Generational tussles create new intrigue on ATP tour, say players

WATCH: Grigor Dimitrov emerged victorious in one of the ATP's increasing number of generational clashes in Monte Carlo.

The tussle between younger and older players is making this an exciting period in the men's game, say David Goffin and Félix Auger-Aliassime.

While the season began with Novak Djokovic ranked No. 1 and a resurgent Rafael Nadal winning the Australian Open, first-time winners—including 18-year-old Miami Open champ Carlos Alcaraz—have captured recent Masters events. According to Goffin, there is likely to be more.

"There is a bit of everything. The generation [around] 25, 26 years old, [Andrey] Rublev, [Matteo] Berrettini, Daniil [Medvedev] are now in the Top 10 solidly, and then there is the younger generation with [Jannik] Sinner, Alcaraz, that are not far from Top 10," he said this week while competing in Monaco. "All this is very exciting. And the big three are still there.

"You saw Rafa in the beginning of the year. Novak is the same. It's a bit special right now, but when he will feel good he can win many matches, and so it's very exciting what will happen between the best players of all time and the younger ones."

The 31-year-old Belgian, a former runner-up at the ATP Finals, insists he can still be among them.

"I think I can really bother them," said Goffin, a former No. 7 who has been frequently injured but recently won the ATP 250 event in Morocco. "If I'm fresh and confident with a bit of luck also and being audacious, I can do good things."

The 21-year-old Auger-Aliassime also says there is a larger group at the top these days.

"There's about 20 players who already won big titles," he said. "Only Daniil won a Grand Slam [the 2021 US Open], but many other players won big titles, and I believe there will be maybe eight or 10 players that will be able to win big tournaments a bit more than before."

Ranked a career-high No. 9, he recently won his first ATP title at Rotterdam and is aiming to likewise contend for those big events. "I hope in the future that I will be able to become a player who has an important place on the tour," said the Canadian.

And more competition makes consistency more important, Auger-Aliassime adds, saying, ''Sometimes there are difficult moments, other times it goes better. So those who will be able to bounce back will be the best ones."

Auger-Aliassime is currently the youngest player in the Top 10 in the rankings.