7 youngsters who impressed the most during the 2018 tennis season
The 2018 ATP season is over and it has been a hugely exciting one. Although all four Majors were shared among the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic), the tennis world has started showing signs of the beginning of a transition phase.
New challengers are knocking on the door louder than ever, and we get the sense that the year 2019 might give us a new Grand Slam winner - perhaps a young one.
Many young, future stars have left their mark on the big stage this year. Here are seven promising youngsters who performed well in 2018.
7. Alex De Minaur
19-year-old Aussie Alex De Minaur set an example this year for his other countrymen like Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic. He may not be as talented as either of them, but he is as dedicated as his mentor Lleyton Hewitt.
De Minaur's fighting skills on the court and his never-give-up attitude are almost unbelievable. Just like his mentor, he doesn't have too many big weapons in his artillery either. But his conviction is his biggest weapon, and with time he could develop some firepower too.
Ranking at the start of the year: 208
Ranking at the end of the year: 31
Career-best ranking: 31 (November 2018)
Win-loss index in 2018: 28-23
6. Hyeon Chung
South Korea's Hyeon Chung, who turned 22 this year, had a dream run at the Australian Open. He beat Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic with his amazing athletic abilities and never-say-die attitude, but unfortunately had to retire from the semifinal against Roger Federer because of an injury.
He later underwent surgery which forced him to stay off the tour for a major part of the year. But that wasn't before he reached his career best ranking of 19 in April of this year.
Ranking at the start of the year: 58
Ranking at the end of the year: 25
Career-best ranking: 19 (April 2018)
Win-loss index in 2018: 29-18