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David Foster Wallace, Tennis, and the Next Great Generation of Players

By Harry Floyd

BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 06: Kyle Edmund of Great Britain hits a return against Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia during his Men's Singles Semifinals match in the 2018 China Open at the China National Tennis Center on October 6, 2018 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Di Yin/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 06: Kyle Edmund of Great Britain hits a return against Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia during his Men's Singles Semifinals match in the 2018 China Open at the China National Tennis Center on October 6, 2018 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Di Yin/Getty Images) /
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Rafael Nadal
PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 27: Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during practice ahead of the Rolex Paris Masters at AccorHotels Arena on October 27, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /

Men’s tennis remains in the hands of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic – but for how much longer?

At the end of the 2018 ATP World Tour, we are seeing world number one Rafael Nadal continue to suffer from ongoing injuries. He will likely vacate the top position in men’s singles tennis, giving way to Novak Djokovic yet again. The Serbian is this year’s Wimbledon and US Open champion. Nole is on another level right now. He too though struggled from lingering injuries in recent years. The same goes for the majority of the veteran stars on the ATP World Tour.

With the legends of the ATP World Tour nearing the second half or even twilight years of their careers, fans and players alike must pay attention to the somewhat familiar names of players who have made impressive runs but not yet tasted true glory. These are the players of tomorrow who will overtake the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer.

Records may remain in tact for some time to come, but the top rankings in the sport will be in jeopardy. The 2018 ATP World Tour sees the veterans qualifying for the ATP Finals in London but this could be more or less temporary. Nadal is questionable as to whether or not he will be healthy enough to compete. Federer has taken off significant time this year after a stellar first half of the season. Djokovic is surging, but around him, others are almost neck and neck competing for the final spots at the O2 Arena.

Next. BEST EVER: Federer or Serena?. dark

Next year, we could easily see the rising stars outnumber the veteran greats. For now though, we think back to David Foster Wallace and his appreciation for the individual player standing alone on the tennis court. These players work day in and day out, focused on a single goal. Men’s and women’s tennis is witnessing new generations of players emerge. Keep an eye on the future of the sport as we see new talents arise on both the WTA Tour and the ATP World Tour.

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