Compared to other sports, tennis’s ATP and WTA tours (men’s and women’s, respectively) are some of the most diverse in the world. Thanks to worldwide organizations that oversee factors like eligibility and ranking, tennis players from all over the world have a fair shot of becoming the next Rafael Nadal or Serena Williams.
In fact, many fans enjoy keeping their finger on the pulse when it comes to up-and-coming stars. Though many follow tennis betting odds related to a specific player or tournament, some also follow analysis on new stars. For example, consider the meteoric rise of Coco Gauff.
Though only at the start of her career, Gauff’s talent has captured the attention of tennis fans around the world. Not only is Gauff’s training regime under Jean-Christophe Faurel subject to scrutiny, but so are non-sporting factors like press conferences.
Clearly, there’s great interest in the incoming generation of top tennis talents. With older legends like Roger Federer retiring and others like Rafael Nadal expected to follow soon, there’s never been a better time to cast an eye toward budding talents. Keep reading for five of the most exciting names in the ATP.
Alex de Minaur
Hailing from Sydney, Australia de Minaur has already made great strides to appear on the ATP World Rankings, with a career-high of 15 in late June 2021. So far, he’s shown great poise and strength on the court, as well as a preference for grass.
In this year’s Mercedes Cup, he reached the quarter-finals. Shortly after, he advanced to the semifinals in the Queen’s Club Championship. Though he eventually lost his form in a battle against Sebastian Korda at Wimbledon, de Minaur did take home first place from Eastbourne International.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran
Though Chennai-born ATP pro Prajnesh Gunneswaran is still working to surpass a career-high ranking of 248, he has a handful of accolades that have helped him become the highest-ranked Indian singles player. Throughout his pro career, Gunneswaran has taken home two ATP Challenger titles, along with eight ITF singles titles.
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Jannik Sinner
Though at the start of his career, Jannik Sinner has shown a fearlessness and work ethic not often seen on the courts. In mid-September of this year, the Monaco-born player became the youngest quarterfinalist in the French Open since Novac Djokovic also advanced in 2006 at age 20.
Sinner’s performance has been closely followed by pundits for years now. Like Gunneswaran, he nabbed multiple ATP Challenger titles before going on to be named ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2019. His defeat of Alex de Minaur in the Next Generation ATP Finals helped him earn this award.
Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz’s performance has steadily improved over the years; he’s currently ranked 39 overall in the ATP World Rankings thanks to his performance at Wimbledon. Though he tore his meniscus while competing in the 2021 French Open, Fritz was able to make a swift recovery in time for Wimbledon, where he advanced to the third round.
Other notable performances include a third-round battle in the 2020 Australian Open, which he lost to Dominic Thiem, as well as a win against second-seeded Alexander Zverev in the 2019 Swiss Indoors tournament. Fritz is considered one of the premier male tennis players to come from the United States in recent years.
Daniil Medvedev
With a career-high ranking of 2 in ATP World Rankings, Medvedev isn’t just an up-and-comer, but an established talent after his performance throughout 2021. The 25-year-old hails from Russia and is currently training under Gilles Cervara.
So far, Medvedev has taken home thirteen ATP Tour singles titles, which include the 2020 ATP Finals and this year’s 2021 US Open. His performance at the US Open has been the subject of great discussion, as Medvedev became the first ATP competitor to defeat the world’s top three ranked players to win the tournament.
Had Djokovic won the tournament as sportsbooks predicted, he would have surpassed Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s record of most singles titles held (20).
