Five best male young prodigies in modern tennis

The sport of tennis has captivated the attention of fans the world over. Many young prodigies have stormed into the scene and have stunned one and all with their ease of play and technical prowess. We take a look at five such male players. 

5. Denis Shapovalov

Denis Shapovalov is one of the future greats in men’s singles tennis. Under 20 years of age, the Canadian tennis star reached a career high singles ranking of world number 23 on the 2018 ATP World Tour. In 2016, Shapovalov took a junior grand slam singles title at the Wimbledon Championships, defeating Alex De Minaur in three sets. The previous year, he also made headlines by winning a US Open junior doubles title alongside partner Félix Auger-Aliassime. His Challenger, ITF Futures, and Junior play set him up to be one of the top players to watch on the ATP World Tour. Since 2017, he has found more and more rhythm while rising in the rankings.

4. Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios is always one for the dramatic both on and off the tennis courts. His on-the-court antics have gotten him into trouble in the past but Kyrgios is capable of competing with the best. The Australian has already reached the quarterfinals in two grand slam singles events. One of those came at his home country slams in the 2015 Australian Open. He is easily one of the rising tennis stars to watch in men’s singles. His stark rise in the rankings is almost unprecedented but the question remains as to if he can maintain his place atop the sport. Motivation is a key factor when it comes to determining his success. Kyrgios could be, however, a top 10 ATP player next year if he wants to be.

3. Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas has reached career heights on the ATP World Tour this year and appears to be continuing his upward trend. Defeating another rising star in Alex de Minaur during the finals, Tsitsipas came away with the title in Milan. A career high ranking of world number 12 comes at the end of what will be the first of many stellar season for Tsitsipas. The young Greek tennis player is just one of the many top 10 best young tennis players to watch in men’s singles. After his semifinal run at the Australian Open which also included a defeat of Roger Federer, he should be considered a real contender for the future.

2. Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev has become a household name in men’s singles tennis. He is among the best the sport has seen in the past decade and as of writing, he is just 21-years-old. In 2017, 'Sascha' Zverev had six ATP singles titles to his name with five of them coming on the 2017 ATP World Tour. That year, he took home two Masters 1000 wins and carried his momentum right into the 2018 tour. This past year has been yet another career year for the young German tennis star. He finished off 2018 with the ATP World Tour Finals Title.

1. Dominic Thiem

Austrian Dominic Thiem has already made quite a name for himself on the ATP World Tour. Thiem is on the verge of a grand slam singles title. In 2018, the young Austrian reached the finals at the French Open, falling to the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal. The Roland Garros title was Nadal’s 11th but Thiem proved that he has what it takes to win on clay. He has also shown consistently strong play across the board, qualifying for the end of year ATP Finals in London for three consecutive years. The 25-year old ought to be one of the top contenders in any tournament he plays and a major tournament win could be right around the corner.