One of the attractions of each tennis season is to attend the birth of the stars of tomorrow. Although many do not achieve what they promise, many others point to part of what they will surely be. It is true that 2020 has not allowed those tennis players to be given all the necessary time, who had they played eleven months of tennis perhaps would have taken a greater leap and would have burned another stage, one that they will now try to burn in 2021. Serve ours’2020 revelations‘to target those who could make it into the top 100 – or higher – in a late 2021 season.
Yuri Rodionov
The 21-year-old Austrian left-hander already warned earlier in the season that his tennis was for much more than a slow transition or slow growth. Winning in Dallas and Morelos, and achieving the semifinals of Columbus, all three on the Challenger circuit, his two ‘flashazos’ arrived on the ATP circuit, managing to get into the main draw at Roland Garros and defeating Jeremy Chardy in first sets in five sets round.
A great moment that could be said inferior to the one he achieved a little later, in his native Austria, by beating Denis Shapovalov, in his first victory at ATP level, consolidating part of his objectives and generating great attention for the short-term future. Advised by the great Javier Frana, the Austrian was one of the five revelations of this atypical 2020 already completed at the ATP level.
Position: 144 (started the year at 327)
Emil Ruusuvuori
Although the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori ended 2020 without titles, his reality was very different, and beyond his potential, his 2020 is explained by his competitiveness week by week on the ATP circuit. His schedule, almost entirely set up in ATP tournaments, varied between previous phases and final draws, with enormously remarkable moments.
His semifinal at Nur-Sultan is obvious, but also his victories at the Marseille, US Open and Cincinnati. Given his age and his starting point, 2021 should start to give us clues to his true level. 21 years old and number 86 in the world, the Finn seeks to emulate, and why not surpass, the great Jarkko Nieminen.
Position: 86 (started the year at 121st)
Sebastian Korda
Among all our chosen for this special ‘Revelations’, Sebastian Korda is the one with the best result at ATP level. The American, son of Petr Korda, reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, an extraordinary result, losing to Rafael Nadal.
This was added to other very remarkable results, such as his third round at Eckental, where he lifted the title to end the season. In his 20s he played much more Challenger but his ranking could soon allow him to start competing regularly on the ATP circuit.
Position: 118 (started the year at 242)
Lorenzo Musetti
We reached two of the most important irruptions of the year, due to youth and talent. The first of them, from Italy, the new cradle of tennis. Lorenzo Musetti, hair and backhand with one hand, emerged as one of the most exciting emerging talents of the moment.
Not only because of the way he plays, but also because of the results. He climbed more than 200 places in the ranking, thanks to his tremendous performance in Rome (round of 16 after beating Wawrinka or Nishikori), his title in Forli, and his semifinals in ATP Sardinia, with three victories against top-100. Called to be another of the great figures of Italy, Lorenzo has already left samples of his quality in a few months.
Position: 118 (started the year at 357)
Carlos Alcaraz placeholder image
The last place at the ordinal level is for the great revelation of the season, the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz. Surely the great talent of his generation worldwide, Carlos surprised much more than his results. The way to achieve them, with an ability to overcome, a mental coolness to control the games and come back enhanced an extraordinary talent to hit the ball.
Already working physically for next year, Alcaraz reaped remarkable results: he started the year winning two ITFs, then the Trieste Challengers and final in Cordenons and later those of Barcelona and Alicante. In between, his first ATP victory, against Albert Ramos, in Rio de Janeiro.
Position: 141 (started the year at 490)
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