They look like rebellious, angry teenagers. They play with an infernal speed that baffles those who are watching them – whether live or on television – and makes their rivals feel overwhelmed, almost on the verge of despair, for not knowing how to face the tsunami they have on the other side of the mesh and does not let them think or play.
The new generation of world tennis plays at a random pace. Their role models, who are young people no older than 23, run with abandon, reach balls that anyone (even Federer or Djokovic) would consider lost, serve at cosmic speeds, break records that were thought unattainable and seek titles with an insatiable appetite. .
“They are very fast players. Tennis has become much more physical and they have a more aggressive game, sometimes they have even left tactical aspects aside. In other generations there was a more tactical tennis. Nowadays you see very complete players because they work mentally. They are kids who want to do things their way and dominate everything,” commented Alejandro González, former tennis player and coach from Antioquia.
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The tireless icons
Carlos Alcaraz, a 20-year-old young man who, in addition to having an enviable athletic condition, with marked muscles in his arms, legs, chest and back, also has the resistance of a saint, the mentality of an Iberian bull and a subtle technique in right hand that has made him a record-breaking man, is the greatest example of the pace at which this generation plays.
“There came a time when I told Juan Carlos Ferrero that we should not train with Carlitos anymore because he had a hard time keeping up with the pace at which he plays,” confessed Argentine tennis player Facundo Bagnis.
That pace is what explains why, at his young age, Alcaraz has the record of being the youngest player in history to occupy first place in the ATP rankings. He did it in September 2022 at 19 years and 214 days old. But he also holds two Grand Slam titles, a fortune of more than 21 million dollars just for the championships he has won and stratospheric contracts with clothing brands that even released one with his name.
But he’s not the only one. In the recent edition of the US Open, the American Ben Shelton, who is 20 years old and is the son of former tennis player Bryan Shelton, surprised the world. Not only because just in January of this year he started playing internationally and, without anyone watching, he reached the semifinal of the North American slam against Djokovic. No. Also because in the round of 16 match, against Tommy Paul, he made two consecutive serves that reached a speed of 240 kilometers per hour.
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Can they keep up the pace?
The broadcast of that game was done by Luis Alfredo Álvarez, a renowned tennis commentator, and José Luis “Batata” Clerc, a former Argentine tennis player and analyst of the former white sport.
They, who have been covering these championships for at least two decades, were surprised to see Shelton’s level and began to discuss whether these young people will be able to maintain the pace at which they play when they are 36 years old, which is Djokovic’s current age and what Nadal had when he played his last tournament at maximum performance.
“I think they can sustain that pace because that is the style of this new generation that tennis has evolved. Furthermore, you have to keep in mind that it is their style of play, they started playing like this since they entered the circuit and they will surely end up playing the same way. They have very aggressive tennis and they want to rule the court,” González added.
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In addition, the new generation has other advantages such as the support of technology to prevent injuries or treat them faster, they are aware that they have to take care of themselves and they travel with physiotherapists all year round and they have that rabid rebellion of the adolescent who, in the coming years , will be perfected with the serenity of maturity.
2023-09-20 02:07:34
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