Ranking the Top Late Bloomers in Tennis Today
Stan Wawrinka was always a good player. Yet, he became a great player after he turned 28—an age that often signals the beginning of the end of a tennis career.
Wawrinka is one of the few late bloomers in tennis. These are players who turned pro more than a decade ago, but they didn't see their best results until late in their careers.
This does not include Serena Williams. Sure, she's won more Grand Slams after 30 than anyone woman in the Open Era. But she bloomed early. Williams won her first Slam at age 17, went through a drought and blossomed again.
Unlike solid veterans such as Tommy Robredo, late bloomers do more than merely outlast contemporaries. They peak later.
The players on this list are active and range from those who have never broken through to the top 50 to others like Roberta Vinci who this year, at age 33, reached the top 10 for the first time.
These late bloomers have outlasted phenoms who blew by them in the rankings when they were younger. Despite experiencing tour ups and downs, these players saved their best balling for later.
The following are the top late bloomers in tennis today:
Honorable Mention: Malek Jaziri
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Last year, Malek Jaziri, 32, reached the Australian Open main draw for the first time in his career.
The Tunisian-born journeyman made good use of that appearance. He beat Mikhail Kukushkin in the first round and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the second round. He was the first Arab male to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in more than a decade.
Jaziri turned pro in 2003. He plays the Challenger Tour as much as he does the ATP World Tour and has a career losing record.
Yet this week, he reached the quarterfinals in Barcelona. He upset teen sensation Alexander Zverev in straight sets. That win will lift Jaziri beyond his previous career high of No. 65.
In 2013, Tunisia's tennis federation ordered Jaziri to withdraw from a match to avoid playing an Israeli player. Who knows, Jaziri might have reached his career high sooner if not for the Tunisian government's interference.
6. Laura Siegemund
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On Thursday, Laura Siegemund, 28, upset No. 6 Simona Halep at the Porshe Grand Prix at Stuttgart. She followed that up with a straight-sets win over Roberta Vinci to reach the semifinals.
It's one of the best tournament runs in Siegemund's career. Currently ranked No. 71, Siegemund is projected to reach a new career high of at least No. 52.
Siegemund turned pro 10 years ago. However, she's amassed just over $600,000 in career prize money. In contrast, Vinci has made more than $10 million. Belinda Bencic, who just turned 19 in February, has won more than $2 million.
The feisty German has spent most of her career on the ITF circuit, failing miserably in qualifying rounds in Grand Slams until this year when she upset Jelena Jankovic in the second round of the Australian Open. Her two wins at this year's Aussie Open are her only victories in a Grand Slam main draw.
5. Monica Niculescu
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Monica Niculescu turns 29 in September. Earlier this year she reached a career-high No. 28—at age 28. Niculescu plays an unorthodox game. Instead of incorporating a forehand slice into her repertoire, Niculescu makes it her primary stroke.
Simply put, Niculescu puts some funky junk on the ball, and it drives her opponents crazy.
Last year, Niculescu told Sports Illustrated's Courtney Nguyen: "I play very different; I don't give you a rhythm. It's hard to know when it started. I know I was young. I know I was playing like this, and it was hard for the players. Now I like it more."
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4. Feliciano Lopez
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Feliciano Lopez, 34, had success earlier in his career. However, the last two years Lopez has become a more consistent threat on tour.
The Spaniard turned pro in 1997. Ranked No. 23, Lopez reached a career-high No. 12 last year.
He upset Milos Raonic in the third round of the 2015 U.S. Open. He reached the semifinals in Dubai this year.
Lopez told Rohan Sharma of the Indian Express he contributes his late success to staying fit. “At 33, it’s more difficult to recover after long matches as one feels a bit sore. But I realized that to extend my career, I needed to maintain a fitness regime.”
3. Roberta Vinci
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Before Vinci stunned the world with her upset over Serena Williams at the 2015 U.S. Open, the Italian was one-half of a dominant doubles team.
Vinci and Sara Errani teamed up to reach No. 1 and win a career Grand Slam, a feat only four other women's doubles teams have been able to achieve.
The two split last year. Since then Vinci has experienced a renaissance.
She's ranked No. 8—a career high. This year she became the oldest woman, at age 33, to debut in the top 10.
She's benefited from a retiring Flavia Pennetta, an ailing Lucie Safarova and a suspended Maria Sharapova, all whom were ranked above her when the season began.
Still, Vinci is playing the best tennis of her career.
2. Angelique Kerber
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Angelique Kerber turned 28 during the 2016 Australian Open. She went on to upset No. 1 Serena Williams. Kerber also reached a career-high No. 2.
Since then, she's backed up her play by reaching the semifinals at Charleston, Indian Wells and Stuttgart. She's also 3-1 in Fed Cup play this year.
Ranked No. 3 now, Kerber is in a tight race with Agnieszka Radwanska for the No. 2 slot. She also has a realistic shot at No. 1, depending on how Williams plays at the French Open and Wimbledon.
1. Stan Wawrinka
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Wawrinka, 31, has played most of his career in the shadow of friend and compatriot Roger Federer. However, the last two years, Wawrinka has inserted himself into the Big Four era.
Wawrinka won his first Grand Slam at the 2014 Australian Open. Because he defeated a slightly injured Rafael Nadal, Wawrinka was considered a possible one-hit wonder. That was until he beat Novak Djokovic to win the French Open last year.
Now he has as many Slam titles as Andy Murray and two more than Roger Federer has earned in the past three years.
Wawrinka always had the weapons. What he lacked was belief. After winning the Australian Open, Wawrinka told BBC Sport writer Piers Newberry: "Before today, for me it wasn't a dream. I never expected to play a final. I never expected to win a Grand Slam. And right now I just did it."
Disrupting the Big Four and staying in the top four, all after age 28, makes Wawrinka the game's best late bloomer.
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