Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov have made their presence felt this year even as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer resumed their domination.

“It’s uncommon for the tallest tennis players to look relaxed as they tread the baseline. The big man, in most cases, does not want to rally; he wants to crack the big serve, to hammer a putaway forehand, and to pray for good fortune in the return game. Zverev stands 6.5 feet tall, but he moves across the court with an ease and willingness usually reserved for those with much smaller frames,” The Ringer wrote about the 20-year old Zverev.

Men’s tennis has aged significantly -- in 1997 the average age of the top 10 players were 24 but now the average has peaked to 28. Many feel that Zverev’s rise can challenge the status quo after the 36-year-old Federer and the 31-year-old Nadal dominated men’s tennis in 2017.

Zverev clinched his second title in February this year at Montepellier before defeating Novak Djokovic at the Rome Masters in May to become the first player to win a Masters 1000 title.

Zverev’s star was on the rise when in November he qualified for his maiden ATP Finals and rose to Number 3 in the rankings. The German had an inconsistent 2017 but he made a last 16 appearance at Wimbledon.

Grigor Dimitrov became the first player player outside of the Big Four to win the ATP World Tour Finals since 1998. Photo: AFP File

Dimitrov’s splendid early years saw him being heralded as an heir to Federer’s throne. While he is still to win a major title, the Bulgarian has bagged three titles which included a maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. The big title however came when Dimitrov claimed the ATP World Tour Finals by beating David Goffin, who had ousted both Federer and Nadal on his way to the final.

He became the first player outside of the Big Four of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray since Nikolay Davydenko in 2009 to capture the year-ending championship.