Whats wrong with young generation?
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HetTheGreaterer
Banned
If you're asking just one reason, I'll point at the obvious one :- "Their Returning games suck"
Technology Ruined Tennis
Hall of Fame
First gen since the wood era not to have a tech advantage?
Slowing the courts keeps the old guys in it, but you would think the young-gen's higher stamina would offset that.
Slowing the courts keeps the old guys in it, but you would think the young-gen's higher stamina would offset that.
Polys and stiff rackets are the only reason Nadal is dominant, so I don't know what you are talking about.
No one's young forever, not even Thiem. Anyone who comes good after about 23 is really a late bloomer.
D
Deleted member 743561
Guest
More and more, I'm buying into the theory that brains have literally been de-wired by perpetual immersion in social media and tech from an early age.
The idea is that this generation simply doesn't have the fundamental focus and drive to reach the very highest levels.
The idea is that this generation simply doesn't have the fundamental focus and drive to reach the very highest levels.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
The field is deep, and everyone is tough, no? 
D
Deleted member 743561
Guest
sportmac
Hall of Fame
"...who learned the game before polys and nuclear rackets took over the sport."
In case that doesn't help then how about "fundamentals"?
S'in-net
Semi-Pro
The young generation are literally stuck in the electrical circuitry of the minds because of the ease of access of social media, tech at the fingertips AND one large step removed from a real connection with the Will-body and inner drive previously required as an automatic feature of a rise to power, player
Shangri La
Hall of Fame
Result-wise, the best nextgen have achieved is 2 RG finals, though none was closely contested.
Quality-wise, the best was probably Thiem-Nadal 2018.
Funny thing is all these were between the same 2 players.
Quality-wise, the best was probably Thiem-Nadal 2018.
Funny thing is all these were between the same 2 players.
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
Then the young generation would be terrible at other sports too, and while I think there is a general aging across sports, there are young superstars in other sports, such as Kylian Mbappe.
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
Why would the young generation have higher stamina? Most sports that reward stamina are dominated by people between about 27 and 35. The younger generation's advantage should be in changing direction and perhaps reflexes.
D
Deleted member 743561
Guest
Soccer's not an individual sport.
Tennis requires a level of independent thought that I'm afraid has gotten lost.
However, you'll get zero argument from me on the matter of the greatest athletic talents choosing other sports. Tennis doesn't get the cream of the crop.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
Football.*
the vast majority of pros would play with racquets <65 stiffness, so I don't know if that's holding any water
UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
That's just it. However you tackle this mystery, nothing makes sense.
The biggest mystery in tennis in decades.
vive le beau jeu !
Talk Tennis Guru
titoelcolombiano
Legend
This is becoming a monthly thread
bleno567
Professional
That's probably part of it, but the advances in nutrition and medicine keeping guys healthier longer is also part of it.
When the old guys came of age, serve and volleying and having an all court game were also more of a thing than they are today.
D
Deleted member 762343
Guest
That's not true. More like a daily thread.
Azure
G.O.A.T.
Really disappointed in Thiem and Tsitsipas. I would think that slowish hard courts would aid their games. I don't know what's wrong but perhaps the better talents are picking up other sports and that this generation has no advantage from a technology standpoint against the old guard. If the big three continue piling slams this way then we are witnessing a sure slow death of the sport.
Clay lover
Legend
Modern instruction methods and a general unwillingness to deviate from the norm has something to do with it too. As mentioned before by other posters the ATP is becoming like the WTA. With such little variation in technique, playing styles and strategy no wonder the margins are narrower and narrower. Every variable is kept almost the same with the exception of natural talent, which can be easily overshadowed by mood and physical condition on a bad day.
This is in my opinion why the younger gen constantly get into five setters even in earlier rounds and end up getting burnt out within slams and over the year--they are first of all stubborn and insist upon playing a slightly better version of the same game than their opponents', and are too short-sighted to tinker with their games so they have an easier time against everyone in general to reduce the mileage.
Rog and Ralph both have stand out shots and an arsenal which give them a greater edge over others.
This is in my opinion why the younger gen constantly get into five setters even in earlier rounds and end up getting burnt out within slams and over the year--they are first of all stubborn and insist upon playing a slightly better version of the same game than their opponents', and are too short-sighted to tinker with their games so they have an easier time against everyone in general to reduce the mileage.
Rog and Ralph both have stand out shots and an arsenal which give them a greater edge over others.
Emotions. Animals and plants have them. Only humans have reason. However, ALL humans have emotions, unlike reason. Can you guess which generates greater profit? Therefore, VR does not teach them the difference and they happily accept to be plants or animals. At best they are at mental age of 10-14. So we have 'old grownups beating children'. It is almost immoral, but that is what 'sky is the limit' means - no morality.
"When you're stupid, you do not have a problem. Others do."
"When you're stupid, you do not have a problem. Others do."
bjk
Hall of Fame
Aren't the Babolats all higher than 65? How stiff was Sampras racket?
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
But why are other sports not having the same issues? Or are they?
yokied
Hall of Fame
Lacking experience #1: BO5.
ATP and media ranking and hyping them based on results in all their BO3 that mean nothing at all. NOTHING AT ALL. The BO3 tournaments are given too many points and too much prize money, or slams are not given enough. I'll let greater minds than I decide which is more true.
Lacking experience #2: didn't learn with wood/graphite racquets and synthetic gut strings.
ATP and media ranking and hyping them based on results in all their BO3 that mean nothing at all. NOTHING AT ALL. The BO3 tournaments are given too many points and too much prize money, or slams are not given enough. I'll let greater minds than I decide which is more true.
Lacking experience #2: didn't learn with wood/graphite racquets and synthetic gut strings.
Azure
G.O.A.T.
Why pull in Djokovic here? He can only play the person across the net. I have never believed in weak-strong eras. Over a 15-20 year career one would think that these would balance out.
icedevil0289
G.O.A.T.
tbh i know i sound like im beating a dead horse but that definitely has to be part of it and that with most surfaces playing the same way, most of these players are not taught any variety. legit most of them just bash the ball as hard as they can because they think its a winning game. i've said it before but that story of a coach saying that when he was teaching at an academy and trying to i guess net rush the kids or something like that, another coach was like wtf are you doing you are scaring these kids. there is a reason half of them have no plan b, and are allergic to the net, don't slice either.
icedevil0289
G.O.A.T.
funny you say becoming like the wta when its the wta who is atleast able to produce new winners and young stars who can win slams.
Topspin 365
Rookie
What’s wrong is too much money is offered to them for being stars, but not legends. I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of them say their goal is to win such-in-such Slam, always “I want to do well in the tournament”. None of them have fire in their bellies.
Yeah its unlikely it has to do with focus or smartphones, there are lot of other sports that hasnt the same problem.
I think its a combination of modern tennis technology (the young players dont learn the fundamentals), and probably other sports attracting the best athletes more than before.
Druss
Hall of Fame
There has been barely any advancement in nutrition and sports medicine the last 10-15 years! I find it hard to believe Usain Bolt would have been at a disadvantage back in 2008 because of lack of knowledge in nutrition and sports medicine, compared to today? What about the likes of Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps? Don't think the swimmers of today would have much more 'knowledge' in the field compared to back then. I studied sports nutrition back in 2000, and I can tell you that there hasn't been that much of a difference back then to what we know now.
Thundergod
Hall of Fame
Maybe I'm a bad a person, but I usually look forward to checking the forums whenever I Google the scores at work and see most of the young guys out in the first 3 rounds.
robthai
Hall of Fame
Hey I'm just fighting fire with fire If Djokovic fans are going to continue to label 03-07 as a weak era. Djokovic is the youngest of all the dinosaurs on tour, so he is by far getting the maximum benefit.
Azure
G.O.A.T.
funny
ForumMember
Hall of Fame
Don't think Big 3 should even be mentioned in this discussion. They are no way contributing to this phenomena. When you losing first rounds to fellow next gen players consistently what this got to do with big 3 or old generation. Big 3 would have been factor if these guys were losing just to those players. For example Nishikori... In last 4 grand slams he lost respectively to Djokovic, Djokovic, Nadal and Fed, So there is good argument that Nishikori could have won GS if there were no Big 3. I would say similar things to likes of Ferrer, Tsonga and Berdych.
But this definitely is not the case with next gen. They lack consistency big time and players are failing to emerge as the leader of the pack who can constantly challenge Big 3 on behalf of next Gen.
At the moment Medveded is looking good and legit challenger. lets see how it goes.
But this definitely is not the case with next gen. They lack consistency big time and players are failing to emerge as the leader of the pack who can constantly challenge Big 3 on behalf of next Gen.
At the moment Medveded is looking good and legit challenger. lets see how it goes.
1) I think the stamina factor in tennis is overrated. Even in the longest 5 set matches they run around 3000 meters or so, and that’s over 4-5 hours with 25 seconds breaks after every point. It’s just not that exhausting, so stamina cannot really compensate much worse technical skills. For comparison, football players run 10-12 km in 90 minutes
My own experience confirms this. I mostly play Best of 5 with a friend, and long rallyes with many sprints for dropshots etc. are typical for our matches. Still I have no problem to play 5 sets in the heat. However, when I play football (especially indoor football) I’m exhausted after 10 minutes of intensive play.
2) In many endurance sports many of the best competitors are over 30 anyway. The early decline is overrated by some people as well.
3) If you look at those young players in long matches, they visibly don’t have more stamina than the "older" ones. For example look at Tsitsipas against Wawrinka at RG.
As you hinted at, the equipment factor (no major change in technology in the last 15-20 years) is decisive in my opinion as well.
good analysis, but only partial.
keep in mind the repetitive nature of the sport, and the effort on back, shoulder, elbow, wrist.
How many services and forehands a pro needs to accomplish to finish a match?
Is it a coincidence that often they have injuries on shoulder, back, knee?
Sorry to disappoint you, but more technical players in soccer, a-la attacking midfielders, strikers, once they have injuries on the knee, they very quickly lose from their speed and efficiency.
While defenders, that "only" need to stop the opponent, can play longer as usually have less injuries.
Gary Duane
G.O.A.T.
The older guys have better drugs!
