STUCK IN THE SHADOWS: PLAYERS WHO NEVER SEIZED THE THRONE

Since losing his third major final in January this year, it's been a horrid period for Alexander Zverev.(Getty/Clive Brunskill)

Tennis players born in the 1990s are some of the unluckiest in history.

They burst onto the scene as the Big 3 were still dominating, and thought they would get their chance as they aged.

Dominic Thiem won the US Open in 2020, and Daniil Medvedev in 2021. Apart from those two occasions though, players born in the decade have struggled to make a mark in the major tournaments.

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Alexander Zverev is now 27 and has lost his first three major finals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has been unable to come away victorious in two championship matches at Roland Garros and Melbourne Park.

Medvedev has lost five Grand Slam finals.

Andrey Rublev has also failed to make it past the quarter-finals at any major tournament.

These players have so far produced terrific careers.

Zverev, in particular, is dubbed by many as the 'best player to never win a major'. The world No.2 is a multiple Masters 1000 champion, an ATP Finals winner and an Olympic gold medalist.

But he, alongside Tsitsipas, who has also been incredibly consistent for the best part of half a decade, has been unable to go that extra mile and capture a major.

The incredible longevity of the Big 3 has played a massive role in this phenomenon. But it’s also due to the Next Gen showing up and overtaking them.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the key examples of this.

Although the Spaniard didn’t need to face any of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic for his first Slam win, he did for his second and fourth, defeating Djokovic to dethrone him in back-to-back Wimbledon finals in 2023 and 2024.

Sinner knocked out Serbian legend on his way to claiming the Australian Open title the following season.

Medvedev was also able to achieve a victory over Djokovic in a tournament final for his lone major win in New York, but has also lost a total of five Grand Slam championship matches to Djokovic and Nadal.

So the question is: Has their window of opportunity passed?

Alcaraz looks to be the favourite on both clay and hard courts. Sinner has won his last 21 matches at major tournaments on hard court.

With the likes of Arthur Fils and João Fonseca rapidly improving, chances of the players born in the 1990s winning again, and having to potentially beat two or three of these upcoming stars, are dwindling.

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