From sports activities to music to movie, there have been lofty expectations set on younger stars for generations. Whereas some can face up to the pressures positioned upon them, others have fallen in need of the lofty stage that followers, the media, coaches, and even themselves have greater than doubtless unfairly set for them.
Though the next checklist of people have made it to a better stage within the tennis world than most people who find themselves studying this piece, and have doubtlessly reached the highest ten or received a few titles, the very fact is that as a society we have a tendency to evaluate success within the sports activities world based mostly on wins and championships greater than anything, particularly on the subject of a person sport like tennis.
Donald Younger
As soon as dubbed as the subsequent American tennis prodigy, Donald Younger was ranked the primary junior on the planet in 2005, nevertheless after transferring on to the skilled circuit his profession has been marked by inconsistency and unmet potential. With zero profession titles and his greatest exhibiting coming within the 2011 US Open, Younger’s high rating would max out at #39.
Bernard Tomic
Bursting onto the scene with a flamboyant model and spectacular shot-making, Australia’s Bernard Tomic’s profession was hindered by angle issues and off-court controversies. Though he would win a pair of junior Grand Slam titles, the Australian and U.S. Open, he couldn’t match the identical outcomes as an expert. And simply as accountable playing requires one to make knowledgeable choices, keep in management, and concentrate on potential pitfalls, Tomic’s decisions on and off the courtroom contributed to his downfall and failure to satisfy the expectations.
Andrea Jaeger
As soon as the youngest participant to achieve a Grand Slam closing, Andrea Jaeger’s profession was minimize brief by accidents and burnout. At simply fourteen years outdated, Jaeger had the tennis world speaking as she competed and received each junior and pro-level tennis tournaments. Two years later the Chicago-born tennis star was the world’s second-ranked feminine tennis participant. Regardless of early success, she failed to satisfy her potential, admitting that she by no means needed to change into a top-ranked tennis star and would throw some matches on function. Simply 5 years after beginning her profession, Jaeger would retire on the age of 19, leaving followers questioning what may have been.
Nicolas Almagro
Heralded as the subsequent nice Spanish tennis participant, Almagro’s profession was hampered by inconsistency and an absence of psychological fortitude in essential moments. Regardless of possessing a robust sport, particularly his 210km serve backhand groundstroke, alongside together with his athleticism he by no means managed to interrupt by means of to the higher echelons of the game on a constant foundation.
Ryan Harrison
Touted as a rising star in American tennis because the age of two, Ryan Harrison struggled to take care of consistency and didn’t make vital strides in his profession. Earlier than he was capable of legally get his driver’s license, Harrison was ranked as a high ten junior and had received an ATP match towards the then-ranked a hundred and thirtieth participant on the planet on the 2008 U.S. Males’s Clay Court docket Championships. Regardless of flashes of brilliance, he by no means managed to interrupt into the higher ranks of the ATP tour, reaching as excessive as fortieth in 2017.
Sloane Stephens
It’s onerous to name a participant who defeated the feminine tennis G.O.A.T. Serena Williams within the 2013 Australian Open and a U.S. Open champion somebody who failed to satisfy expectations. Nevertheless, after her breakthrough victory in 2017, Stephens’ profession failed to achieve the heights many anticipated. Inconsistency, strain from media and followers along with struggles with accidents has hindered her progress, stopping her from establishing herself as a dominant power in girls’s tennis.
Jelena Dokic
As soon as ranked as excessive as World No. 4, Yugoslavia’s Jelena Dokic’s profession was suffering from private points and struggles together with her psychological well being. Together with her expertise evident at an early age, Dokic shortly rose to prominence and have become the youngest Australian semi-finalist in 2000 on the age of 17. Whereas she would attain as excessive as fourth on the planet rankings, Dokic’s profession was derailed primarily by her abusive relationship together with her father and dangerous recommendation from her coach.
Grigor Dimitrov
Generally known as “Child Federer” early in his profession attributable to his elegant enjoying model, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov didn’t dwell as much as the unfair comparability, which set the bar excessive for a number of Grand Slam titles and high rating. Because the top-ranked junior on the planet due to a pair of 2008 titles on the Wimbledon Championships and US Open, Dimitrov has not been capable of mirror that success as an expert. Regardless of periodic flashes of brilliance, he struggled with consistency and didn’t make a major influence on the Grand Slam stage, leaving many disenchanted together with his profession trajectory.
Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios possesses immense expertise and shot-making skill, however his profession has been marred by controversies, lack of self-discipline, and inconsistency. Regardless of defeating a number of the high gamers on the planet together with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, Kyrgios has didn’t make a deep run in Grand Slam tournaments and fulfill the expectations positioned upon him. Whereas his flamboyant strategy and outbursts have made him a spotlight reel favourite, it’s all for the fallacious causes.
Eugenie Bouchard
Eugenie Bouchard’s profession peaked in 2014 when she turned the primary Canadian-born participant to advance to a Grand Slam singles championship match, reaching the Wimbledon closing and changing into the World No. 5. Nevertheless, since then, her kind has declined considerably attributable to numerous components, together with accidents, teaching modifications, and lack of confidence. Bouchard has struggled to regain her momentum and dwell as much as the expectations set early in her profession.