Throughout tennis history, Australia has always had representation in the upper echelons of the sport. One particularly intriguing aspect is the young talent that is always available.
Teen prodigies stemming from Down Under have become synonymous with exciting new prospects to the rest of the world. But is being a teen prodigy helpful or detrimental for Aussie players?
The case of the teen prodigy involves a young player who shows promise, talent, determination, but most importantly, results. Whether it be the media, coaches, or fellow players that award it, the title of teen prodigy is a label with a set of implications.
As a maturing man or woman, the teenage period is one of learning and development. The
teenage body and mind are constantly evolving.
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However, as a tennis player, the challenges of this period are amplified by being an aspiring
professional athlete. Training, competing, travelling, media, and fans are all factors that require extreme balance during what can be an extremely turbulent time for an athlete.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect is being thrust from the junior circuit into the limelight of the professional scene. This notably happens after a big win that suddenly turns a previously unknown youngster into a household name.
How a teen prodigy then deals with this transition often makes or breaks the rest of their
careers, or at least controls the trajectory of their development.
Looking back at Aussie tennis, many names come to mind when anyone thinks of a teen prodigy. One controversial example is Bernard Tomic.
At 15, he won the Australian Open junior boys’ singles title in 2008. Three years later, at 18, he made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon as a qualifier. In 2013, he won his first ATP title at the 2013 Sydney International. He reached as high as world No.17 in 2016 after advancing to the semi-finals at the Brisbane International.
The world was certain that the next big thing in tennis had arrived when witnessing the young talent and skill on the court, making a mark on majors and pushing the best players.
Unfortunately, things unraveled for Tomic. The news coming from his off-court behaviour and struggles outshone his playing on court, and his ranking and results plummeted, not to mention his turbulent relationship with his father and key figures in Australian tennis.
"The tour is very difficult," Tomic told Sportskeeda last year.
"It is very tough mentally and you are on your own travelling. When you travel from a young age for many, many years, it really can get to you mentally."
When it comes to the media's perception of Tomic’s rollercoaster journey, in 2019, Channel 9 journalist Tony Jones commented: "Bernard, pack your bags and go away. Really, you are a blot on the Australian sporting landscape."
"You’re an embarrassment to yourself, and not only to the sport but to Australian tennis,"
Rennae Stubbs once stated to the BBC.
Tomic is still competing on the Challenger and Futures circuits, looking to improve his
ranking and get back to qualifying for Grand Slams.
Another name is Nick Kyrgios, a man who has won the hearts of many fans with his story
and always attracts a crowd. Another incredibly talented and intriguing player who shocked
the tennis world with his entrance at a very young age. In 2013, he won the Australian Open
junior boys’ singles title and became the world No.1 Junior.
The next year, at 19, Kyrgios beat world No.1 Rafael Nadal in four sets to enter the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The Aussie was winning titles, applying pressure to the top players, and making the second weeks of Grand Slams. In 2016, he reached his career-high singles ranking of No.13.
Injuries and his on and off-court behaviour, earning him a 'bad-boy' status, affected his playing and the public perception of him. In 2019, due to unsportsmanlike conduct, which racked up an A$133,000 fine, he also received a 16-week suspension. This came with an A$25,000 fine and a six-month probationary period after an investigation by the ATP.
After a tumultuous rollercoaster journey with injuries and performance as well as his mental
health struggles, Kyrgios opened up to the public about his demons.
"I've almost been a beacon for people who are struggling," he said.
"When they feel like they're overwhelmed and they're going towards drinking, drugs and stuff, they open up and they feel like I'm relatable. That's been the most powerful thing in my career, people coming to me with genuine issues."
In 2022, Kyrgios won the Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis, delighting
Aussie tennis fans to help ignite his performance for the year. At Wimbledon, he further
showcased his full potential, as well as his growth and maturity, with a stunning Wimbledon
campaign where he lost in four sets to Novak Djokovic in the final.
The Aussie spoke about his career with Christopher Riley for Esquire, which offered a
glimpse into how being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age affected him.
"It was just fun," Kyrgios said.
"Like, that’s all I knew. I was having easy mac ‘n’ cheese microwave meals for dinner and
that was pretty much it. They were the days. And then I guess I kind of just transitioned.
"I was still at school when I was making quarter-finals at Wimbledon and all that type of
stuff. It was just a normal thing. I was just playing and then it kind of happened. I’ve never
wanted to change my situation."
Kyrgios is currently fighting hard at another comeback after serious injury complications
with his wrist.
As to the way the media and public regard him, this has also been a rollercoaster of both positive and negative perceptions. Recently, Kane Cornes fired shots at the Aussie on SEN
1116 radio.
"I just feel we talk about this guy too much," a fed-up Cornes said.
"Despite him being our most disappointing Australian athlete ever, he will still have a role to play because people are interested in him."
In these two stories, and the countless others that are similar, we can discern a common
denominator. Teen prodigies with immense talent are being thrown into a very adult and very
demanding professional tour. A tour that comes with pressure, expectation, and sacrifice. We
have seen time and time again that the title "teen prodigy" and everything that comes with it
harms these developing youngsters.
It poses multiple questions. Are the media, the public, and the game to blame? Is it necessary to label a maturing young teenager as the next big thing? Would it be better for our Aussie youngsters to have the opportunity to grow, mature, and develop in an environment that is more supportive regardless of expectations?
The underlying issue is that as soon as a teen prodigy slips up or isn’t quite performing as
well as we want them to, perception changes. Fast.
The 'next big thing' becomes disrespectful and ungrateful, leading to the possibility of media and public ostracisation, combined with the pressure and mental load of being a teenager and a professional athlete pushing prodigies to engage in negative behaviours on and off the court.
Currently, Australian tennis has a strong crop of young stars looking to break through and
make a name for themselves on the professional tours.
18-year-old Maya Joint has just broken into the top-100, with a current ranking of No.85 after an incredible start to the season. 16-year-old Cruz Hewitt stunned last week with his impressive six-match win streak from qualifying to finish runner-up at the ITF M25 Launceston event. Not to mention a whole legion of juniors, such as siblings Emerson and Hayden Jones, at the height of the ITF junior tours.
Is there a way to protect our young teen prodigies to help them develop and mature as both humans and athletes? Perhaps the term "teen prodigy" is one we could throw away. Or at least the stigma, expectation, and overall pressure that comes with it.
Maybe it is the responsibility of the tennis world, media, and fans to be more empathetic to the fact that these are still children and teenagers when being so critical of their careers.
And then, just maybe, we will consistently see a smoother transition of happier, healthier Aussie teen prodigies progressing from junior to senior tennis.
Play USA Tennis Pathways supports athletes who want to go down the college pathway, assisting players to get recruited to a college that meets their academic and athletic goals. If you are a player, parent, or coach and are interested in the college pathway in the United States, contact Lachlan Puyol at playusatennispathways@gmail.com
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