The first all Gen Z Grand Slam Quarter-Final line-up in Women's Tennis History with Australian Open quarter-finalists all born after 1995

Monday, 22 January 2024 at 23:00

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.

Bastien Fachan

@BastienFachan

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May I present to you... The first all-Gen Z Grand Slam quarterfinal line-up in women's tennis history Linda Noskova (2004) Dayana Yastremska (2000) Anna Kalinskaya (1998) Qinwen Zheng (2002) Marta Kostyuk (2002) Coco Gauff (2004) Barbora Krejcikova (1995) Aryna Sabalenka (1998)

12:38 PM · Jan 22, 2024

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

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