Shifting the Power in Pro Tennis

An exciting age is approaching in professional tennis. All time great Roger Federer,28, is nearing that age when tennis players decline. While he is still playing dominant tennis at times, his competition is finally showing they can take him down.

The biggest and most recent example of this is Federer's stunning defeat at the hands of Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S Open. The 21 year old Argentinian, who often makes it look like he is running around with a fly swatter rather than a tennis racket, showed his potential to be a major factor in tennis for years to come. Del Potro simply overpowered both Rafael Nadal and Federer, bludgeoning the ball at obscene angles and speeds not often seen even at the highest of levels. By beating the world's #2 and #1 players in quick succession, del Potro rose to the top 5. It doesn't seem like he will stop there.

Del Potro isn't the only one to make waves though. Nadal has already showed flashes of dominance and temporarily dethroned Federer from the #1 spot. Unfortunately his punishing physical style seems to already have left him with the knees of a 40 year old. Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open and repeatedly made appearances in Grand Slam finals and semifinals. His go for broke approach to the game is high risk high reward. As he gains experience he'll learn to better pick his spots and be even more dangerous than he is now.

Players like these will make tennis intriguing long after old man Federer leaves the game. All it takes is a look at the top 5. No player (other than Federer) is even past the age of 23. Nadal(23), Djokovic(22), Andy Murray(22), and del Potro(21) round out the top 5. The extraordinary youth of these players, combined with their prime skill sets promises a constant struggle for position amongst tennis's elite level players.