Stock Watch for Top Young Stars in Men's Tennis
When Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic broke through last year and won their first career major titles, they not only chipped away at the Big Four’s Grand Slam stranglehold—they offered hope to the rest of the ATP World Tour.
A window of opportunity has opened for other players eager to step out and have their moment. Among the group fighting to join Wawrinka and Cilic are several young challengers who’ve already flashed serious talent.
These players—like Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov—are attempting to further shift the balance of power in the game. They’re not far away, with several titles and monumental wins already on their resumes. But to start the 2015 season, they’ve all faced their share of ups and downs.
Here's a look at notable men's tennis players 25 years old and younger and how they've fared so far this year. With five Masters Series tournaments and the French Open looming over the next few months, it's time to assess their stock.
Bernard Tomic
1 of 5
Stock: Hold
Bernard Tomic is the Johnny Manziel of the tennis world.
Besides their similar appearances, the two mercurial 22-year-olds share a love for antics away from the game and drama during their respective sports. They'll show glimpses of their talent at times, but they'll also leave you scratching your head.
Tomic, however, sounds like a player who's making serious efforts to mature off the court. He's rededicated himself to training and acting like a professional. So far it's paid off, with the Aussie enjoying a strong 9-4 start to the season.
His best result was a fourth-round run in Melbourne. Even though Tomas Berdych swept him away in straight sets, Tomic picked up precious momentum and ranking points with the result.
While he's yet to advance past the quarterfinals at any event this year, Tomic is having a productive 2015 and racking up wins. He's slowly climbing back up in the rankings (currently No. 46) and building back his confidence. It's just too early to fully buy in until he produces over the course of an entire season.
He may never live up to the hype that was bestowed upon him as a teenager, but Tomic still has plenty of time to turn into a solid pro.
Nick Kyrgios
2 of 5
Stock: Up
No male teenager since Rafael Nadal has made as big a mark as Nick Kyrgios.
With his run in Melbourne last month, the 19-year-old Aussie became the only male teenager since 2001 (Roger Federer) to make multiple Grand Slam quarterfinals. His run at Wimbledon last summer—when he upset Nadal in the fourth round—was far from a fluke.
At the Australian Open, Kyrgios displayed a game rooted in baseline power and athleticism but accentuated with confidence and flair. He used those skills during another dazzling quarterfinal run, which eventually ended at the hands of Andy Murray.
But Kyrgios notched an epic five-set win over Andreas Seppi in the process, cementing his status as a budding star.
Kyrgios' next step—once his back heals—will be to produce consistent results outside of majors, at the Davis Cup and Masters Series events. Once he translates his Grand Slam success to other tournaments, Kyrgios will soar in the rankings. The talent is there; he just needs to harness it.
Grigor Dimitrov
3 of 5
Stock: Down
Grigor Dimitrov has found out the hard way in 2015 that talent alone doesn’t guarantee success.
After a promising 2014 season where he went 50-18 and captured three titles, Dimitrov has taken a step back at the start of this year.
He's still capable of breathtaking shots and tantalizing athleticism, but right now he looks like a player unsure of himself. Only 23, Dimitrov struggles to consistently bring his best tennis—especially in big matches. At times, he's cracked under the pressure.
Take the Australian Open. Dimitrov earned an early 3-0 lead in the first set of his quarterfinal match against Andy Murray, but he fumbled it away. Down two-sets-to-one later in the match, Dimitrov raced to a 5-2 lead in the fourth set before fading away and angrily smashing his racket.
His other two losses this year—a 2-6, 2-6 thrashing to his idol Roger Federer in the Brisbane semifinals and a 2-6, 6-7 (8) second-round loss to Gilles Muller in Rotterdam—were less than inspiring for a player with so much talent.
Dimitrov is clearly in a funk. Despite his improved fitness and strength, he still can't seem to put all the pieces together on a regular basis. Whether it's his serve, tactics or even his confidence level, Dimitrov is not playing like the guy who made the semifinals of Wimbledon last year.
Too talented a player not to put together better results, Dimitrov will eventually rebound. But it may take more time than he anticipated to match his success from last summer.
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Milos Raonic
4 of 5
Stock: Hold
There's no denying Milos Raonic looks like a much-improved player this year.
His fitness, foot speed and even his backhand have all improved dramatically over the past few months. Raonic even seems to be playing with more confidence than ever before. But despite those advancements, he hasn’t been able to corral a title in 2015.
His season began with a promising run to the Brisbane final. He took out his top rival Kei Nishikori in a thrilling 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) win in the semifinals, earning a hard-fought win over a fellow top-10 player. But in the championship match, he lost his nerve in a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 4-6 loss to Roger Federer.
Raonic and his new repertoire of skills gave Federer trouble, yet he couldn't secure the win. At the Australian Open, however, he was exposed during a humbling 6-7 (5), 4-6, 2-6 quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic.
That defeat emphasized how much work he still has left to do in order to take the next step and win a major. Djokovic used his superior defense to pick apart the mighty Raonic serve and obliterate him in rallies. It was a wake-up call for the young Canadian.
As unbeatable as he looks at times with his jaw-dropping power, he struggles against elite players. According to tennisabstract.com, Raonic is 0-5 in Grand Slam matches—with no sets won—against players ranked fifth or higher.
That pattern repeated itself in the Rotterdam semifinals last week when Raonic fell in straight sets to another marquee player, Stan Wawrinka.
To reverse this trend, Raonic desperately needs a win over a top-ranked opponent. He'll have big opportunities next month at Indian Wells and Miami to send his stock back on the rise.
Kei Nishikori
5 of 5
Stock: Up
Kei Nishikori already has what his peers desperately crave: a 2015 title.
With his third consecutive Memphis Open crown, Nishikori has put himself back on track after a disappointing start to the season. He lost to rival Milos Raonic in a tight three-setter in Brisbane before being overpowered by an in-form Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
He shook off both defeats last week in Memphis by gritting his way to the final. Nishikori lost the opening set in his first three matches—to Ryan Harrison, Austin Krajicek and Sam Querrey, respectively—and dealt with a blister on his hand. None of those hurdles were enough to stop him, and he eased past Kevin Anderson in an anti-climatic 6-4, 6-4 final.
What's scary is that Nishikori was far from his best during the week. And he still walked away with the title, his fifth in the last year. Nishikori's remarkable rise has not only put him at a career-high No. 5 rank, but now he's only a few hundred points away from passing Rafael Nadal for the No. 3 spot.
Nishikori possesses one of the best backhands and some of the quickest feet on tour. He's also a superb volleyer, and he often plays like a smaller version of Novak Djokovic—the man he beat in the U.S. Open semifinals last year. He has a full arsenal of weapons now and is growing with belief by the day.
By adding another trophy to his ever-growing collection, Nishikori has further solidified himself as the top young challenger in men's tennis. If he can hold up physically, it may not be long before Nishikori reaches Grand Slam glory.
All statistics courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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