Elite teenage male players?
While watching Djokovic-Cilic tonight (and prompted a bit by the TV commentary), I started thinking about top male teenage players, or the lack thereof. So why are there none these days? There was Becker, Edberg, Wilander, McEnroe, Sampras who were elite players before they were 20. Why none now? Is it because with today's power game, you have to be physically mature enough to compete at that level consistently enough to be considered an elite player?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by fleabitten on
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I think you got it right. there's just way too much strength in today's game. you need to be at least 20 to make a dent. but right when you say that then along comes the next boris.
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Permalink Reply by Mark / The Mayor on -
Still waiting! ;-)
Well, how old was Nadal when broke to the top?
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Permalink Reply by mikeindo on -
oh right. he was like 18. but look at him physically - he's a bull. not slight at all. someone with a build like djokovic or even federer would have a very tough time as a teenager making it. fed himself didnt really break onto the scene until 21 with his win over sampras at wimbledon...
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Permalink Reply by Mike Dong on -
I've been following this kid from Bulgaria. His name is Grigor Dimitrov, and he's 19. My father told me to keep an eye on this kid a few years ago. Here's a clip of him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt9uVCl1R3Y
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Permalink Reply by CoachV - William Vazquez on
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Permalink Reply by Mark / The Mayor on
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Thanks Coach. Great link.
"At 29, Roger Federer will be the elder statesman at the ATP World Tour finals which start in London's Docklands on Sunday but the Swiss is not about to start fretting about the passing years.
In fact, the 16-times grand slam champion is adamant the demands of the muscular, super athletic, power-based game that now dominates tennis have made the top echelons of the game a no-go zone for the new kids on the block.
A keen observer of the sport's trends, Federer said on Friday that there were no teenagers..." click that link above for the whole story.
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