A new order rising on the court

Most sporting pursuits in the world are dominated by youthful players who have age on their side. Of course, there are many athletes who defy several odds, including the wear and tear of their body, to reach the pinnacle of their respective sport and secure their name in the pantheons of all-time greats. Sachin Tendulkar, Kobe Bryant, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Australian hockey legend Jamie Dwyer are among some names who have served their teams for numerous years.

Longevity in team sports is not unheard of, but having long careers in individual sports is rare, more so in lawn tennis. Tennis is indeed one of the most challenging individual sports out there and is mostly dominated by the young and the restless. Going by the definition of the United Nations, a youth is a person within the age group of 15 to 24 years. And many up and comers in the ATP men's top 100 fall in this bracket. This next order of young superstars is faster, stronger and more agile. Some of them have been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, yet there is no doubting the fact that these young turks will soon become names to be reckoned with.

Jack Sock :

Soon to be 25, Sock is currently the top ranked American in the ATP men's ranking. Currently ranked number 15, Sock is considered to be America's next big male tennis star. With Andy Roddick's retirement, all hopes do rest on Sock's broad shoulders. Sock might not be as precocious as Roddick and has not tasted the same amount of success that Roddick did in his younger days. But Sock's playing style is just as promising, if not more, as that of Roddick. Sock – who considers Roddick his idol – has a very strong service game, easily reaching speeds up to 140 miles per hour on the court. Roddick himself has said that he and Sock have similar playing styles. "(Sock) kind of has the half take up with the serve. He's got the flailing elbow on the forehand and the backhand," Roddick had said. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands led USA to a mixed doubles Gold, defeating compatriots Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram in the final.

20-year-old Alexander Zverev Jr. of Germany is destined for greater things. Born in Hamburg to former Russian professional tennis players, 'Sascha' – as he is popularly known – is the most promising youngster in the ATP rankings today. Standing at the 10th spot, Zverev is the youngest player in the top 10. In 2016, he was the youngest player to enter the ATP top 20, after Novak Djokovic did so in 2006. In the recently concluded 2017 Rome Masters, Zverev was unstoppable as he zoomed past the likes of Viktor Troicki, Fabio Fognini, Milos Raonic and John Isner without breaking much sweat. But his 6-4, 6-3 bashing of Djokovic in the final showed the world that Zverev would soon be one of the biggest stars in the world of tennis. While his elder brother 29-year-old Mikhail, better known as 'Mischa', is knocking on the doors of the ATP top 30, young Sascha has had a meteoric rise in world tennis since turning pro in 2013. The 6'6" tall lad considers Swiss legend Roger Federer as his role model. Like Federer, Zverev boasts of a strong serve and excellent backhand. Against Federed, his win-loss record stands at 1-1. How far Zverev will go in his career is yet to be seen, but it will certainly be an interesting career.

The 22-year-old Australian is as much celebrated as he is censured. His crowning achievement came in the 2014 Wimbledon Championships where he reached the quarter-finals after defeating some big names such as Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet. He again the quarter-finals in the 2015 edition, but his success story stops there. The biggest obstacle to his path to glory is his cantankerous attitude. Kyrgios has been at the receiving end from tennis observers over the world for his bad temperament. Despite possessing bundles of talent, his short temper, tantrums on the court and general irreverence have not stood him in good stead. One should know that he has serious issues when John McEnroe – the quintessential bad boy of tennis – himself takes note of his attitude issues. McEnroe has often criticised Kyrgios for not taking the game seriously and said it openly that it the young man doesn't want to be a professional tennis player, he should "do something else". Despite several detractors, Kyrgios has time and again proved that he cannot be taken lightly. Standing at the 19th spot in the ATP men's rankings, Kyrgios has enough time and fitness to prove that he can be one of the best.

Austrian Dominic Thiem reached number 7 in the ATP men's rankings in June 2016. Almost a year has passed and the 23-year-old is yet to be dislodged from that position. That tells a lot about his consistency. Thiem's most distinguished performance came during the semi-final run last year at the French Open, where her lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Heading into this year's edition of Roland Garros, the Austrian is a popular pick to return to the semi-finals or go farther in Paris. Of his 16 outings on clay courts, the young right-hander has won 12 and lost four games, with two of these four losses coming against nine-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal. Interestingly, however, Thiem is also the only player to have beaten Nadal on clay in 2017, after he upset the 'King of Clay' a few weeks ago in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters 1000. What makes Thiem a likeable character of the court is his humility in the public sphere. He has, so far, not been involved in any controversy and is known as a down-to-earth person by his peers. The only way Thiem's career can go now is upwards.