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The history of tennis is filled to the brim with the stories of teenage phenoms - youngsters showing unlimited potential and raising hopes of record-shattering careers. But the path of a teen prodigy can be slippery; while some go on to achieve incredible things on the pro circuit, there are just as many who are unable to live up to the expectations.
The reasons vary widely - from injury and mental burnout, to personal matters. But as cautious as the fans are advised to be, it's hard not to get all excited when a youngster shows the game and maturity that seem to scream 'future superstar' out loud.
In recent years, Naomi Osaka has gone from teen-to-watch-out-for to multiple Grand Slam winning champ. Iga Swiatek burst on to the scene like a breath of fresh Polish air at the 2020 French Open. And Coco Gauff has shown incredible poise and maturity since her breakthrough a few years ago, even as she awaits the age-eligibility rules to be lifted so that she can play a more robust schedule.
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On the men's side, Jannik Sinner, already a two-time ATP titlist, is the youngest player in the top 100 and will likely top most polls for future ATP superstar. Lorenzo Mussetti, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune are the other teens being touted as potential men's champions in the making.
But for the moment, it is the women who are making bigger waves. And even as the tennis world has been busy following the return of Roger Federer in Doha this week, over on the other side of the Atlantic an 18-year-old Dane has made her first major mark on the WTA tour in emphatic fashion.
Clara Tauson claimed her first WTA singles title at the Open 6eme Sens Metropole de Lyon on Sunday. While it's not uncommon for an 18-year-old to win a WTA title, it is the manner in which the Dane won the Lyon event that has caught everyone's attention.
Clara Tauson, a junior Slam champion and World No. 1 making the transition to the big leagues
Clara Tauson is not an entirely unknown commodity among dedicated tennis buffs. She won the 2019 Australian Open junior singles title, and also went on to top the ITF junior rankings.
Tauson won her first pro title on the lower-tier ITF circuit at the age of 14, and added six more by 18. She has already played 10 matches for Denmark in the Fed Cup (Billie Jean King Cup), posting a respectable 5-5 record.
The Dane's first significant run on the pro circuit was when she won three matches to qualify for the French Open last year. In her Grand Slam main draw debut, Tauson upset Jennifer Brady, who had reached the US Open semis a few weeks earlier, before going down to Danielle Collins in the second.
Clara Tauson has added two more ITF titles to her kitty in 2021. But it was in Lyon this past week that she achieved her big breakthrough.
Clara Tauson wins 7 matches in a row without dropping a set to claim maiden WTA singles title
Clara Tauson won two matches in qualifying to enter the Lyon main draw. She then upset top seed and World No. 33 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round, before going on to beat a trio of experienced WTA pros - Timea Babos, Camilla Giorgi and Paula Badosa - to reach the final.
Facing another qualifier in Swiss Viktorija Golubic there, Clara Tauson won her 7th match in a row in straight sets to win the WTA Lyon title.
The Dane plays tennis with an attacking mindset. While countrywoman Caroline Wozniacki used a less-sexy but equally-effective counterpunching style to reach the top, Clara Tauson's game is built around offense. And the woman herself claims that being proactive is her go-to mantra not only on the court, but in life overall.
"I don't like to be too passive, letting the other person decide," Clara Tauson told Tennis Now in an interview earlier this week. "I want to be the one deciding everything. Everything in my life I want to be the one deciding what I do."
Clara Tauson likes to mix things up on the court as well. She occasionally attacks the net to complement her big serve and powerful groundstrokes, and sometimes throws in drop shots too.
"So it's always been like this and I always had a love for going to the net and doing drop shots and all that," Clara Tauson added. "I think it's really fun, so the way I have gotten inside [the court during] my matches this week has been really nice."
For her efforts in Lyon, Clara Tauson has broken into the top 100 of the WTA rankings (No. 96) this week. That makes her the second youngest player in the world's top 100, behind Coco Gauff.
Clara Tauson's rise is no accident, and in fact is the result of years of hard work. Both her parents were professional athletes, and her uncle Michael Tauson also competed on the ATP tour. And she has been training at the academy of former World No. 1 Justine Henin in recent years.
While there's no certainty that Clara Tauson will go on to reach the top 10 or win a Grand Slam in the future, she certainly has the right foundation for a bright career.
When the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams eventually retire, the fans will be looking for new superstars to fill the void. Clara Tauson has shown with her exploits in Lyon that she could one day occupy a spot in that coveted upper echelon. And that hope is enough for tennis junkies right now.
