The
quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open kick off with an all-Gen Z draw,
featuring the last eight players in the tournament. All of them were born from
1995 onwards, with four of them born in 2002 or later, marking a historic first
in women's tennis.
The eight
players have an average age of 22.75 years, and half of them had never reached
the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam before. Among those with prior Grand Slam
experience are former champions
Barbora Krejcikova,
Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco
Gauff, along with Qinwen Zheng, who achieved it in the last US Open.
All-Gen Z
tennis players
Five of the
players in the quarterfinals were born in the 2000s, with the youngest being
Linda Noskova (19 years and 2 months) and
Coco Gauff (19 years and 10 months),
both born in 2004. Other contemporaries include Qinwen Zheng (21 years and 3
months) and
Marta Kostyuk (21 years and 6 months), both born in 2002. The
23-year-old Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, born in 2000, adds to the mix.
The most
experienced players are the 2021 French Open champion Krejcikova at 29 years,
followed by world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka (25 years and 9 months) and Anna
Kalinskaya (25 years and one month).
Open Draw
With
several surprises in the tournament, only four seeded players reached the
quarterfinals. Surprising upsets cleared the way for the less experienced
players, with early exits for Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and
Ons Jabeur, who were in the upper part of the draw.
Precisely
in that section, there will be a first-time Grand Slam finalist, and none of
them have reached the semifinals of a Slam before. The top contender is Qinwen
Zheng, the 12th seed in the tournament, though surprises may continue,
especially with the dazzling young star Linda Noskova, who has had an
incredible tournament, eliminating Swiatek along the way. Yastremska and
Kalinskaya will also aim to spring surprises.
The bottom
half of the main draw is, at least by ranking, much more complex. It features
three Grand Slam champions, including No. 2 Sabalenka and No. 4 Coco Gauff, who
could potentially face off in the semifinals. However, one should not discount
Barbora Krejcikova, a consistently solid player and a Slam champion.
The dark
horse seeking to surprise will be the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, who quietly
advanced through the draw and has already secured her entry into the top 30 for
the first time in her career.
