LONDON, Nov 24: No one thinks it�s time to write off Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal � or even Roger Federer � just yet. Well, they shouldn�t, anyway.
Still, the season-ending ATP Finals set the stage for an intriguing 2021 in men�s tennis with the emergence of Daniil Medvedev and the continued excellence of Dominic Thiem, a pair of 20-somethings who look ready to continue their climbs to the sport�s apex.
They�re part of a group of up-and-coming men that also includes Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev, all of whom are showing signs they�re for real and ready to take the next steps. It gives everyone fodder for thought until action resumes in Australia in January, if the coronavirus pandemic allows.
�We proved that we can play with the legends, that we can also beat them, that we can also win the biggest tournaments,� said Thiem, whose title at the US Open in September gave him his first Grand Slam trophy.
�The next few years, the Big Three still will play for every big title, but I guess there�s still going to be a time when those guys will retire � I don�t know, in three, four, five years,� Thiem said.
�And then, I guess, we will be the favourites for all the big titles. For tennis, some exciting times are coming ahead.�
He said this Sunday night in London after losing to Medvedev 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 at the ATP Finals in the last tour match of the year.
They reached the championship match with stirring three-set semifinal victories that felt a bit portentous: No. 3 Thiem knocked off No. 1 Djokovic, and No. 4 Medvedev eliminated No. 2 Nadal.
�An amazing accomplishment for a new generation,� Medvedev called it.
�It�s super for tennis. We are starting to... (make) our marks,� said Medvedev, who also beat Djokovic in the round-robin portion of the tournament and became the first man in the 50-year history of the ATP Finals to defeat each of the players ranked 1-3 at the event.
Austria�s Thiem, 27, has appeared in four Grand Slam finals � losing twice to Nadal at the French Open, once to Djokovic at the Australian Open � and is now a two-time finalist at the ATP Finals (Tsitsipas beat him in 2019).
Thiem�s powerful baseline game is terrific, but he needs to add some variety and mid-match adaptability. � AP
