The Next Generation of Tennis Players Who Have A Bright Future

2) Frances Tiafoe (USA)

Frances Tiafoe in action at the Miami Open 2018

I first got to know about Frances Tiafoe when I watched his first-round match against Roger Federer at the Miami Masters last year. He eventually lost the match but won my attention.

Tiafoe’s success as a teenager led many to believe that he will become the torch bearer for American Tennis in the future. As a teenager, he won the US Junior National Championship. He has also enjoyed success on the ATP Challenger Tour, with 9 finals and 4 titles. He made his debut in the ATP Top 100 in 2016 and is now at a career-high ranking of 58.

Tiafoe recorded his first top 10 wins at the Cincinnati Masters in August, over the world no.7 Alexander Zverev. In the US Open, he almost won against Roger Federer in the first round, eventually losing the 5-set marathon. He was also picked by John McEnroe to replace Juan Martin Del Potro in Team World in the inaugural Laver Cup, which mostly featured players from the ATP Top 25.

This year, he won his first ATP Title at the Delray Beach Open, defeating his idol and world no.10 Juan Martin Del Potro, and also fellow NextGen players Denis Shapovalov and Hyeon Chung.

Tiafoe has an aggressive offensive game that relies on a big serve and powerful forehand. He is capable of serving at speeds over 140 mph which makes him a very dangerous player. He needs to improve his return game and volley skills though, to be effective against the big guns of the sport.

Therefore, be on the lookout for him in the future, if you are already not right now.