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ATP World Tour: Rising tennis stars whom you need to know

By Maxwell Ogden

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Alexander Zverev of Germany serves during the Gentlemen's Singles fourth round match against Milos Raonic of Canada on day seven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Alexander Zverev of Germany serves during the Gentlemen's Singles fourth round match against Milos Raonic of Canada on day seven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Nick Kyrgios of Australia during practise at Wimbledon on July 1, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Nick Kyrgios of Australia during practise at Wimbledon on July 1, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Nick Kyrgios, Australia

Age: 22 (4/27/1995)
ATP World Tour Ranking: No. 20
Race to Milan Ranking: N/A
2017 W-L Record: 19-9 (2-3 in Grand Slams)

Nick Kyrgios has the talent of a Grand Slam champion and the temper of a player who will never realize his potential. He’s comparable to Marat Safin in that sense, which means there’s still time for him to achieve similar success.

This is an ambitious inclusion, but the 22-year-old Australian slugger has survived his bouts with a bad temper to hold onto a Top 20 ranking.

Kyrgios has all of the talent to be an elite player, but his temper has gotten the best of him on more than one occasion. He’s certainly young enough to find his inner peace on the court, but it’s a process that isn’t guaranteed to transpire.

If Kyrgios manages to handle himself better moving forward, however, he could become a legitimate superstar on the ATP World Tour.

Standing at 6’4″ with a big serve, powerful ground strokes, supreme athleticism, and an improving net game, Kyrgios has the tools to be elite. He’s utilized those abilities to make quarterfinal appearances at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

If ever you’ve doubted Kyrgios’ skill level, look no further than the semifinal at the 2017 Miami Open: A 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (11-9), 6-7 (5-7) classic against Roger Federer.

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