But there's a reason he hired coach Ivan Lendl. Zverev already owns three Masters 1000 titles. Petersburg final (Zverev's third final of the year, but his first win) was the launching pad for the then 19-year-old sensation. Next Big Thing moment: If you were paying attention, Zverev's triumph against No. Still, he has an infinite capacity for work, a blazing serve and forehand, and he's improved on hard and grass courts. But Thiem has been unable to step up very effectively at the other three majors.

Were it not for the greatest clay-court player of all time, the Austrian baseliner could have as many as three French Open titles and a handful of Masters wins earned on Euroclay. Thiem's biggest problem can be summed up in two words: Rafael Nadal. Next Big Thing moment: Early in 2016, Thiem won titles, on a clay and hard court, then punched through to the semifinals at the French Open. You have to work hard so that no matter what level you bring on a given day you are able to win with it.' Dominic Thiem Paul Annacone, a Tennis Channel analyst who's been helping Fritz, told : 'Taylor has worked hard at trying to play perfect tennis, which is the wrong mindset. Is it possible to want something too much? Despite his obvious volume of talent and excellent physique (he's a lean 6-foot-4), Fritz has been hampered by his earnestness and all those comparisons to Pete Sampras. Next Big Thing moment: An 18-year-old wild card at the ATP 250 event in Memphis in 2016, Fritz upset Steve Johnson and Ricardas Berankis to become the youngest American to reach an ATP final since Michael Chang in 1988. Khachanov stuns Djokovic to win Paris Masters.Add the frequent injuries and cavalier attitude and all those rousing paeans to his talent just make you shrug. His complicated personality, as well as that unusual, hit-or-miss game, have kept him on a winding trail leading to who knows where. It became clear soon after that breakout tournament that, for all his talent, Kyrgios was not destined to take a straight and narrow path to the top. Next Big Thing moment: Kyrgios' upset of Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2014 catapulted the mercurial Aussie to stardom. Dimitrov did mount another charge in a surprisingly consistent 2017, capped by an impressive win at the ATP World Tour Finals. His breakout in 2014 was followed by a year of turmoil and regression, and it's been that way ever since. Since the day he came on to tour, Dimitrov was dubbed Baby Fed because of his smooth style, particularly in his one-handed backhand. Next Big Thing moment: In 2014, Dimitrov made the semifinals at Wimbledon and won three titles as he rose from No. Yet only three men outside the Big Four have broken through to win a major since the French Open of 2005.īecause of Khachanov's accomplishment, how about we refresh your memory with a list of those NBT players of the past five years who finally had their breakthrough moment (in chronological order)? Grigor Dimitrov The parade of 'Next Big Things' sometimes seems endless. If it sounds too good to be true, perhaps it is. Plus, Karen volleys well, and his attitude is ridiculously good.' Only 22 years old, Karen Khachanov is one of the brighest prospects on the ATP Tour. That's the difference between him and, say, Zverev. His defense is good he moves well for his size and he hits a very big ball on the forehand side. 'He deserves the label,' Craig O'Shannessy, an adviser to Djokovic and analyst for the ATP told. 11 in the rankings - and up the NBT ladder.

Khachanov is a rangy 6-foot-6 power-server whose recent wins (he also swept Moscow) vaulted him to No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Sunday's Paris Masters final established the 22-year-old Russian as the latest in an impressive list of players hailed as the 'Next Big Thing.' It's a popular pastime, finding the successors to the Big Four. Karen Khachanov's impressive win against new No.

Grigor dimitrov vs karen khachanov