Are No. 1 Juniors Sure Things?
Thanks to tangerine, who posted a link to the Triple A Tennis post yesterday about this Tennis Week article by Dan Markowitz that explores the careers of juniors who were once No. 1s (at year end.)
He seems to think the success rate is poor, but I've given this a lot of thought, and I'm more inclined to agree with the anonymous poster who listed the last ten boys who finished number one. It's an impressive list. It may not be a guarantee, but it's the way to bet.
That said, it's still a useful article, especially when Markowitz speaks to those who have been only moderately successful. It gives a glimpse of some of the pitfalls they encountered and the regrets they have. Current top-level juniors and their parents should read those sections carefully.
4 comments:
I wonder if anyone at USTA High Performance would agree with Barry Mackay's opinion in this article?
Speaking of former top junior players, Wesley Whitehouse just beat Safin 6-1,6-4 in 2nd round of Indianapolis.
The USTA makes millions of dollars from juniors who actually think their success means something for the future. So, the would disagree as a matter of economic principal.
Marat Safin has not posted many victories at all since returning from knee surgery, so Whitehouse has a rather hollow victory.
Nothing against Whitehouse, but when Safin if "off" like he is now, many club players might even win some games on him!
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