5 rising tennis players to know before they become top stars ft. Sebastian Korda, Alycia Parks

Modified Apr 30, 2023 17:57 GMT

Sebastian Korda (L) and Alicia Parks (R)

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams have been the leading figures in tennis over the last two decades. The 'Big 3' as well as the 'Williams Sisters' have been highly dominant on the ATP and WTA Tours. Only a few other players have managed to secure major titles in their era.

With the retirement of Serena and Federer, the grasp of the big stars at the top of the table has started to get loose. Djokovic and Nadal's performances have also diminished following injury concerns.

Consequently, a new generation of tennis players is emerging. Young, agile, and enthusiastic players are taking over the court.

From Carlos Alcaraz to Iga Swiatek, these athletes are shocking the world with their brilliant skills at a very young age. Some of the players are even getting compared to the 'Big 3' and the Williams Sisters.

However, there are even younger players, some in their teens, who are quite talented and have a strong chance of excelling in their tennis careers.

So, let's take a look at this list of five tennis players to know before they become top stars.

#5 Martin Landaluce

Martin Landaluce is the defending US Open Junior champion. The young Spaniard stunned Belgium's Gilles-Arnaud Bailly in the final to win the boys’ singles title last year. Previously, he also reached the semifinals of the junior event at Wimbledon. He trains at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca.

Landaluce grabbed the attention of the tennis world with his magnificent performance at Flushing Meadows. Hence, not knowing about him can be a huge loss for the fans.

#4 Alex Eala

America and Europe have always dominated the world of tennis. However, Philippines' 17-year-old Alex Eala has everything it takes to be the next big thing in the sport.

In 2022, Eala became the first Filipino player to win a junior Grand Slam singles title after her US Open triumph. She did not drop a single set throughout the tournament and beat Lucie Havlíčková in the final.

The teenager also tasted success on the doubles circuit, winning two girls’ doubles titles at the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 French Open.

Hence, Eala is one to watch out for in the future, and it will be interesting to see how she fares in her senior career.

#3 Linda Fruhvirtova

17-year-old Czech Linda Fruhvirtova is another very bright prospect in the women's division. She made herself known to tennis fans last season when she reached the fourth round of the Miami Open and won the Chennai Open.

In the 2023 Australian Open, Fruhvirtova put on a brilliant performance. She defeated Jaimee Fourlis, Kimberly Birrell, and compatriot Markéta Vondroušová (who defeated Ons Jabeur) to reach the fourth round of the competition.

However, her campaign was short-lived, as Donna Vekic eventually took down Fruhvirtova. Despite losing, the Czech player exhibited her top skills on the tennis court in every single appearance. Fruhvirtova is quite young and will be expected to take the tennis world by storm in the upcoming years.

#2 Alycia Parks

The 22-year-old Alycia Parks is full of talent, and if she gets rightfully nurtured, the American will be a huge star in women's tennis. Parks has won one singles and one doubles WTA title in her professional career.

Earlier this year, she reached the 3rd Round of the Australian Open in women's doubles with her partner, Oksana Kalashnikova. The pair, however, were knocked out by eventual champions Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková.

So far, Parks’ most notable performance this season has been winning her maiden singles title at the Lyon Open, beating World No. 5 Caroline Garcia in the final. She is currently ranked 40th in the world and could rise through the ranks if she is able to practice hard and maintain consistency.

Serena Williams’ former coach and former doubles World No. 1 Rennae Stubbs touted the 22-year-old for Grand Slam glory a few months ago.

#1 Sebastian Korda

Sebastian Korda has won only one ATP singles title so far, but his on-court prowess is much greater than the given numbers. At this year's Australian Open, fans and experts heaped praise on the 22-year-old following his run to the quarterfinals, during which he beat Daniil Medvedev.

Earlier, he also reached the final of the Adelaide International 1 and put up a tough fight against Novak Djokovic, before losing 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4.

Korda is currently ranked 28th in the world, and considering how he performed in Australia, we can expect a lot from him in the forthcoming months.

Edited by Akshay Saraswat