No talk of shot clocks, on court-coaching, or other changes designed to “modernize” the game can do for the sport what a great rivalry can.
The sport’s pop cultural crests have always followed the outsized personalities, Shakespearean plotlines and contrasts in style of two stars locked in an epoch battle for supremacy. The names are storied. Borg and McEnroe. Edberg and Becker. Sampras and Agassi. Nadal and Federer.
Where will the next great rivalry come from in the men’s game? Based on some intriguing matchups and strong results in 2017, here are a few guesses:
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Head-to-Head: Thiem leads 4-1
Great rivalries are defined by consistent contention for the game’s top titles, and of all the Next Gen players, Thiem and Zverev seem the most poised to regularly compete deep into the biggest tournaments.