The 2017 French Open is all set to kick-start on the 28th and will definitely turnout to be an unpredictable one this time around with Roger Federer withdrawing from the tournament, and Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic struggling to find form after a disastrous past few months. This is exactly when 'next-gen' stars will be hoping to step up and display their skills to fill in the gap at the French Open. Let us take a look at the rising stars to watch out for at Roland Garros.
Name: Dominic Thiem
Age: 23
Turned Pro: 2011
Current Ranking: 7
Strength: Single-handed Backhand
It’s as unusual as it gets to see Rafael Nadal losing a match on clay. In the recently concluded Rome Masters, Dominic Thiem halted Nadal's 17-match winning streak on clay, which includes back-to-back Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid title wins. The nine-time French Open champ was decimated by the 23-year-old Austrian in straight sets.
The Austrian won 29 of the 41 matches this season and also went on to win the Rio Open earlier in February. Thiem has constantly maintained his spot in the top 10 rankings since June 2016 and made it to the semis of Roland Garros last year, which makes him even more dangerous this time around.
The current season proved to be a noteworthy one for Thiem as he went on to defeat some of the top seeds which includes the likes of Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Stanislas ‘Stan’ Wawrinka.
Known for his powerful single-handed backhand, Thiem has won eight ATP titles, of which six of them came on his favourite clay surface. With his recent success on tour, Thiem is definitely one of the young guns to watch out for this French Open.
Name: Alexander Zverev
Age: 20
Turned Pro: 2013
Current Ranking: 10
Strength: Strong Serve
One name that's been the talk of the ATP circuit is that of 20-year-old Alexander Zverev, ever since the young German won the Italian Open just a few days ago, claiming the honour of being one of the youngest to clinch an ATP Masters title. Son of former Russian tennis stars Alexander Zverev Sr and Irena Zvereva, Alexander’s is a tennis family, with his brother Mischa Zverev also an accomplished singles player ranked 33rd in the world. Zverev's parents moved to Germany in 1991 and he was born and brought up in there.
"Sascha" as he is fondly called in the ATP tour circuit, he holds an astonishing winning percentage of 75 this season and has lost only 9 of the 36 matches he has played.
Considered one with the best serves on tour, Alexander Zverev has four ATP titles to his name, of which two were won just this month. Alexander Zverev lifted the Montpellier title in February and became one of the few players to win both the singles and doubles (along with his brother Mischa Zverev) titles at the same event.
In 2015, Emirates named him ATP Star of Tomorrow and true to the title awarded Zverev is proving his worth on the tennis court. Recent victories over Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic only goes to prove that Zverev is the new kid on the block to watch keenly.
When Zverev sets foot on the red clay to take on the tennis greats at Roland Garros, all eyes will be on the young German but his eyes would be set on the coveted French Open trophy.
Name: Jack Sock
Age: 24
Turned Pro: 2011
Current Ranking: 15
Strength: Forehand
There was a huge dent in American tennis when former world number 1 Andy Roddick retired in 2015 which left everyone wondering if there was anyone who could fill the shoes of the 2003 US Open champ. But to the surprise of everyone, they found Andy’s replacement in Jack Sock quite quickly.
What makes the 24-year-old a dangerous one is the fact that he is that in addition of being a successful singles player he is a proficient doubles player as well and was once ranked sixth in doubles. The American has scripted his name on three ATP singles titles and eight doubles titles which also include a Wimbledon Grand Slam which he won along with partner Vasek Pospisil in 2014. And the list does not end there; he also holds a US Open mixed doubles Grand Slam in addition to which he won a gold and bronze at 2016 Rio Olympics in mixed doubles and doubles respectively.
Playing both singles and doubles on tour makes Jack Sock unpredictable on the court as he is comfortable playing both from the baseline as well as close to the net. His groundstrokes and booming serve are of a great advantage and his offensive and defensive techniques are quite commendable.
Sock has performed really well this season, winning 22 matches and losing a meagre eight which includes a title triumph at Auckland Open and Delray Beach Open in the beginning of the year. Sock also registered a stunning upset win over top star Kei Nishikori in the Indian Wells quarters. Nicknamed "J Sizzle", he will be watched to see if he can burn up the courts at Roland Garros.
Name: Lucas Pouille
Age: 23
Turned Pro: 2012
Current Ranking: 17
Strength: Forehand
In 2016 Lucas Pouille received ATP Most Improved Player of the Year Award after fellow players voted for him. This speaks volumes about the effort the youngster from France put in to make a mark at the professional level ATP tour. Ranked number 17, just few places below fellow countrymen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, Pouille is definitely one of the new crop of players to watch out for in the coming days.
Pouille thus far has had a mixed season with 17 wins and 10 losses but he crucially lifted the Budapest title in Hungary in the first week of May, which saw him rise to a career high ranking of 13 in the world before dropping down four places a few weeks later.
Having beaten Dominic Thiem for the title at the Metz (Moselle Open) and handing Nadal a defeat in the 2016 US Open fourth round, Pouille definitely is well aware of how to play big matches and come out tops. What’s more, Pouille also has an added advantage of playing in front of his home fans, who have been waiting for long to witness a Frenchman lift the Roland Garros. Lucas Pouille will be carrying the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders, as fans hope he replicates what Yannick Noah did in 1983.
Name: Nick Kyrgios
Age: 22
Turned Pro: 2013
Current Ranking: 19
Strength: Strong Serve
Nick Kyrgios is on the headlines quite often, either due to his tremendous exhibition of talent on the court or due to the controversies he gets entangled in. Often referred to as the bad boy of tennis, Kyrgios is considered one of the naturally-gifted players of the era.
Kyrgios holds a unique record of maintaining an undefeated streak over the 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The 22-year-old Aussie has faced the Serb on two occasions and has come out victorious in both encounters.
The two recently met at the Indian Wells in March where Kyrgios defeated Djokovic in straight sets in the fourth round, hitting 25 blistering aces. He also joined fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt as only the second player to have defeated Nadal, Djokovic and Federer in their first meeting.
The Australian lad played just 23 matches this season where he triumphed in 18 of them but is yet to win a title in 2017. Having opted out of the Italian Open due to a hip injury and an early round exit at Lyon Open, Kyrgios needs to rethink certain aspects of his game as the French Open is just around the corner. But fans can never write off Kyrgios knowing the kind of giant killer he is. The Australian lad will definitely be hoping to add the French Open cup to his trophy cabinet.