Opportunity knocks at generation game

The signs, however, are not encouraging. From Wimbledon in 2003, an incredible 52 of 57 Slams have been claimed by just five men — Roger Federer (19), Rafael Nadal (15), Novak Djokovic (12) and Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka with three apiece. 

Only Andy Roddick, Gaston Gaudio, Marat Safin, Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic have broken the spell. At a career-high of six, Zverev heads for the US Open having defeated Federer for the Montreal Masters title before a first-up letdown against Frances Tiafoe in Cincinnati. 

He’s getting used to such highs and immediate lows. His impressive win over Djokovic in May’s Rome Masters final had him installed as a dark horse for the French Open. However, nine days later he slumped to a first round loss at a windswept Roland Garros to wily Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. 

His best performance at a Slam is a fourth-round run at Wimbledon last month, while his best showing so far at the US Open was a second-round appearance in 2016.  

Federer is a fan of Zverev but he was blunt in his assessment of the 20-somethings in general. He advised them to serve-and-volley on the quicker courts, warning against being “sucked into attritional tennis”. 

At the US Open, last-16 spots in 2014 and 2016 represent his best performance while his summer hard court season saw an opening loss in Montreal and a quarter-final exit to 35-year-old David Ferrer in Cincinnati. As always, hype and hope will stalk Nick Kyrgios into New York despite his best at the tournament being third round runs in 2014 and 2016. 

The 22-year-old crowd-puller, up at 18 in the world, saw off Nadal in Cincinnati on his way to a final loss to Grigor Dimitrov last weekend. It was the Australian’s second career win over Nadal, three years after his first on his way to the 2014 Wimbledon quarter-finals. 

Should the likes of Zverev, Thiem and Kyrgios fall, then there are signs of hope in the next ‘NextGen’. Andrey Rublev, a 19-year-old Russian, who lists boxing and thrash metal heavyweights Metallica amongst his passions, won his first title last month in Umag.