The next wave of men's tennis is here already

Mensik, Fonseca and Jodar, who proved their mettle at the French Open, could go far at Wimbledon as a new era dawns

- Rahul Jacob

For years before Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired, fans of men’s tennis obsessed about the coming vacuum at the apex of the sport.

For years before Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired, fans of men’s tennis obsessed about the coming vacuum at the apex of the sport. Then, at seemingly thunderbolt service speed, the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry blossomed. Their riveting five-set final at the French Open last year was lauded as among the finest ever played. The gods evidently love tennis.

If further proof were needed of a sport that has the gods watching over it, this year’s topsy-turvy French Open showcased plenty of young talent in the men’s game. Ahead of the tournament, Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal because of a persistent wrist injury made a Sinner victory seem a foregone conclusion. But, Sinner’s meltdown in the second round after being two sets to love up instead heightened concern about his ability to win five-set matches. Although tennis will most likely return to being the Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly of the past couple of years, in this interregnum, with question marks looming over the Italian’s long-match fitness and the Spaniard’s injured wrist, three young players look potentially able to go deep into the second week of a Grand Slam.