There are those who believe the glory days of tennis are well and truly over, but Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are still very much around and then you have Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek ready to take us into the future.
It is clear fans have much excitement to enjoy and to look forward to with tennis having revelled in the glory years of Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic
As well as Alcaraz and Swiatek, the emergence of Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, Holger Rune and Brits Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper means we can look forward to another exciting year in 2023.
Is there a changing of the guard?
Carlos Alcaraz has drawn in fans from outside tennis
Alcaraz is a one-man highlight reel and has the on-court charisma to draw in fans from outside the sport. His movement has wowed more than anything, with the teenager tracking down seemingly impossible shots and maintaining his speed and stamina through epic matches. There still remain question marks around how tennis moves forward, particularly commercially, but the forecast is certainly a lot rosier.
In winning this year’s US Open, the 19-year-old became the youngest Grand Slam winner since Nadal at the French Open in 2005.
The Spanish right-hander, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, is also ahead of his compatriot’s rivals Djokovic and Federer at the same age.
Djokovic won his first major at the 2008 Australian Open when he was 20, while Federer did so at Wimbledon 2003 aged 21.
“The way he handled everything in 2022 was nothing short of remarkable”
Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has worked with Alcaraz since he was 15 and overseen his rapid rise to the top of the game.
Ferrero still feels there is plenty Alcaraz can improve,…