The 21 & Under Club: Andrey Rublev

How do you follow the Greatest Generation? It’s a question tennis has tried to answer for at least a decade. Serena, Roger, Novak, Rafa: all of them are over 30, and they’ve combined to win 75 Grand Slam singles titles—but none of them are going away quietly. When they do, who will fill their very large shoes?

As you’ll see in The 21 & Under Club, the future of tennis is still coming, and coming soon. While it may not produce a 20-Slam winner, it’s clear that the game will be in good hands. Interesting hands, too: one thing we know for sure is that this new generation of players will infuse the tours with a wide and refreshing range of styles, personalities and backgrounds. When the Greatest Generation says goodbye, we can feel good about welcoming this cast of players to the courts.

An excellent baseliner who crushes the ball off both wings with clean striking, Rublev lifted his first ATP trophy two years ago in Umag. Two months later, he forced his way into the quarterfinals of the US Open. He ended his breakout year with a runner-up finish at the Next Gen ATP Finals. A nagging lower-back stress fracture derailed the Russian’s progress in 2018 and a right wrist injury ended his clay-court season this year, but the 21-year-old’s resolve makes a strong comeback all but certain.

Read more of The 21 & Under Club