Dubai: Germany’s top player Philipp Kohlschreiber is hopeful that the next generation of players will raise the profile and usher in a new phase for tennis.
Tipping teen and fellow German Alexander Zverev as one of the new breed of youngsters who can make an impact over the next decade or so, Kohlschreiber affirmed that the current top supermen of tennis are on the wane.
“I think he [Zverev] also comes at a great time in men’s tennis. The top four guys are not getting any younger. Novak, Roger and maybe Murray are still dominating the game but in a few years from now, there will be nobody that strong, at least not as strong as these guys. Or at this moment, I don’t see anyone,” Kohlschreiber observed.
“So everybody else, younger than 24, will have very good prospects of not having such really strong players at No. 1 to No. 4. Rafa [Nadal] is struggling a little bit now, but he was a huge success on clay. Every time you faced him, you knew the chances of you going out of the tournament were really high. This is changing in tennis now, so there are more chances to achieve may be better results because you are not facing these four superheroes,” the 32-year-old added.
Kohlschreiber, drawn to play wild card Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan in their first-round match, is hoping he can maintain a consistent level for the rest of his career. “I think to play a wild card in this strong tournament is good. But obviously, he deserved a wild card - he is close to 100. On the other side, it can be a bit tricky and I have to make sure I do not take it too easy. I have to play good tennis to beat him and that’s my goal,” the German said.
With the best years of his career well past him, Kohlschreiber was hopeful that youngsters such as Zverev would carry the tennis flag for Germany. “I am over 30 now and my time is over. But Zverev is a very young talented guy, he loves tennis and he is a great character. We practise quite a lot together. You know at this age, he is 18, he is hitting with great force already. So I think he has a very good future ahead of him,” Kohlschreiber noted, adding: “I hope he stays healthy with the same attitude on the court and I think then he will have a great future.”