Next generation of men's stars announce themselves at Australian Open

[ad_1] It smells like teen spirit at Melbourne Park because the second week of the boys's singles get underway with no handful of high seeds after they have been despatched house by the hands of youngsters.

Three top-10 gamers at this yr's Open did not even make it to the third spherical after being ousted by teenagers within the early levels of the event.

Eighteen-year-old João Fonseca shocked ninth seed Andrey Rublev with a straight-sets victory within the opening spherical, whereas Learner Tien ousted world quantity three Daniil Medvedev, and fellow 19-year-old Jakub Mensik shocked sixth seed Casper Ruud within the second spherical.

Notably, world quantity 4 Taylor Fritz was additionally despatched packing, leaving simply six of the top-10 seeds within the closing 36. Nevertheless, that was by the hands of 38-year-old Frenchman Gaël Monfils.

Monfils's not dreaming of profitable Australian Open Gaël Monfils's legion of followers is daring to dream massive, however the evergreen Frenchman is concentrated on different priorities than lifting the trophy at Melbourne Park.

Established star and four-time grand slam champion Carlos Alcaraz was requested what recommendation he had for the subsequent technology of stars, which he himself is part of, being solely 21.

"I've seen these gamers. I've seen the extent that they've … I used to be shocked somewhat bit about his [Tien's] stage. I do not know which rating they will attain, however they've plenty of potential," Alcaraz informed reporters.

"I imply, I am speaking like I'm 30 years outdated, I am simply two years older than them. So, what recommendation … do not beat me, I assume, I do not know."

The primary massive upset of the event got here when 20-year-old Alex Michelsen beat eleventh seed and 2023 runner-up Stefanos Tstsipas within the first spherical in 4 units.

Joao Fonseca of Brazil is a rising star in males's tennis. ( Getty Pictures: Hannah Peters )

World quantity 42 Michelsen continued his surge to knock out quantity 19 seed Karen Khachanov within the third spherical, and can have the possibility to take one other large scalp when he faces world quantity eight Australian Alex de Minaur within the fourth spherical.

He's the second-youngest man from america since Andy Roddick in 2003 to get this far Down Beneath.

"I performed unbelievable most of that match. I do not know what is going on on. … I've by no means hit my forehand that properly," Michelsen mentioned after his victory over Khachanov.

Whereas teen prodigies aren't uncommon in tennis, the bulletins of those children comes because the guard continues to vary in males's tennis following the retirements of veteran champions and hypothesis as to who the subsequent "massive three" might be.

In latest slams, at 19, Alcaraz gained the US Open in 2022, as did Coco Gauff in 2023.

Emma Raducanu shocked the tennis world when at 18 she claimed the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, and a yr earlier Iga Swiatek gained her first slam at 19 on the French Open.

And final yr it was Mirra Andreeva who turned the teenage sensation on the Australian Open after she took out one of many event favourites, Ons Jabeur, within the second spherical at simply 16.

Mirra Andreeva upset Aryna Sabalenka on the 2024 French Open. ( Getty Pictures: Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Pictures )

She then pulled off one of many comebacks of the slam — recovering from 1-5 down within the deciding set in opposition to France's Diane Parry to avoid wasting a match level and win the match in a tie-break — and beat two-time Australian Open defending champion Aryna Sabalenka finally yr's French Open.

She stays the one actual teenage risk on the WTA Tour, as the subsequent highest-ranked teenager is 18-year-old Australian Maya Joint at 105, who exited the Open after a first-round defeat to Jessica Pegula.

Nevertheless, the emergence of the youngsters within the males's draw at this Open has fed an additional layer of fan pleasure given the present shift in males's tennis following the retirements of 22-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal and 20-time main winner Roger Federer.

Notably, 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokokic continues on tour, now 37 and coached by recently-retired Andy Murray.

However Djokovic did not win a slam final yr.

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Alcaraz and world primary Jannik Sinner — favourites to play out on this yr's closing — repeatedly seem in conversations of who would be the subsequent "massive three" of males's tennis.

When Fonseca shocked Rublev, some followers have been keen to take a position on-line whether or not he might be the potential third within the subsequent technology combine earlier than being despatched house within the second spherical with a five-set loss to Lorenzo Sonego.