Is men's tennis ready for a change of guard at last?

Jannik Sinner had just become the youngest men's singles finalist at the Australian Open since the man he had beaten, Novak Djokovic (2008).

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Yet, you couldn't tell looking at the young Italian. Sinner celebrated the greatest victory of his career by simply raising both his arms and flashing a smile. No exaggerated antics, no overpowering emotions. "My tournament is not over yet," Sinner would say later.

Cut to six months ago when Carlos Alcaraz's tournament was indeed over at Wimbledon, the Spaniard slumped to the worn-out greens of Centre Court with emotions bubbling over.

Common between these contrasting reactions by two fine young talents in men's tennis was the statistical GOAT (greatest of all time) standing across the net. The only defeat Djokovic suffered in a Grand Slam last year was inflicted by the 20-year-old Alcaraz. The only defeat Djokovic suffered in the semi-finals of Australian Open ever was inflicted by the 22-year-old Sinner.

In six months and two of the previous three Slams, a couple of twenty-somethings have managed to dislodge a thirty-something 24-time Major champion who had refused to budge for the longest time on the biggest stage.