3 reasons why a new tennis hero could emerge during the 2018 claycourt season

With just a fortnight left for the clay-court season to begin, there is an air of uncertainty about what to expect. That hasn't been the case at any time in the previous decade as King Rafael Nadal ruled the roost with pretty much no opposition, and Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer picked up titles whenever Nadal stumbled. But this year seems different.

Nadal is just coming back from injury, and the other known faces are also struggling with their own problems. All this uncertainty would not only make the challengers interested, but also keep the fans on their toes during the entire swing.

Here is a look at some of the reasons why a new hero could emerge during the clay-court season:

#1 Big 4 powers on the wane

The Big 4 in happier times

Federer and Nadal dominated last year with the two of them splitting the four Majors, while Murray and Djokovic struggled with injuries. The fairytale has continued for Federer who reached the No. 1 ranking by by winning the 2018 Australian Open and putting together his best-ever start to a season.

But that's been just about it from the Big 4 lately. There was a slight hope that Federer would participate in the clay-court season, but he announced after his Miami exit that he would be joining fellow Big 4 player Murray in skipping the red dirt completely.

With Djokovic struggling to find his "A" game and Nadal coming back from injury, it is almost certain that there won't be any kind of Big 4 domination this year as seen during the previous decade on clay.

#2 Juan Martin del Potro's return to form

Juan Martin del Potro

Juan Martin del Potro's stunning comeback to the top echelons of tennis continued with his Indian Wells title at the expense of Federer. After narrowly missing out on the ATP World Tour Finals last year, Del Potro has shown remarkable consistency - with a much more solid backhand to boot - to reach the Top 10 this year.

With clay court season just around the corner and his form peaking, don't be surprised if he makes a great run at the French Open. He's always been comfortable on the slow surface - almost derailing Federer's sole Roland Garros title run back in 2009 - and he has the power to hit through most players.

Defeating Nadal might still be a tough ask for the Argentine considering his slightly inferior movement, but if the Spaniard loses early then Delpo would be the man to beat.

#3 The emergence of the NextGen

Hyeon Chung (L) and Alexander Zverev

This season has definitely seen the NextGen players take a step forward and challenge the top players. Hyeon Chung reached the Australian Open semis while Borna Coric reached the last four at Indian Wells. Thanasi Kokkinakis upset Roger Federer and Denis Shapovalov continues to impress. And that's not to mention Dominic Thiem who has already turned into a clay beast.

Thiem and Alexander Zverev have powerful baseline games which is one of the prerequisites for success on clay, while Coric and Chung have the consistency to rally with anyone on slow surfaces. This could well be the year that one of them breaks through and wins the French Open.