10 ATP tennis prodigies who were tipped to become superstars — where are they now?

Some were tipped to become world No. 1. Others were already beating Grand Slam champions before they were old enough to buy a drink. A few actually became the superstars everyone predicted. For others, the hype became a burden they could never escape.

From Carlos Alcaraz and Grigor Dimitrov to Nick Kyrgios, Bernard Tomic and Donald Young, these are 10 ATP prodigies who once looked destined for greatness — and where they ended up.

From Grand Slam champions and former world No. 1s to players whose careers were disrupted by injuries or inconsistency, these are 10 former ATP tennis prodigies — and what happened to them after the hype.

One of the most recognizable names in this ranking and one of the current leaders of the ATP Tour, Carlos Alcaraz has already gone far beyond the expectations placed on him as a teenager. The Spaniard has won seven Grand Slam titles and became only the fifth man to complete the Career Grand Slam, joining Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. At just 22, he also became the youngest man to achieve the feat.

Alcaraz first reached No. 1 in the ATP rankings at 19 years and four months, becoming the youngest player in history to occupy the top spot. He has also won eight Masters 1000 titles and 26 trophies overall, while spending 66 weeks at No. 1 — already 13th on the all-time list.

With a long career still ahead of him, potentially another decade at the highest level, the biggest question is now how far Alcaraz can take his career and whether he can eventually challenge the historical records established by the Big Three. His ceiling remains difficult to define, although his physical durability could become the biggest obstacle after several significant injuries despite being only 23.

Once regarded as one of the brightest young talents in men's tennis, Bernard Tomic appeared destined for a much bigger career. The Australian won the 2008 Australian Open boys' singles title and became the youngest Australian to win a Grand Slam junior title at the time. He also made his ATP breakthrough remarkably early, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2011 at just 18.

Tomic reached a career-high No. 17 in 2016 and won four ATP titles, but his development stalled as his consistency, motivation and physical preparation became recurring questions. He eventually dropped far down the rankings and spent several years competing primarily on the Challenger circuit.

Recently, however, the 33-year-old has produced signs of a late-career resurgence. Tomic won the Lincoln Challenger, returned to the top 150 for the first time since 2019 and recorded his biggest victory since 2018 by defeating Karen Khachanov in the Los Cabos round of 16. He will now attempt to return to a Grand Slam main draw at the US Open for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open, although he must first come through qualifying.

Nick Kyrgios was one of the most hyped teenagers of his generation, combining a huge serve, spectacular shot-making and an unconventional style that immediately made him one of tennis' most intriguing young players. He announced himself at Wimbledon in 2014, defeating Rafael Nadal at just 19 before reaching the quarter-finals.

Victories over members of the Big Three, along with sporadic wins against other leading players, only strengthened the belief that Kyrgios could eventually challenge for the biggest titles. He enjoyed a resurgence in 2022, reaching his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon before losing to Novak Djokovic, but injuries began to become a recurring problem toward the end of that season.

After undergoing several surgeries, the former world No. 13 has repeatedly attempted to return, only for further physical problems to interrupt his progress. Now 30, Kyrgios appears increasingly close to retirement, with sporadic appearances often followed by new setbacks that have prevented him from maintaining a competitive rhythm. He built a respectable career with several memorable moments, but never consistently reached the level his extraordinary talent suggested was possible.

Ernests Gulbis was another player whose talent generated enormous expectations during his early years. The Latvian was a highly regarded junior and quickly established himself on the ATP Tour with an aggressive game built around powerful groundstrokes and an attacking mentality.

Gulbis reached his career-high ranking of No. 10 in 2014, the same season in which he produced his greatest Grand Slam run by reaching the French Open semi-finals. He defeated Roger Federer in the quarter-finals before losing to Novak Djokovic, briefly appearing to have established himself among the world's elite.

However, he was unable to sustain that level. Gulbis won six ATP titles throughout his career, all at the ATP 250 level, while also producing several deep runs at Masters 1000 events, including seven quarter-final appearances and one semi-final between 2008 and 2015. He reached No. 10 and recorded 19 victories against top-10 opponents, but never established himself as a consistent member of the elite.

Grigor Dimitrov was one of the most highly regarded young players in tennis long before establishing himself on the ATP Tour. The Bulgarian won the Wimbledon boys' singles title in 2008 and followed it by claiming the US Open junior title later that year, finishing the season as the world's No. 1 junior. His talent and one-handed backhand quickly earned him the nickname “Baby Federer.”

Dimitrov made his Grand Slam main-draw debut at the 2009 US Open and won his first ATP title in 2013. His breakthrough came in 2014, when he reached the Wimbledon semi-finals at just 23 and climbed into the world's top 10 for the first time. He eventually reached No. 3 and produced the defining season of his career in 2017, winning the ATP Finals and finishing the year inside the top three.

After several years hovering around the top 30, Dimitrov produced another significant rise in 2023, reaching the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters and the final of the Paris Masters. He returned to the top 10 in 2024 after reaching the Miami Open final. His career appeared to be entering another strong phase when he suffered a painful injury at Wimbledon 2025 while leading Jannik Sinner by two sets in the fourth round. Sinner eventually went on to win the title.

Dimitrov's story still has chapters left to be written. At 35, he has returned to the court and continued to show the talent that made him one of tennis' most celebrated prospects nearly two decades ago. He reached the fourth round of Wimbledon again this year, recording notable victories over players such as Jakub Mensik and Matteo Berrettini before losing to Arthur Fery. He now heads toward the US Open qualifying draw seeking a return to the top 100 and the main draw at Flushing Meadows.

Jerzy Janowicz emerged as one of the most intriguing young players on the ATP Tour after making a spectacular run at the 2012 Paris Masters. The Polish player arrived at the tournament ranked outside the top 60 and defeated several established opponents, including Andy Murray and Janko Tipsarevic, before reaching the final.

That breakthrough came after a promising junior career, with Janowicz reaching the boys' singles final at the 2008 US Open. His enormous serve and aggressive baseline game quickly made him one of the most dangerous young players in the sport, and his Paris run propelled him into the top 30 at just 22.

Janowicz reached a career-high No. 14 in 2013 and made the Wimbledon semi-finals that same year, defeating several seeded opponents along the way. However, injuries and inconsistency severely disrupted his progress. He never won an ATP title and eventually fell far down the rankings, leaving him as one of the clearest examples of a player whose early breakthrough suggested a much higher ceiling.

At just nine years old, he appeared on the cover of Tennis Magazine in France with the headline suggesting he could become the country's next great player. His junior career reinforced that reputation: Gasquet won the 2002 French Open boys' singles title at 15 and finished that year as the world's No. 1 junior.

His transition to professional tennis was equally impressive. Gasquet became the youngest player to win an ATP main-draw match when he defeated Franco Squillari in Monte Carlo in 2002, aged just 15. He won his first ATP title in 2005 and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2007, entering the top 10 for the first time at 21.

Gasquet ultimately built a remarkable career, winning 16 ATP titles and reaching No. 7 in the world. However, he never reached a Grand Slam final, despite possessing one of the most celebrated one-handed backhands of his generation. As a junior, he was expected to become the best player in the world. While he never reached the very top, he remained consistently among the elite for years, compiling more than 600 ATP-level wins — 26th on the all-time list — and 110 weeks inside the top 10.

Chung won the Australian Open boys' singles title in 2013 and later claimed the Next Gen ATP Finals title in 2017, finishing that season inside the top 60. His breakthrough on the biggest stage came just two months later at the 2018 Australian Open.

Ranked No. 58 at the time, he defeated Alexander Zverev and six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic before reaching the semi-finals in Melbourne. His run was eventually stopped by a foot injury against Roger Federer, but the tournament appeared to mark the beginning of something much bigger.

Instead, the Australian Open proved to be both the high point and the beginning of a frustrating period. Persistent foot problems kept Chung away from competition for long stretches, preventing him from building the momentum required to establish himself among the elite. He reached a career-high No. 19 later in 2018, but could never build on it.

Several comeback attempts followed, including a return to the tour in 2023, but injuries continued to interrupt his career. Now 30, Chung continues to compete mainly at Challenger level and sits around No. 575 in the ATP rankings. His recent highlights include winning an M25 title in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, in May 2026.

Few players on this list have come closer to matching their teenage hype than Gael Monfils. The Frenchman had an extraordinary junior season in 2004, winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon boys' singles titles while finishing the year as the world's No. 1 junior. His athleticism and spectacular style made him an obvious candidate to become one of the leading players of his generation.

Monfils never won a Grand Slam, but he built a career that has lasted for more than two decades, reached No. 6 in the world and produced 13 ATP titles while remaining one of the most recognizable figures on tour.

He reached the top 10 in 2008, made two Grand Slam semi-finals and reached three Masters 1000 finals. Now approaching his 40th birthday, the Frenchman is preparing for retirement and will play his final US Open main draw. He will leave the sport as a historic veteran, having also become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title when he defeated Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in Auckland in 2024.

Long before Donald Young became a professional tennis player, the expectations surrounding him were already enormous. At 16, he became the youngest player to finish a season as the ITF junior world No. 1, having won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon boys' singles titles. American tennis immediately began looking at him as a potential successor to the country's established stars.

The problem was that the results never arrived at the same pace on the ATP Tour. As the Big Three era began to dominate men's tennis, American fans continued to wait for the next major star to emerge. Young eventually found a level of consistency that took him to No. 38 in the world in 2012, but his best Grand Slam result came five years later, when he reached the fourth round of the US Open.

Young also enjoyed some notable success in doubles, reaching the 2017 French Open men's doubles final and the 2024 US Open mixed doubles final alongside Taylor Townsend. However, he never won an ATP-level title in singles or doubles, leaving his professional career well short of the expectations created by his extraordinary junior achievements.

After retiring from professional tennis, Young has turned his attention to pickleball, beginning a new chapter in another racket sport. His transition offers a fittingly unusual ending to the career of a player who was once considered one of the biggest prospects in American tennis.

1. Carlos Alcaraz — 10/10 Exceeded expectations

2. Grigor Dimitrov — 8/10 Mostly lived up to them

3. Richard Gasquet — 7.5/10 Excellent career, but below the original expectations

4. Gael Monfils — 7/10 Long, spectacular career but no Slam

5. Ernests Gulbis — 6/10 Briefly reached the predicted level

6. Chung Hyeon — 5/10 Injuries prevented the verdict

7. Nick Kyrgios — 5/10 Extraordinary talent, limited consistency

8. Bernard Tomic — 4/10 Never sustained his early trajectory

9. Jerzy Janowicz — 3/10 Early explosion, career derailed

10. Donald Young — 2/10 Junior achievements never translated to the ATP Tour