5 male tennis players who are showing no signs of slowing down in their 30s ft. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic
Even as the men's game is now witnessing an influx of some exciting new talent, the veterans continue to make themselves counted by refusing to slow down despite their advancing years.
While some of these stalwarts still manage to compete with the young brigade and make it to the latter stages of big tournaments, a few remain way ahead of the younger lot as they continue to rewrite the record books.
Let's take a look at 5 phenomenal performers who continue to draw in the crowds and help make the game more entertaining and competitive despite being on the wrong side of 30.
#5. Roberto Bautista-Agut
Roberto Bautista-Agut may not have had the best of seasons thus far but did guide Spain to the final of the ATP Cup earlier this year.
A rain-induced break helped Casper Ruud get past the 2019 Wimbledon semifinalist during the course of their Canadian Open encounter in Montreal recently.
Ruud reigns supreme 💪
@CasperRuud98 survives a 6-7(4) 7-6(4) 6-4 Montreal marathon with Bautista Agut to reach the QFs!
#OBN22 https://t.co/LWWioFChCh
After a couple of close tie breaks in the first two sets, the French Open finalist came into his own in the third to register his first-ever win against the Spaniard in three outings.
Bautista-Agut defeated Ruud earlier this year at the ATP Cup where the he helped Spain make the finals with a win over Hubert Hurkacz of Poland. In late 2019, the Spaniard steered his country all the way to a win at the Davis Cup.
The 34-year-old recently won the Kitzbuhel 2022 title, beating Filip Misolic in the final.
Choosing tennis over soccer was a tough choice for Bautista-Agut, who was good in both, but his fans will be more than pleased that the former World No. 9 chose to wield the racquet even as he continues to pack a punch with his ever-reliable forehand strokes.
#4. Gael Monfils
Gael Monfils' many admirers may well be dismayed after the Frenchman had to retire midway through his Round of 16 clash against Jack Draper at the Canadian Open.
The 35-year-old made his way to the quarterfinals of the 2022 Australian Open after getting past the likes of Alexander Bublik, Cristian Garin and Miomir Kecmanovic. Monfils' dream run in Melbourne was shaped by a title win at the Adelaide International where he triumphed without dropping a set.
For a player who reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros in 2008, Monfils' entry into the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year is a testament to his longevity and talent.
You got to love monfils... Great entertainer, one of the most fun guys to watch and he's also a really good person #allezlamonf
The Paris-born tennis star became the 11th active player to reach 500 singles wins on the ATP tour when he got past Alex de Minaur at the 2021 Western and Southern Open after an indifferent season in 2020.
Monfils' ability to entertain remains intact despite his age and the Frenchman will be looking to return to action at the earliest so as to end the season on a high.
#3. Marin Cilic
Marin Cilic reached a historic semifinal at Roland Garros earlier this year, which saw him become the fifth active player (after Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray) to achieve the rare distinction.
#BREAKING World number two Daniil Medvedev knocked out of French Open by Marin Cilic https://t.co/PqmWSmk1Hg
After ousting World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, the 33-year-old played out an epic marathon French Open quarterfinal against Andrey Rublev that lasted over four hours and required a super tie-break in the decider.
The 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (10/2) win involved 33 aces from the 2014 US Open champion who first broke into the top-10 in 2010 and continues to find a place in the top-20 of the ATP rankings 12 years later.
After a troubled 2013 where he failed a drug test, the Croatian stormed back to win the US Open a year later under the tutelage of Goran Ivanisevic but lost to Federer in the 2017 Wimbledon final.
The Swiss maestro again defeated Cilic in the final of the 2018 Australian Open but not before the Croatian got past an injured Nadal, who was trailing in the decider with the score at 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 2-0.
Cilic is now all set to compete at the Cincinnati Masters, a tournament he won in 2016 when he got the better of Murray in the final.
#2. Novak Djokovic
Despite grappling with off-court controversies revolving around his vaccination status, Novak Djokovic has shown that age is just a number via his on-court exploits.
A title win at the Italian Open that came in the aftermath of not being allowed to play at the Australian Open and the early-season North American hard-court swing displayed the enormous resilience of the Serb.
Notwithstanding a devastating loss to Nadal in the quarterfinals of the French Open, Djokovic went on to show his class at Wimbledon, where he won his 21st Grand Slam title.
The Serbinator has been unstoppable in the recent past. A win over Nadal in the semifinals of the 2021 French Open en route to a title at Roland Garros, which followed a title triumph at the Australian Open, set him up for a sixth Wimbledon title last year.
Despite a loss to Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2021 US Open, the Serb was poised for greater success before the fallout from his decision to remain unvaccinated.
#1. Rafael Nadal
With 22 Grand Slam titles to his name and the possibility of more to come, Rafael Nadal currently stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field. That said, the Spaniard's claim to fame has more to do than just the magnificent numbers.
The circumstances under which the 36-year-old battled pain and injury prior to the 2022 French Open and also during the course of the tournament en route to reigning supreme at Roland Garros were nothing short of inspiring.
After winning 20 matches on the trot earlier this season, Nadal lost to Taylor Fritz in the Indian Wells Open final. He announced soon after that he would be out of action for four to six weeks with what was diagnosed to be a stress fracture of the ribs.
Nine days before the start of the French Open, Nadal aggravated a foot injury while playing against Denis Shapovalov in Rome - a condition that was to persist throughout the tournament.
Battling pain and refusing to retire despite requests from his father who was watching from the stands, Nadal overcame Fritz in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon but was forced to withdraw ahead of the semifinals.
@RafaelNadal will return to action next week in Cincinnati, his first tournament since an abdominal injury sidelined him at Wimbledon.
NO. 1 WITHIN REACH... 👀
🇪🇸 @RafaelNadal will return to action next week in Cincinnati, his first tournament since an abdominal injury sidelined him at Wimbledon.
If he wins the title (and Daniil Medvedev doesn't reach the quarterfinals), Nadal will return to No. 1. 💥
Nadal's hunger for records and title wins remains undiminished even as age continues to catch up while avid fans wait to see how he fares after yet another comeback at the Cincinnati Masters.