And maybe know why young gen cannot keep up with oldies in slow courts? Actually they should be able to jump around and run and make tough retrievals than old gen stalwarts. They have so little mileage on their legs. So what's physically preventing them when they are actually physically fitter stronger? I fail to understand.
If 19 -20 year old Djokovic and Nadal could do better at younger age why not current next gen?
Probably because type A athletes no longer take tennis, they switch to other sports like football or basketball for better earnings (earnings for low-ranked tennis players suck).
And none of those next-geners can be considered as type A athletes. A hypothetical 6ft1/6ft2 Nishikori could have been such an athlete.
Next, most often younger guys tend to lack a particular skill, or have a particular weak point. Faster courts allow them to mask such weaknesses, since they allow for netgame option. For example, Edberg has weak forehands/Sampras has weak backhand, let's rush to the net.
After all, guys like Djokovic or Nadal (strong off both wings and strong movements at a very young age) are very rare.
Besides, the physical advantages for young guys are no longer significant, with the rise of sport science and
professionalism in the 21st century. Pete Sampras' professional mindset was not common back then (you can just compare Sampras and Becker to see that fact), now it is a norm. Besides, older top players have more prize money to invest in coaching, training, diet... and young players simply cannot afford to do so.
