Meet the Tennis World's New Generation of Stars

Photography by Pierre-Ange Carlotti

Styling and Casting by Jennifer Eymère

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the sport of tennis has been met with a significant increase in interest, finding devoted fans from younger generations both on and off the courts. Part of this surge can be credited to the sport slowly diversifying, rebranding its reputation as an activity reserved for a privileged few. It’s thanks to players like Serena and Venus Williams, who represented for an entire generation a new image of what a tennis player looks like, as well as who is skilled enough to be number one. Furthering tennis’s new age is the sport’s bridge with the preppy fashion aesthetics that have resonated with the masses.

With this revival comes a new wave of tennis stars who are quickly climbing the ranks and are already leaving a lasting legacy. Like the iconic stars John McEnroe and Arthur Asher before them, these young athletes are at the top of their game, breaking their own records as they become the fresh faces to watch for a new generation of enthusiasts.

If there is any word to describe Alexander Zverev’s playing style, it’s delicious. Defeating top seeds such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Daniil Medvedev, the 26-year-old German tennis player consecutively finished in the world’s Top Ten from 2017 to 2021. Off the court, Zverev is a philanthropist, and founded the Alexander Zverev Foundation in 2022, which provides aid for children with diabetes in developing countries.

STYLED BY Paul Hameline
GROOMING Brigitte Fresnel

One of Canada’s most highly-ranked male tennis players, 23-year-old Félix Auger-Aliassime has already come a long way since turning pro in 2017. His career skyrocketed to new heights after he ended his 2022 season ranked sixth in the world, which made him the second-highest-ranked Canadian man in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings history.

For Stefanos Tsitsipas, tennis is more than a game—it’s his life. The Greek player was first introduced to the sport when he was three years old, training under his tennis coach father and inheriting his penchant for the sport from his mother, herself a former professional player in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). To date, the 25-year-old has won 10 ATP singles matches, and has been ranked as high as number three in the world, which marks him as the highest-ranked Greek player in history.

At 25, Frances Tiafoe has already broken barriers. In 2022 he became the first Black American man since Arthur Ashe to reach the US Open semifinals, and the first American man to reach the semifinals since 2006. The son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, Tiafoe began training at five at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland, where his father worked as the onsite custodian. He is now one of the most elite male tennis players in the ATP, ranked tenth in the world.

Though he’s only 20, Danish star Holger Rune has had a quick ascent up the tennis ladder, currently ranked fourth internationally. He started playing the sport when he was six years old, and his breakout moment in the professional tennis world came when he beat 21-time Grand Slam singles winner Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Paris Masters.