Hopefully!

 

No. I think the tour is far too physically gruelling for the very youngest WTA talents. The robustness a player needs now is night and day compared to 15 years ago.

I feel like the WTA is resembling the ATP in terms of players breaking through at 19-20-21. The age of the teen phenomenon is over.

 

This. The WTA with it's increased physical demands is just no longer accessible, save for a VERY rare example, one I won't hold my breath for. We saw Serena at 17, with the power and athleticism to compete with/snatch the big girls, and about 5 years later Pova. Maybe we'll get promising 17/18 year olds, but 14? Never gonna happen.

 

This..if you look at how long players spend in Juniors now it simply shows that times have changed in that regard.

 

They would have to be:

1 - Talented
2 - Physically strong (a freak of nature at that age)
3 - Have coaches/parents like Nadal who will push you to the limit

 

People say that it doesn't happen anymore because the game is too physical now, I don't know about this because it's not like we're seeing girls blossoming into amazing supremely talented players at 18-19-20 either. :shrug:

So it could just be a lack of talent really.

 

Well the world is getting more populated, the sport more popular and better facilities, so I don't see how talent supply can just suddenly stop.

 

Nope not with the age restrictions in place.

 

Physicality and age restrictions aside, girls are maturing mentally at a later rate as well. Wozniacki aside, it took Kvitova and Azarenka till 21 or so to get it together, and players like Stosur, Li, and Kerber were in their mid-20's when they made the top 10.

 

I don't think so.

 

Or how about a 15-year-old Martina Hingis beating No. 1 Graf at Rome in 1996?

Or even more impressive, a 16-year-old Monica Seles beating No. 1 Graf in the French Open final?

 

No because the WTA wouldn't allow them to play.

 

I think it would be great if there was a Vaidisova-esque player in her late teens snatching some wigs and making the top 20. Anything more than that seems unreasonable.

She would need to be somewhat gigantic with huge weapons.

Even "pushers" these days are physical beasts. I don't think we could see a young road runner make huge waves.

 

I think it would be great if there was a Vaidisova-esque player in her late teens snatching some wigs and making the top 20. Anything more than that seems unreasonable.

She would need to be somewhat gigantic with huge weapons.

Even "pushers" these days are physical beasts. I don't think we could see a young road runner make huge waves.

But then Monica at 15 was fragile physically but played so magnificently strongly against Steffi at the French. And only a couple of losses that year, really, that were bad losses. Granted, the AER's were much more flexible then, but Monica had only played in a handful of tournies. The game is more physical now, but we're just not seeing the hugely talented prodigies.

 

Martina was so fucking awesome it was surreal, saying that she's overrated is pathetic

 

Agreed since nobody rates her that high to begin with.

 

Look how old the Girls singles finalists are...
right now...
I dont think we will ever see
Martina vs Venus in a GS Finals again...
16 yo vs 17 yo...

 

I can totally see a player like Vekic beat a top 10 player next year, so she´d be 16. What I can´t see is a player having the physical and mental maturity to break into the top 20 or even top 10 at a very young age. But then LeBron probably ate PEDs with his cornflakes, when he was 12. It´s all about how far you are willing to push the envelope.