Will Stefanos Tsitsipas become the next great tennis champion?

Stefanos Tsitsipas is up to 11th in the world rankings after his Open 13 Provence triumph and he appears on the verge of a magnificent career. It was the Greek youngster’s second ATP Tour title and it capped a meteoric rise that has seen him announce himself as a major talent over the past year. The highlight came when he beat Roger Federer en route to a semi-final appearance at the Australian Open in January, and he has since continued on an upward curve. A power vacuum will soon emerge in men’s tennis and Tsitsipas looks well placed to fill it.

Federer is now 37 and his glorious career is winding down, while Rafa Nadal is 32 and Novak Djokovic is 31. The era of these titans is drawing to a close and their vice-like grip on the Grand Slams will be over in the not too distant future. The likes of Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are also on the brink of retirement, and opportunities will soon open for a new generation. The young guns have thus far underwhelmed in Grand Slams, but Tsitsipas could be the first man to break that trend.

A Bovada review and a trawl through the odds at this leading site will show you that the 20-year-old Greek starlet is now eighth in the betting to win the French Open and Wimbledon this year, and seventh to win the US Open. Clay court king Nadal is understandably the favourite to win the French Open once again, while Djokovic is the favourite for the other two, but it is interesting to see Tsitsipas rated higher than the likes of Kevin Anderson, Kei Nishikori and Nick Kyrgios, despite being such a new face on the circuit.

Big things are expected of Alexander Zverev, who is just a year older than Tsitsipas and already ranked third in the world. Many see him as the successor to Federer and Djokovic, but he has never made it past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. Tsitsipas has already gone one better than that, and he blends confidence with vital coolness under pressure, which makes him a formidable opponent in big tournaments. Kyrgios has also never been past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam and he is now 23, while cay court specialist Dominic Thiem, 25, has reached one French Open final but never threatened elsewhere.

The sport will need new superstars to draw crowds and TV audiences when the current heavyweights retire, and Tsitsipas could fit the bill perfectly. He has the Hollywood looks and golden locks, and a graceful style of play. If he can continue on his upward trajectory and seize some major tournaments then he could become the poster boy for tennis’ brave new dawn.

We may never see dominant superstars like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic again. They are the three most successful players of all time and it is all remarkable when you note that their careers have overlapped to such an extent. In future, Grand Slams may be shared more evenly between a broader group of top players, and that might make it feel more competitive and unpredictable. But there must always be a world number one, and Tsitsipas has shown that he can fight with Zverev and anyone else for the crown in future.

He is sure to break into the world’s top 10 players soon as he has recently been thriving in Dubai. Tsitsipas is also likely to claim several more big scalps in the year ahead and none of the top players will want to face him at the major tournaments this year. Youthful exuberance and raw talent make him a very dangerous opponent indeed and it will be intriguing to watch his progression in 2019.

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