Nadal, the man who slowed down a generation

The ' number one ' of ranking overwhelms young people designated as a relay of current tennis, who still do not finish taking off

Kyrgios, his last victim, only scratched him three games at end of Beijing

The question is repeated in face of uncertainty. Who will take glasses in next decade? The answer is called new generation of racket. Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, Lucas Pouille, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Kyle Edmund, Jack Sock, Borna Coric ... There are 14 new faces between 18 and 25 years and within top 60, each with its own history, some already consolidated, or too children, but all with intention of becoming relay of current tennis. His great enemy until today is being Rafa Nadal, man who postpones generational relay after 16 seasons in elite. Yesterday it was Kyrgios to succumb in final of ATP 500 of Peking before number one of world, restraining evolution of one of most exponents of ' next Gen '.

It's not just champion's fault. Almost none is yielding to level necessary to take step. The only one that has done so far is Zverev, already holder of two Masters 1000 this course. They were snatched from nothing less than Djokovic in Rome and Federer in Montreal. He is already fourth best tennis player on planet, but he has still been unable to beat Mallorcan in three confrontations.

Nadal has also erected a concrete wall with Khachanov, Sock, Rublev, Edmund, Diego Schwartzman, Ryan Harrison and Nikoloz Basilashvili, none of m ever coughed. Especially throughout 2017, it has been a martyrdom for youngest. The Russian Rublev eliminated him from his best performance in a Grand Slam in last US Open, in quarterfinals. Edmund was deprived of playing for first time a third game of a Masters 1000, and has also beaten Pouille, Coric and Kyrgios although y have been able to defeat him.

Annihilating promises

But if re is a tennis player Nadal has stopped above all, he is one of most established among young, 24-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem. Seventh of world, that of Manacor has deprived him of its first final of Grand Slam, in semi-final of last Roland Garros, of its first Masters 1000 in its only final played, in Madrid Open, and in Barcelona it from its second ATP 500 , tournament of more entity that has won. Now you will understand that for him it is a nightmare to look at picture and be matched with lefty.

There are two exceptions to unwritten rule that says a new generation tennis player has little to do with Nadal. They are Denis Shapovalov and Damir Dzumhur, youngest (18 years) and one of most veteran (25). The first one survived Nadal in eighth of Montreal, and second victory came by abandonment of Spanish in Miami. Adding to all aforementioned, Nadal has a cumulative balance of 29-9 in his favor, a sidereal gap that still separates two generations.

You're doing great, keep it up. You'll have a lot of success in this sport. "You have a great future, so go ahead," he dedicated yesterday winner of 16 grand to his last victim, wayward Kyrgios. Unable to control his temperament and entangled with judge of Silla, he embedded a blunt defeat by 6-2 and 6-1 in an hour and a half. It was Rafa's sixth title in 2017, second in Chinese capital after 2005. Now travel to Shanghai, where he will debut against ... surprise! A 20-year-old boy and top 60, American Jared Donaldson, at an unpublished crossroads. He doesn't know it yet, but he will have annihilator of promises.