[Greco]

we had teens winning slams and retiring before 25.... now we hav3 players like keys and Paolini playing best tennis at the end of 20s

 

[TS]

"Famously formerly a 16 year old" is probably the best headline I've ever seen.

 

[WilliamsOhanian]

Ngl, even though we’ve had teenage slam champions in the past, It would still feel wierd to me if that happened today lol.

....we've had three of 'em in the past six years, though?

 

[maloofhoof]

....we've had three of 'em in the past six years, though?

Andreescu, Swiatek, Raducanu and Gauff

 

[Thirdserve]

....we've had three of 'em in the past six years, though?

No I mean actual 15 year olds.

 

[WilliamsOhanian]

Andreescu, Swiatek, Raducanu and Gauff

Good catch! For whatever reason, I mentally place Gauff a year older than she is. Thought she won that US Open at 20, not 19.

 

[palttoonnappi]

Beside the other reasons mentioned in the thread, I wonder if the lower level tournament points changes of the past few years have also had an effect on how quickly players can rise to top100 ("normal" talented kids, not Mirra/Coco level)

 

[Giorgiboy]

When the WTA initiated all of these age restrictions it did impact the development of many young players. I am not saying they did not have valid reasons for doing so, there were injuries and some young players (i.e. Capriati) had personal issues that may have been prompted by the "too much, too soon" scenario. Other juniorst might have progressed more quickly in their careers had they not been limited by the number of tournaments they could enter.

So it's been quite a while since we have seen the top 100 filled with a bunch of teenagers. This isn't the 80s anymore and unless the rules are changed again, we probably won't have a bunch of high school age kids in the late rounds of GS events. I think for some the age restrictions helped, both physically it prevented injuries and for others it assisted in their mental health. Even those who have reached the age where they can play a full schedule often mention the pressures they feel and now with social media part of everyday life they have to deal with that as well.

Another thing that has changed is the type of tennis we see at the peak levels. Could a 14 year old baseliner play against a 26 year old on a hardcourt and possibly lose in less than forty minutes. Sure it could happen. Even in today's game we are seeing some lopsided score lines, I am not saying that only a teenager faces that possibility. What I am saying is there would probably be more of these kinds of results if we went back to the days when teenagers filled the draws and players retired at the age of 30. Now we have players taking time off to start a family and then come back, and re-start their careers, that's a great thing. I know Goolagong came back after having a baby but she was one of few, now it seems like it's a possibility for many players to do just that.

It's nice to have a teen ager in the top 100, I think it's best for the game, and the players themselves, to keep the rules regarding age in place. I am sure there are many posters that will disagree with me but, hey, that's one of the reasons why we have TF.

 

[EveLangElCoup]

I place the blame on Errani!

She's taken her role seriously!

 

[pattyclijsters]

what i wonder, as i do never see young tennis players. with the game getting more athletic... haven't the girls/young women also become more athletic? isn't it that we as humans mature earlier and earlier?

the gap widens?

 

[EveLangElCoup]

what i wonder, as i do never see young tennis players. with the game getting more athletic... haven't the girls/young women also become more athletic? isn't it that we as humans mature earlier and earlier?

the gap widens?

What do you mean by mature earlier and earlier?

If you're talking physically I don't think anything has changed.

If you're talking mentally, well then I think it depends which aspect of mentality you're talking about.

People are exposed to thousands more sources of information than they were 20 years ago so that likely has a large impact on them.

 

[pattyclijsters]

If you're talking physically I don't think anything has changed.

i actually had this in mind, solely from having heard that girls are entering puberty earlier than before. therefore their brains also enter a different state earlier so it is not so easy to separate body from mind...

 

[zack]

Since she's the player of the moment, Bencic won the Canada Master in 2015 and then made the top 10 the next year. It was absolutely normal for good players (not only the greats) to have a breakthrough at 18-20 until like yesterday.

 

[tonyparkes606]

Hingis and Capriiati was burnt out by the age of 22 In todays game you have many 1st time GS winners at the age of 25 or over plus a lot of players are still playing top tennis in there mid 30s

 

[Tennisfoc]

Now in top 10.

Youngest in top 100

 

[maloofhoof]

Joint is close to making top 100 but Mirra remains the only teen in the top 100 atm

 

[Ishkur]

It helps that she's already 5'11".

The game is bigger and more physical now. Teenagers can still succeed, but that's if they grow up early.

 

[Ishkur]

When the WTA initiated all of these age restrictions it did impact the development of many young players. I am not saying they did not have valid reasons for doing so, there were injuries and some young players (i.e. Capriati) had personal issues that may have been prompted by the "too much, too soon" scenario. Other juniorst might have progressed more quickly in their careers had they not been limited by the number of tournaments they could enter.

Because it's borderline exploitation or even "pimping". Not just tennis, but gymnastics, swimming, figure skating, etc. have all implemented restrictions for teen prodigies so they don't go pro at 13, peak at 15, and are completely wasted and burnt out by 18, and succumb to drugs or worse while their handlers make off with the spoils. Hell, Capriati even did that, but she cleaned herself up later and had a much better and more stable second career.

The film industry has the same laws regarding child actors. It's not a bad policy. Yes they are talented kids with amazing gifts, but you gotta let kids be kids. It is absolutely unfair to push these girls this hard, this early, and this much, at the expense of everything else in their lives. They are not robots, they are human beings and they feel the pressure to succeed far more these days now that they can be in contact with millions of people. From a pure psychological perspective, giving them a normal life -- going to school, hanging out with friends -- will pay more dividends in their athletic career than spending every waking hour hitting balls like a slave to the game.

Look at all the mental health cases that have come out in recent years. Even when given a balanced work-life schedule, they still crack under pressure and need sabbaticals.

The regulations and controls are so these girls (or whoever is in control of them) don't destroy their lives. We have child labor laws, age of consent laws, and laws against children doing adult things for a reason. Applying the same laws to sports is not a weird idea.

 

[Giorgiboy]

Because it's borderline exploitation or even "pimping". Not just tennis, but gymnastics, swimming, figure skating, etc. have all implemented restrictions for teen prodigies so they don't go pro at 13, peak at 15, and are completely wasted and burnt out by 18, and succumb to drugs or worse while their handlers make off with the spoils. Hell, Capriati even did that, but she cleaned herself up later and had a much better and more stable second career.

The film industry has the same laws regarding child actors. It's not a bad policy. Yes they are talented kids with amazing gifts, but you gotta let kids be kids. It is absolutely unfair to push these girls this hard, this early, and this much, at the expense of everything else in their lives. They are not robots, they are human beings and they feel the pressure to succeed far more these days now that they can be in contact with millions of people. From a pure psychological perspective, giving them a normal life -- going to school, hanging out with friends -- will pay more dividends in their athletic career than spending every waking hour hitting balls like a slave to the game.

Look at all the mental health cases that have come out in recent years. Even when given a balanced work-life schedule, they still crack under pressure and need sabbaticals.

The regulations and controls are so these girls (or whoever is in control of them) don't destroy their lives. We have child labor laws, age of consent laws, and laws against children doing adult things for a reason. Applying the same laws to sports is not a weird idea.

Well I do see your point, but there have been players that managed to avoid those pit falls, Monica Seles is an example of a young player that did well only to have a deranged psycho shorten her career. Capriati had her issues, as did a number of teens. I thought many had family issues, like Lucic and Dokic. But to say it's "borderline exploitation or even "pimping", I don't see it quite that way. At some point in their lives these players showed an interest in the sport, and they had early success. I don't know if they would have had that success had they waited till they were in their early 20s.

 

[KCatty]

Field of good/proper players are very wide today, that's why
Deep field is not a myth...

As for why this could happen, the game has become more physically demanding, and the tour increasingly requires a high level of fitness, mental resilience, and consistency. These factors might favor more experienced players who have developed their physical and mental game over years of competition.

Improvements in sports science, recovery techniques, and fitness have allowed players to prolong their careers. This means older players are staying competitive for longer, which reduces opportunities for younger players to break into the top 100. WTA has become highly competitive, with a deeper pool of skilled players. This means it's harder for teenagers to make an immediate impact or maintain consistency required to stay in the top 100. Young players might take longer to develop both physically and mentally. The WTA tour is rigorous, and the transition from juniors to the professional level can be tough, especially without the necessary support structures.

Agree with all of this, and would add that players and coaches have access to so much more data about themselves and their opponents as well as video of players, making scouting and coaching much more accessible.