Just when you think there maybe some light at the end of the tunnel concerning the big competitions for the youngsters, Nadal not only goes and closes the door firmly shut, he slam’s it in the face of would be next gen future contenders looking for a glimmer of hope going into 2019. Who was the one to bear the weight of such expectations on his shoulders? Stefanos Tsitsipas. How did you he deal with such responsibility and the challenge of showing to the world of tennis that the youngsters of the men’s sport were well and truly here?...Hopelessly, it pains me a little to say…but the next generation of players after tonight look like they are doomed to spend what will seem like an eternity in a never-ending ground hog day time loop, praying for a stroke of fortune to come and break the loop.

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say many tennis fans were expecting big things from Tsitsipas tonight after his dismantling of Federer in the 1/8 finals. He looked every bit worthy of his victory over the defending champion in four sets and possibly even prove to be the first youngster in over 10 years to qualify for a Slam final discounting Dominic Thiem who was 24 years old when he made the French.

You know when Nadal is in form, he makes the most prolific of players look ordinary and let’s be fair, Tsitsipas has been looking prolific in Melbourne. Just look at his run to the Semi Finals, from Basilashvili onwards he defeated four tough opponents 3-1 each. Then when facing the Spanish number one and World Number 2 in the biggest match of his life he looked weak, pathetic, ineffective and demoralised. Yep I won’t hold back on just how much of a spanking I thought he was given by Nadal, he had no answer to Nadals power, spin and defense. The score ended 6-2, 6-4, 6-0.

Even Tsitsipas’ impressive net game bore no fruit; indeed it was Nadal clearing up at the net more times than Tsitsipas as he was buoyed by what appeared to be easy prey on the opposite side of the net. The Spanish bull did deliver some blistering forehands down the line and around the side of the net, it was the jaw dropping stuff at times, the likes of which we have seen from him time and time again in his previous slam runs.

For me Tsitsipas looks the most complete young player of the pack, more so than Zverev because he has a cleaner forecourt game than Zverev’s, which has yet to be developed. Yet after being crushed by Nadal tonight I cannot see much hope for the youngsters over the next two to three years if the big three stay fit and healthy, and there’s no reason they can’t!

Even the likes of Federer still lurking in number 3 in the world at the age of 37 will be attending a few years’ more of the slam events before he hangs up his racket and he will pick off a lot of young players in those events. That’s without then factoring in both Djokovic and Nadal who have 5/6 years on Federer. I can see them picking up the lions share of the slams between them over the course of the next two to three years. Either of them can quite easily surpass Federer’s current record of 20 slams. That leaves the scraps left for the youngsters, and by scraps, I mean the possible odd semi final here or there plus some Masters trophies.

While winning Masters trophies is a great accomplishment, only a Grand Slam event title will demonstrate a true breakthrough for the next gen of tennis players. The trouble is do any of the current young players look as good as when Federer, Nadal and then Djokovic burst on to the scene? Absolutely not. Tsitsipas is the next best thing and he has shown he ain’t nowhere near ready to win a major when Nadal is in his way, I’d second a guess the same would be the case with Djokovic. That’s a hattrick of crushing defeats the young Greek has experienced to the Spaniard. If Tsitsipas was to be the young Hercules capturing the bull, he got well and truly bucked off the back and trampled on.

Let’s take a look at how long it took the Big 3 to win their first slam:

The Big 3 plus Murray’s First Ever Grand Slam Wins

Djokovic (Age 21) Beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Age 23) to win Australian Open 2008

(Won his next slam at 24)

Nadal (Age 18) Beat Mariano Puerta (Age 26) to win the French Open 2005

(Won his next slam at 19)

Federer (Age 21) Beat Mark Philippoussis (Age 26) to win Wimbledon 2003

(Won his next slam at 22)

If we look at the above it doesn’t bold too well for the current next gen of tennis stars, many of whom are 21-22 and look nowhere near a high enough standard to dethrone Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. The big 3 all won their first slam by the age of 21 with Nadal being the youngest at an incredible 18 years old. Tsitsipas still has time to match or come close to this record but given the size of his defeat tonight to Nadal he looks a long way off. He will need some luck if he is to stand any chance, possibly some other player knocking one of the big guys out in a shock upset along the way and another being injured and missing a slam.

Still sticking to strictly to records isn’t a sign of success, Zverev or Tsitsipas could still prove many wrong, indeed Zverev who is already a the three times Masters champion still has three more shots this year alone at the age of 22. Tsitsipas has at least now got to his first Grand Slam semi final so he has something to build upon. He has time on his hands and I still feel he has a chance in 2020 or 21, who knows how more refined and strong he will be by then. But clearly after such a disappointing display tonight, I don’t rate his chances of picking up a slam in 2019.

I honestly thought Tsitsipas would give Nadal a good game tonight, how wrong I was!

I cannot see Nadal dropping the standard of his game for at least another two to three years unless he suffers a career ending injury. The same goes with Djokovic who looks back to his best, especially considering the way he put Medvedev away and then humiliated Nishikori into retirement in the Quarters. So the likes of Zverev and Tsitsipas are really going to have to up their level if they even want the opportunity to get to a final in the next two years.

If an opportunity is going to arise for the next gen break through it will have to be an event of great magnitude this year to dethrone any of the big three in a slam.

5 Facts that Don't Bold Well for Young Players:

  1. There has yet to be a player born in the 1990’s onwards to win a Grand Slam title in the men’s draw.

2. The Big 4 (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray) have won 35 out of the 40 Grand Slams over the past 10 years.

3. The Big 3 (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray) have won 32 out of the 40 Grand Slams over the past 10 years.

4. The only other players to win a Grand Slam in the past 10 years are:

> Stan Wawrinka x 3

> Marin Cilic x 1

> Juan Martin Del Potro x 1

5. Del Potro (Aged 20) was the last youngster (23 or younger) to win a Grand Slam in 2009.

Watch Nadal Destroy Tsitsipas in Straight Sets: