10 Biggest Prospects On The ATP Tour
Does men's tennis have a healthy future after Novak Djokovic?
With the ATP Tour's "big four" the wrong side of 30 or at least nearing the age milestone, there will come a time when tennis needs to move on from arguably the greatest era the men's game has ever seen.
The likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray continue to break records and when is all said and done and the quartet have each hung up their racquet, they will be regarded as four of the all-time best.
Other players ranked inside the world's top 10 could always take over from the legends of the game but what tennis needs is an influx of young talent who represent the future.
Given the increasing physicality of the way that the sport is played, there are fewer players under the age of 21 quickly establishing themselves among the elite and younger hitters have to spend time coming through the Challenger Tour and lower reaches of the ATP Tour before they can hold their own on a regular basis at the top table.
With that in mind, this article takes a look at 10 players who could form the next generation and potentially dominate the sport in a similar manner to that of Djokovic and Federer.
10. Quentin Halys
Quentin Halys is yet to fully make his breakthrough on the ATP Tour but he has shown glimpses of his ability and there is every indication that he has the attributes to be a success in the sport.
After winning back-to-back futures events as an 18 year old, he was handed a Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros against Rafael Nadal. He would have perhaps preferred an easier contest but facing the best clay-court hitter ever was a hugely beneficial experience and he did not disgrace himself against the legendary Spaniard, winning 10 games in a straight-sets loss.
The rest of 2015 saw the Frenchman progress onto the Challenger Tour and his performances earned him a wildcard for the Australian Open. His inclusion was justified with a win over the experienced Ivan Dodig and it set up a showdown with multiple-time winner Novak Djokovic.
It represented another opportunity for Halys to impress on a worldwide stage and although he lost 6-1 6-2 7-6, he showed that he was a fearless competitor and if he can further develop his shot-selection and temperament, he can go far in the sport.
He has done little since his meeting with Djokovic and he is still some way from being the finished article, but he has time on his side and could prove to be a late developer.