FRENCH OPEN 2021: From Coco Gauff to Alcaraz, tennis’ teen set

Just earlier than heading to the French Open, Coco Gauff gained the singles and doubles titles at a clay-court occasion in Parma, Italy, pushing her rating to a career-best No. 25.
Still simply 17, Gauff is the youngest American girl within the WTA’s Top 25 since none aside from Serena Williams means again in 1998. And Gauff will probably be seeded at a Grand Slam match for the primary time when motion begins Sunday in Paris.
“It’s cool to have a high ranking, but that’s not my goal. To be No. 1 would be cool, don’t get me wrong. But my goal is to win Grand Slams,” Gauff stated throughout a video convention from Roland Garros on Friday.
“I’m sure with the Grand Slams, a No. 1 ranking would come, but it’s not something that I focus on. My goal is just to win Grand Slams, and all the numbers and all that will come with that.”
She is a part of a gaggle of tennis gamers followers and opponents needs to be being attentive to as they attempt to rise to the highest and be part of kids reminiscent of Iga Swiatek and Bianca Andreescu, each of whom already gained a serious title as a teen lately.
Here is a have a look at a quartet of the teenager set in tennis who finally may find yourself within the highlight in the course of the inevitable shift as the game’s standard-bearers – Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic- transfer from their mid-30s to their late 30s and, quickly sufficient, their 40s.
COCO GAUFFAge: 17
Country: U.S.
Ranked: 25
Tour Singles Titles: 2
Grand Slam Appearances: 6
Best Grand Slam Result: Fourth Round (2019 Wimbledon, 2020 Australian Open) Facts: Youngest girl to brush singles and doubles titles at one WTA match since Maria Sharapova in 2004. … Youngest qualifier in Wimbledon historical past (16 in 2019). … Coached by father, Cori; additionally works with Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ coach. … Backhand is greatest shot; forehand is turning into extra harmful.
Words: “I like the dirt now. I always talk about … how I don’t like it. But I like it now.” -Gauff, after her success on clay in Parma.
CARLOS ALCARAZ
Age: 18
Country: Spain
Ranked: 94
Tour Singles Titles: 0
Grand Slam Appearances: 1
Best Grand Slam Result: Second Round (2021 Australian Open)
Facts: Qualified for French Open. … Has jumped 41 spots within the rankings because the finish of final season. … In May, turned the youngest man to make his ATP Top 100 debut since Borna Coric in 2014; in April turned the youngest man to achieve an ATP semifinal since that very same 12 months. … Big groundstrokes; wants to enhance his serve.
Words: “When you make a salad and you are putting ingredients inside the salad, he has … plenty of ingredients to become a great player.” – 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, after beating Alcaraz on clay on the Madrid Open in May.
CLARA TAUSON
Age: 18
Country: Denmark
Ranked: 90
Tour Singles Titles: 1
Grand Slam Appearances: 1
Best Grand Slam Result: Second Round (2020 French Open)
Facts: Won her first tour-level title on a tough court docket at Lyon, France, in March, going by way of qualifying after which beating the No. 1 seed in the primary draw. She didn’t drop a set alongside the way in which. … Won the 2019 Australian Open junior title.
Words: “When I play like this, I think I can beat some really good players.” -Tauson, after the ultimate in Lyon.
JANNIK SINNER
Age: 19
Country: Italy
Ranked: 19
Tour Singles Titles: 2
Grand Slam Appearances: 5
Best Grand Slam Result: Quarterfinals (2020 French Open)
Facts: He was the primary teenager to achieve the Miami males’s ultimate since Novak Djokovic in 2007 and the youngest semifinalist at Barcelona since Rafael Nadal in 2005. … Last 12 months at Roland Garros, he was the primary man to achieve the quarterfinals on his debut in Paris since Nadal in 2005 and the youngest male quarterfinalist there since Djokovic in 2006. … Was a prime ski racer in his youthful days. … Part of a crop of younger Italian males rising within the rankings, together with one other teen, No. 76 Lorenzo Musetti.
Words: “For a young player like this, what we normally would see and expect is … a couple of good weeks here and there, but the consistency is not there until the young player matures. With him, it’s different. He really has a good mind-set. He seems more mature for his age than the rest of the guys with the way he’s playing and training.”
– Djokovic, after beating Sinner in Monte Carlo.