Other than the most stalwart Federer, Nadal, Serena, and Djokovic fans, the tennis world has been crying out for some new stars to stamp their mark on the game. After all, any sport is driven by the stories and characters it creates, and no one wants to read the same old book over and over again.
It is for this reason and so many more that the 2021 US Open was such a breath of fresh air, as a new generation of extremely talented players, both in the men’s and women’s draws, came to the fore. Here we cherry pick just a few of them, to see what they achieved on the hard courts at Flushing Meadow as well as what they might be able to accomplish in the future.
The crowds at the 2021 US Open were visibly energized by an influx of fresh and exciting talent, that refused to lie down and be subservient to those above them in the rankings
Emma Raducanu
This young Brit was the talk of New York as well as online betting forums, as she breezed her way through the women’s draw, displaying a power hitting game that was completely devoid of nerves, even when she was serving for match point against players she was given long odds to beat.
Having only really made tentative steps onto the WTA Tour in 2021, she used Wimbledon and the US Open as her launch pad towards tennis stardom, making the 2nd week of both grand slam events and delivering for British fans who used their online free bets to back her, on her quest for glory https://transparentpharmacy.net stateside. At just 18 she has the tennis world at her feet and has a relaxed and well-measured demeanor to match, meaning she should be into the world top 20 soon enough.
Having said that, she does hit an incredibly flat ball and has a high ball toss, so sometimes her game could come unstuck, particularly in bad weather conditions or on slower surfaces like clay.
Carlos Alcaraz
Anyone who has a big enough game to beat Stéfanos Tsitsipás needs to be considered as a serious grand slam contender and so 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz put the ATP on high alert when he dispatched the Greek in 5 sets.
Despite his age he already has legs like tree trunks and a ground game that is virtually impenetrable. With his career being guided by none other than former tour legend Juan Carlos Ferrero, it would seem that Alcaraz is a nailed on future grand slam winner.
It will be interesting to see how these stars get on when the tours switch to clay
Leylah Annie Fernandez
When critics said that Fernandez got to Naomi Osaka at the right time, the young Canadian simply doubled down on her best ever victory by then dispatching Angelique Kerber. Aged 19 and only coming in at 1,68m tall, she is undoubtedly the big/little surprise package to come out of the US Open in 2021. Her sister, Bianca Fernandez could also begin making waves on tour soon enough. Could they be the next Williams sisters?
Félix Auger-Aliassime
Auger-Aliassime has been around for a while on the ATP Tour but many people forget that he only recently turned 21.
He showed at Flushing Meadow that he has added an extra level of resilience to an already weapon-loaded game, which makes him a dangerous assignment for anyone on tour. Add to this the fact he is part-coached by Toni Nadal, and it is easy to see why many tennis tipsters fancy him to go all the way in the sport.
Aryna Sabalenka
Players from Eastern Europe can sometimes get a bit forgotten by the Western media, but there is certainly no forgetting this 21-year-old Belarusian, who has shot to number 2 in the world rankings and is now surely due to win numerous grand slam titles. She doesn’t just do singles either, having risen as high as 5th in the doubles rankings, which means she is no slouch around the net.