When will young players start breaking through on grass?

[clout]

Grass has been a tough surface for the young guns. While most of them have adapted well to clay and hard courts, none of them have yet to make any impact at Wimbledon. Since 2015, the only player younger than 28 years old to make a Wimby semifinal was Raonic at 25 (going on 26) in 2016 where he made the finals losing to Mury GOAT.

2015 semifinalists - age:
Djokovic - 28
Federer - 33 (going on 34)
Murray - 28
Gasquet - 29
Average age: 29.5

2016 semifinalists - age:
Murray - 29
Raonic - 25 (going on 26)
Federer - 34 (going on 35)
Berdych - 30 (going on 31)
Average age: 29.5 (31 without Milos)

2017 semifinalists - age:
Federer - 35 (going on 36)
Cilic - 28 (going on 29)
Berdych - 31 (going on 32)
Querrey - 29 (going on 30)
Average age: 30.8

2018 semifinalists - age:
Djokovic - 31
Nadal - 32
Anderson - 32
Isner - 33
Average age: 32

2019 semifinalists - age:
Djokovic - 32
Federer - 37 (going on 38)
Nadal - 33
RBA - 31
Average age: 33.3

- Only 1 player born AFTER 1990 has ever made it to the semis or further in Wimbledon history and that was Dimitrov (b. 1991) way back in 2014
- The average age of the final four at WI in the past three events have all been north of 30, with the last two being north of 32 (!!!)
- No one in their 20s has made it that far since Cilic was 29 in 2017
- None of the next-gen players has ever made it past the R16
- The last time anyone under 25 has won this title was Djokovic in 2011 when he was 24 years old (10 years ago, believe it or not)

How much longer until we see young players start performing well on grass/Wimbledon?

 

[Jonesy]

In 10 years.

 

[Deleted member 748597]

Djokovic needs to tie Sampras first.

 

[Jonesy]

Djokovic needs to tie Sampras first.

Sorry tell you mate, but Djokovic is not winning another Wimbledon again, ever.

 

[metsman]

Think this officially validates grass as the greatest surface, since the young guys can't do squat on it.

 

[Nostradamus]

Think this officially validates grass as the greatest surface, since the young guys can't do squat on it.

we need Kyrios to take things seriously if he does that then he will dominate at wimbledon

 

[octogon]

Think this officially validates grass as the greatest surface, since the young guys can't do squat on it.

More like it confirms grass is the most irrelevant surface, as nobody grows up on it or trains on it, like clay and hard. If players actually trained on grass, they would be good at it. But no one sees the point as it's such a tiny part of the tennis calender.

That is why it feels like a foreign surface to so many youngsters. It's just this weird surface they have to deal with two weeks out of the year at Wimbledon, then they have to forget about.

 

[zagor]

They broke through on HC and clay? When did this happen?

 

[octobrina10]

When will young players start breaking through on grass?

Never. Because grass has become a niche surface in tennis. Grass-courts have (almost) died out in Australia & America, and in Europe only a few countries have grass courts.
I think, the ATP grass season should be eliminated, because it's unfair competition. Only very few kids/players have an opportunity to play on grass courts in their home countries because grass courts don't exist.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

.

 

[big ted]

kyrgios should have a couple wimbledons right now if he were dedicated..
other than that i think zverev could do pretty well at wimbledon eventually

 

[N01E]

What do you propose as replacement surfaces for those tourneys?

 

[BorgTheGOAT]

Young players haven’t broken through on clay or hard either.

 

[octobrina10]

What do you propose as replacement surfaces for those tourneys?

Clay. Because the ATP grass court season is in the middle of the clay court season.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

Clay. Because the ATP grass court season is in the middle of the clay court season.

As the majority of the Tour's players consider clay a nuisance, would expanding an unpopular stretch of the season be prudent?

 

[octobrina10]

As the majority of the Tour's players consider clay a nuisance, would expanding an unpopular stretch of the season be prudent?

Fed devotees posting on TTW consider clay a nuisance.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

Fed devotees posting on TTW consider clay a nuisance.

Yeah, definitely a widely held view.

But tennis needs all the help it can get right now. Have to give the people what they want.

 

[octobrina10]

Yeah, definitely a widely held view.

But tennis needs all the help it can get right now. Have to give the people what they want.

Your comments on TTW don't help tennis.

 

[MeatTornado]

Never. Because grass has become a niche surface in tennis. Grass-courts have (almost) died out in Australia & America, and in Europe only a few countries have grass courts.
I think, the ATP grass season should be eliminated, because it's unfair competition. Only very few kids/players have an opportunity to play on grass courts in their home countries because grass courts don't exist.

Anti-Rafa New User, grass has become a niche surface. Grass-courts have (almost) died out in Australia & America, and in Europe only a few countries have grass courts. I think, the ATP grass season should be eliminated, because it's unfair competition. Only very few kids/players have an opportunity to play on grass courts in their home countries because grass courts don't exist.

Do you have a list of statements that you just copy and paste to the forum?

 

[Rosstour]

Country for Old Men.

 

[Breakpointerer]

Do you have a list of statements that you just copy and paste to the forum?

Need to prevent the cheating of readers by the Fed devotees

 

[BackhandDTL]

What do you propose as replacement surfaces for those tourneys?

Clay

 

[octobrina10]

Do you have a list of statements that you just copy and paste to the forum?

Fed devotees have repeated the same statements almost daily for years. It's not difficult to find my previous replies to their statements.

 

[DSH]

And many (we already know who are the main promoters of this "idea") have the audacity to call the competition on clay "weak", when the most plausible example of this word is found in the little competitiveness that currently exists onto the grass, which has the most prestigious tournament in the world but due to its particular characteristics, it has remained in a third plane of prominence.

The "aversion" that younger players have to this surface has meant that a rising star has not appeared on this surface in almost a decade.
We will see, however, new faces succeed there only if they learn how to play on grass.

It may take more former players who have won titles or achieved great results in the past on grass, to pass on their vast knowledge to new layers of players, and as a result other Wimbledon legends will appear.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

The answer has been, is and will be - when they speed up the grass.

 

[socallefty]

Think this officially validates grass as the most IRRELEVANT surface, since only OLD MEN CAN do squat on it.

Fixed it for you. The world should belong to the young.

 

[WNB93]

Other courts are getting slower and slower. Therefore I think the higher speed of grass is something the younger players are not used to.
Access to grass courts is also very limited (for practice).
I think that's the reason for the younger people to not be that good on grass. Nor do they like playing on grass.

 

[Cashman]

Grass-courts have (almost) died out in Australia

There’s still a decent number of grass courts in Australia, and there is a structured system of annual junior grass court championships at both state and national levels.

 

[socallefty]

There’s still a decent number of grass courts in Australia, and there is a structured system of annual junior grass court championships at both state and national levels.

Sounds like playing the AO again on grass will ensure that an Australian wins the AO within a few years. Apart from possibly the UK, I can’t imagine that juniors in any other country get much exposure on grass.

Then again, Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have proven that you can grow up on clay and still win on slow grass. If they make it fast grass, we will be back to the unwatchable servebot tennis from Nineties Wimbledon when service winners dominated.

 

[GhostOfNKDM]

Never. Because grass has become a niche surface in tennis. Grass-courts have (almost) died out in Australia & America, and in Europe only a few countries have grass courts.
I think, the ATP grass season should be eliminated, because it's unfair competition. Only very few kids/players have an opportunity to play on grass courts in their home countries because grass courts don't exist.

I concur. They should in fact change it to clay, the most common surface in Europe and the one that's best for the body, showcases athleticism and is easy to maintain.

Only they should paint it blue (to visually separate themselves as a brand from RG)... just a color, won't actually change any physical property. That should work no?

 

[Mainad]

More like it confirms grass is the most irrelevant surface, as nobody grows up on it or trains on it, like clay and hard. If players actually trained on grass, they would be good at it. But no one sees the point as it's such a tiny part of the tennis calender.

That is why it feels like a foreign surface to so many youngsters. It's just this weird surface they have to deal with two weeks out of the year at Wimbledon, then they have to forget about.

The grass season lasts a bit longer than just Wimbledon and takes in 7 other tournaments (Queen's, Halle, Eastbourne, s'Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, Nottingham, Newport).

 

[octogon]

The grass season lasts a bit longer than just Wimbledon and takes in 7 other tournaments (Queen's, Halle, Eastbourne, s'Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, Nottingham, Newport).

Obviously I know this. It's called "exaggerating for effect". lol!

 

[Standaa]

They broke through on HC and clay? When did this happen?

ttw probably thinks so because Tim won the USO and Rublev won Hamburg

nextgen has arrived

 

[Standaa]

Fed devotees have repeated the same statements almost daily for years. It's not difficult to find my previous replies to their statements.

why don't you do something better with your time?

 

[Mainad]

Never. Because grass has become a niche surface in tennis. Grass-courts have (almost) died out in Australia & America, and in Europe only a few countries have grass courts.
I think, the ATP grass season should be eliminated, because it's unfair competition. Only very few kids/players have an opportunity to play on grass courts in their home countries because grass courts don't exist.

The grass season may be brief but it is the pinnacle of the season. If there is no grass then the rest of the season becomes meaningless.

 

[octobrina10]

The grass season may be brief but it is the pinnacle of the season. If there is no grass then the rest of the season becomes meaningless.

For the Brits.

 

[Mainad]

For the Brits.

For everybody. Even Toni instructed his nephew that Wimbledon was the tournament to win.

 

[octobrina10]

For everybody. Even Toni instructed his nephew that Wimbledon was the tournament to win.

Because it was a challenge for Rafa & Toni - because the last Spanish male player to win Wimbledon was Manuel Santana in 1966.

 

[nov]

Sorry tell you mate, but Djokovic is not winning another Wimbledon again, ever.

So you would bet money on that?

 

[Mainad]

Because it was a challenge for Rafa & Toni - because the last Spanish male player to win Wimbledon was Manuel Santana in 1966.

Toni never mentioned Santana. He told Rafa that Wimbledon was the tournament to win for everybody.

 

[octobrina10]

Toni never mentioned Santana. He told Rafa that Wimbledon was the tournament to win for everybody.

Hmm. I doubt you have listened to all their conversations.

Rafa says in his autobiography "My uncle Toni, who has been my coach all my life, had drummed into me from an early age that this [Wimbledon] was the biggest tournament of them all." [Rafa: My Story, 2010]
It was Toni's way to motivate Rafa.

 

[daggerman]

In 10 years.

Sorry tell you mate, but Djokovic is not winning another Wimbledon again, ever.

Something...isn't quite adding up

 

[MichaelNadal]

It's actually kind of surprising that grass is rewarding the older players. Seems like the place where a young player would get hot for 2 weeks.

 

[Mainad]

Hmm. I doubt you have listened to all their conversations.

Rafa says in his autobiography "My uncle Toni, who has been my coach all my life, had drummed into me from an early age that this [Wimbledon] was the biggest tournament of them all." [Rafa: My Story, 2010]
It was Toni's way to motivate Rafa.

Exactly. For Toni, as with many others, Wimbledon was the biggest tournament of all and the one to win.

 

[Cortana]

I don't see anybody beating Djokovic here for the next 3-4 years. He will be more dominant than in AO for that matter.

 

[octobrina10]

Exactly. For Toni, as with many others, Wimbledon was the biggest tournament of all and the one to win.

The biggest tournament = the biggest size of the main draw.

 

[TheNachoMan]

Never. Because grass has become a niche surface in tennis. Grass-courts have (almost) died out in Australia & America, and in Europe only a few countries have grass courts.
I think, the ATP grass season should be eliminated, because it's unfair competition. Only very few kids/players have an opportunity to play on grass courts in their home countries because grass courts don't exist.

lawn tennis is the origins of the sport. You can’t just erase that..lol

 

[octobrina10]

lawn tennis is the origins of the sport. You can’t just erase that..lol

The word 'lawn' has been erased from the name of the majority of tennis organizations.

 

[Rafa.the.Magnificent]

Sorry tell you mate, but Djokovic is not winning another Wimbledon again, ever.

Why do you think that, @Jonesy?

 

[zagor]

ttw probably thinks so because Tim won the USO and Rublev won Hamburg

nextgen has arrived

That's not breaking through, that's taking advantage of the situation.

If Nadal skips FO and Novak throats another Karen there, we'd have another "breakthrough" on clay by default.