#the rune one was supposed to be about all of his challenges at the atp finals but that was the best photo I could find

[fritzes]

tennis players + @screenshotsofdespair part 6

[championmindsethq]

Who are the new Big Three? Men's tennis has an exciting future thanks to a rising trio

A week ago, after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played the point of the year so far on Miami's Hard Rock court - complete with exchanges of 80 mph cross-court forehands, Sinner hooking the ball back from behind him, Alcaraz falling and recovering, and the kind of exquisite drop shots and physics-defying sliding we've come to expect from both players, culminating in a triumphant Sinner whipping up the crowd after a fruitless dive from Alca

Are you guys indeed from Earth? The posts "What in the Alien" by Aryna Sabalenka and "What in the Alien" by Bianca Andreescu exemplify this curiosity about extraterrestrial endeavors. While John Isner proclaimed, "Tennis is in fine hands," Jessica Pegula called it "absolute craziness."

The 21-year-old Sinner, the 19-year-old Alcaraz, and the 19-year-old Dane Holger Rune are lighting up the ATP Tour like no other players have since those three. The fact that Alcaraz is also Spanish makes comparisons to Rafael Nadal inevitable, something that Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, needs to be more helpful. Alcaraz and Nadal have known one another since Alcaraz was 13 and won a victory on Nadal's Junior Tour; they both have mental toughness.

Born in Italy close to the Austrian border, Gucci collaborator and peacemaker Stefano Sinner has been likened to Roger Federer for his composed on-court demeanor. Although his style of play, which includes an amazing ability to turn defense into attack, is maybe more akin to Novak Djokovic's, Sinner hit a down-the-line forehand winner at the Australian Open that was so close to a famous Federer point that there is a side-by-side comparison on YouTube. Similar to Djokovic's skill on the skis, Sinner's balance is superb. Nevertheless, Rune is reminiscent of Novak Djokovic in that he has a Marmite personality and can sometimes be a bit arrogant. Nonetheless, each player brings a unique set of skills and styles to the court.

The best men's tennis players have skipped a generation. Mid-20s players who were intended to represent a new era and the passing of the torch have fallen short of lofty expectations. To a greater extent than Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Matteo Berrettini, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas have realized their potential. The collective has yet to come close to challenging the triumvirate of Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic.

Against the guys who were supposed to be their swan song, the Big Three hold dominating head-to-head leads (with the exception of Federer against Zverev and Rublev, who have edged him by one match each). Medvedev, who defeated Djokovic in the 2021 US Open final, is the only potential successor to have already won a grand slam (but still trails him five to nine in head-to-heads). Even late in their careers, three of the aforementioned six have not yet won a Master's.

See how this stacks up against Sinner, Alcaraz, and Rune's earlier demonstrations. Rune, at the age of 19, defeated Djokovic in the final of the Paris Masters last year to become the youngest champion of the tournament since Boris Becker. Alcaraz, the youngest year-end No. 1, won the Madrid Open after defeating Nadal and Djokovic in consecutive days. He also has three Masters titles and one grand slam trophy to his name. In an exciting match at Wimbledon, Sinner won the first two sets against Djokovic. He has also reached the finals of the Masters twice and possesses the hardest backhand on tour in terms of RPM. He's older than the Big Three yet has more match points saved. All of them are in the top 10, and some of them, like Felix Auger-Aliasime and Taylor Fritz, have even surpassed those two in terms of potential.

The early success of the three prodigies isn't the only thing that has fans psyched. The encounters between Sinner and Alcaraz are as exciting as rides on a roller coaster and as entertaining as a Broadway musical. Alcaraz "feels something different from the crowd when the two play together." Their five-hour quarterfinal at the US Open was the year's best contest. They have met six times on the professional circuit, and their head-to-head record is tied at 2-2, portending a fierce future rivalry. Like Stan Wawrinka and Casper Ruud, Rune has a strong personality and is a lot of fun to watch because of his tantrums and feuds on the court. Others have said that his crazy, McEnroe-like intensity is what the sport needs to revive its flagging appeal, and they could be right. After years of relentless baseline power-hitting, their variation is refreshing, bringing drop shots and net playback.

Naturally, in sports, there are no guarantees. There is growing concerned about Alcaraz's injury history, with the latest setback coming in the Rio Open final. Sin needs to work on his erratic ball toss, which weakens his serve. After his breakup with Patrick Mouratoglou, Rune needs to learn to control his violent tendencies (in fairness, he has settled somewhat, thankfully not to the detriment of the spectacle). Many athletes who show promise as teenagers eventually lose their form.

The Big Three, on the other hand, have agreed that this new group is the real deal. With Federer having already knotted his bandana for the final time and Nadal due to following soon following the birth of his kid and owing to a severe foot issue, only Djokovic and a gloriously resurgent Andy Murray will be around to halt the flood of the millennials, including top online casino. Tennis, in Isner's opinion, is in excellent hands.