Next teenager to break into the top 100??

[James P]

With Jannik Sinner finally breaking into the top 100 this week, the question is who's next?

Contenders:

Rudolf Molleker (GER)
DOB: 10/26/00, has a full calendar year to pull it off, roughly the St Pete/Stockholm/Antwerp 2020 week
Rank: 163
Results: Quallied into 2 Grand Slams (both 1R exits), zero Masters experience, 2x R16 at 500 level, 2x R16 at 250 level, 1x W/1x F/3x SF at Challenger level

Nicola Kuhn (ESP)
DOB: 03/20/00, would have to pull it off before Miami 2020
Rank: 178
Results: No main draw Slams, 1x R64 (1 win) at Miami Open, 1x R16 at 500 level, no 250 level wins, 2x W/2x F/1x SF at Challenger level

Hugo Gaston (FRA)
DOB: 09/26/00, has until roughly Laver Cup 2020
Rank: 266
Results: No main draw Slams, no Masters experience, no 500 or 250 level wins, no SF or better at Challenger level

Sebastian Korda (USA)
DOB: 07/05/00, before Wimbledon 2020
Rank: 305
Results: No main draw Slams, no Masters main draws, no 500 or 250 level wins, 1x F at Challenger level

Tomas Machac (CZE)
DOB: 10/13/00, before Shanghai Masters 2020
Rank: 307
Results: No Slams, Masters, 500 or 250 experience whatsoever, 2x SF at Challenger level

Chun-hsin Tseng (TPE)
DOB: 08/08/01, sometime before Cincinnati 2021
Rank: 340
Results: No main draw Slams, no Masters, 500, or 250 wins, 1 DC win, 1x F at Challenger level

Jack Draper (GBR)
DOB: 12/22/01, before AO2022
Rank: 354
Results: No main draw Slams, no Masters, 500, or 250 main draw experience, no SF or better at Challenger level (1st QF this past month)

Giulio Zeppieri (ITA)
DOB: 12/07/01, before AO 2022
Rank: 396
Results: No Slam experience, no ATP tour experience, 1x SF at Challenger level

Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)
DOB: 03/03/02, before Indian Wells 2022
Rank: 421
Results: No Slam experience, no Masters, 500, or 250 main draw experience, 1x SF at Challenger level

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (ESP)
DOB: 05/05/03, before Madrid Open 2023
Rank: 497 (youngest in top 500 by well over a year; Musetti is second youngest; only 16 year old in the top 1000, as well)
Results: No Slam experience, no Masters, 500, or 250 main draw experience, no SF or better at Challenger level (1st QF 2 months ago)

 

[FeroBango]

Who was the next after Sinner?

 

[Rattie]

And the lowest ranked swiftly surpassed them all!

 

[FeroBango]

Wonder who the next one could be.

 

[SunkTheBirdie]

Carlos Alcaraz

I pick this guy

 

[accidental]

What happened to Nicola Kuhn? He was top 200, now ranked out of the top 1000 and playing club tennis in Germany

 

[CarlitosWay]

Jaime Alcaraz

He is 14 years old people, and is fantastic. Stay tuned...

 

[helterskelter]

Wonder who the next one could be.

Here are the rankings now, though looking at Molleker and Kuhn, you know that's not telling us much:

1. Martin Landaluce (#138) (age 19)
2. Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (#159) (age 19 - turned 19 on 1 September)
3. Rei Sakamokto (#189) (age 19)
4. Federico Cina (#204) (age 18 - doesn't turn 19 until 30 March 2026)
5. Justin Engel (#219) (age 17 - though turns 18 on 1 October)
6. Joel Schwaerzler (#247) (age 19)
7. Gilles Arnaud Bailly (#279) (age 19) (turns 20 on 19 September)
8. Diego Dedura (#347) (age 17)
9. Rafael Jodar (#369) (age 18)
10. Darwin Blanch (#370) (age 17 - though turns 18 on 28 September)
11. Henry Searle (#387) (age 19)

There are no 16-year-olds in the top 800, but there are a few in the top 1,000:

1. Moise Kouame (#849)
2. Cruz Hewitt (#879)
3. Nikita Biloretsev (#902)
4. Ivan Ivanov (#934) - the only one of whom I've heard anything on his own merits, rather than because of who his father is, as he is Wimbledon and US Open boys singles champion.

Hewitt, Biloretsev, and Ivanov all turn 17 before the end of the year; that is, they were all born in 2008. Kouame is thus the only man in the top 1,000 born in 2009. In fact, the next highest-ranked man (boy, really) born in 2009 is Laurence Teunisseen, who is tied for #1,500 with three ranking points.