Youngsters shaking up men's game

Mention teen tennis sensations and your mind would probably swing to Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Steffi Graf or, if you happen to be from a younger crop, Maria Sharapova and Coco Gauff.

- Rutvick Mehta

While we're at the 2025 Australian Open, you could bring up Learner Tien, Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca. Also throw in Alex Michelsen.

The first three, each in their teens, are responsible for knocking out three top 10 players - Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev, respectively at Melbourne Park. This rare phenomenon has taken place just thrice in Grand Slams in five decades. Michelsen, 20, took down 2023 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round.

American Michelsen will play Karen Khachanov on Saturday for a place in the fourth round, while his compatriot Tien, 19, faces Corentin Moutet. Czech Mensik, 19, was within touching distance of it on Friday, staring at two match points in the third set before losing a five-setter to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Brazilian 18-year-old Fonseca too is out, but made quite a splash at this Australian Open along with his fellow band of teenage boys. For a long time in tennis, that band was largely female, with the Capriatis and Grafs and Sharapovas lighting up the Slam stage with their dash of youth and freshness. Now the boys appear to be pulling the strings.