Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal: Who can challenge the two greats in 2018?
ROGER FEDERER and Rafael Nadal enjoyed a fantastic year on the ATP Tour.
With both claiming two Grand Slams apiece, the two tennis stars demonstrated why they aren’t past their best just yet.
Both have had time to recuperate and get ready for the new season which is just a few weeks away.
The Australian Open which gets underway on January 15 represents the first Grand Slam of the campaign.
Federer goes into the event as defending champion, having beaten Nadal earlier this year in the final in Melbourne.
But who is expected to challenge the pair this season?
Express Sport takes a close look at Federer and Nadal’s rivals and how they are getting ready for the 2018 season.
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Alexander Zverev
Zverev really burst onto the scene this year.
The German was mesmerising at times and he clinched his first Masters title in Rome after beating Novak Djokovic in the final.
He followed it up with his second Masters triumph in Montreal when he claimed the scalp of Federer.
Zverev possesses a lovely flat forehand and his composure at the net means he can improve on his No.4 ranking this year and potentially win a maiden Grand Slam title.
In terms of preparations for the 2018 season, Zverev has hit the ground running and he is now in Perth ahead of the Hopman Cup.
Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov’s confidence surely will be supremely high after his triumph at the ATP World Tour finals last month in London.
The Bulgarian has always been on the cusp of greatness, but maybe at times has lacked belief.
And the 26-year-old has been putting in some serious shifts in the gym ahead of the 2018 campaign.
Recent pictures posted on Instagram show him on the bike as well as doing lifts with a medicine ball.
You feel a Grand Slam title isn’t far away from Dimitrov, who is now ranked number three in the world.
Expect big things from him next year!
Dominic Thiem
While not as successful compared to the 2016 campaign when he won four titles, the Austrian is making a name for himself.
The 24-year-old reached the semi-finals of the French Open this year, but lost in the finals of the Madrid Open and Rome Masters.
But he has been busy at work in the off season.
He has been at a training camp for the past week or so, even getting out onto the practice courts.
If he gets it right, he’ll be one to look out for.
