.
The Austrian said: “Players like Alcaraz, Sinner or Tiafoe have changed tennis. They play very fast and have elevated this sport to a new level.”
He went on to draw comparisons between the emerging trio and the so-called ‘Big-3’ – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“Compared to them, the ‘Big-3’ were almost defensive or cautious. This change certainly affects the other players, who must see themselves able to change their game scheme a little every time they play against them.”
Blink and you'll miss it! 💥@carlosalcaraz unloading on a forehand at the #AstanaOpen pic.twitter.com/rEC37xzqpL
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 4, 2022
Indeed, Carlos Alcaraz, who is +350 for December’s Australian Open in current tennis betting, has already claimed his first Grand Slam at the age of 19 after storming to the US Open title last month, while the Spaniard has also claimed six ATP titles as a teenager.
The youngest world number one in the Open Era, Alcaraz has already been compared to the ‘Big-3’ by fans and experts alike considering how quickly he has asserted dominance in his career.
His ability to send ferocious ground strokes on either side makes him nigh-impossible to best, while his aggressive net game and constantly improving serve should culminate in many more Grand Slams to come.
Elsewhere, Italian prodigy Jannik Sinner is of a different build – taller, more slight, but equally as powerful and incredibly quick across the surface. While he is yet to surpass his personal best of a quarter-final in each of the four Slams, Sinner has won six ATP titles, and became the youngest ATP title-holder since 2008 by winning the 2020 Sofia Open.
He has been plagued with an unfortunate string of injuries this year, which have almost certainly halted his inevitable progression into the top five.
We don’t pray for love we just pray for a healthy jannik sinner
— camilla 🍺 (@kamyisonfire) October 1, 2022
Last, but certainly not least in Thiem’s estimations is Frances Tiafoe, who has quickly emerged as a potential heavyweight after an impressive 2022. While he is yet to add to his 2018 Delray Beach Open, he was the youngest American to win a title on the Tour since Andy Roddick in 2002, and is touted as the man to carry American tennis into this latest era.
In a marathon semi-final at the US Open last month, he was defeated by eventual winner Alcaraz in a five-set, four-hour plus thriller reminiscent of the great battles between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. It feels as if it is only a matter of time before he will appear in a first Grand Slam final.
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