There is Swiatek, Gauff and company, but there are also other young players on the WTA Tour, less known, of course, but who are already on the rise. These players also represent the future of women’s tennis.

Qinwen Zheng and Marta Kostyuk are two of them. The first is Chinese, she is 20 years old and is ranked 24th in the world. The second comes from Ukraine, she has just celebrated 21 candles and is ranked 30th in the world.

Even though they have little in common other than their profession, they still share one thing that may be the envy of many female tennis players of the same age group: potential.

Together, and with other WTA players aged 22 and under, they form the “NextGen”. Read here about the “next generation” of women’s tennis champions even though they are already making their mark on the best circuit in the world.

While in Washington, the two players took the time to discuss with La Presse their ambitions, but especially women’s tennis. The narrative frame is changing and they are two important actors in the story.

At first, Zheng was hesitant to include herself in the famous “NextGen” group, even if she meets the only two criteria to be included, that is to say to be young and talented.

“I think to be there, I would have to be even better,” she said.

Zheng seemed to have forgotten that in 2022 she was still named WTA Rookie of the Year, in addition to reaching No. 19 in the world in May and also winning her first title, in Palermo, La last week.

Conversely, Kostyuk has no trouble including herself in the group of the most promising players in the world. “I’m not Carlos Alcaraz either, who wins everything and is number one,” she qualified.

Still, with a title in Austin earlier this year and a stellar performance in doubles, she understands she’s part of the new guard.

“The level is very high. The young players are very inspiring. We can learn a lot from them. Everyone has their own strengths and that’s the beauty. I hope there will be more and more different players, to mix things up a bit and make the tournaments more interesting and competitive. »

The elite of women’s tennis is dominated by athletes who are still relatively young. Half of the players in the top 10 are aged 25 and under.

Behind, however, there are other young players, less prolific, but still full of promise, like Zheng and Kostyuk. Among them are also Anastasia Potapova, Linda Fruhvirtova and Mirra Andreeva.

They don’t have the reputation of their counterparts already perched atop the leaderboard, but they’re on the right track. Comparing performance and ranking can be misleading, Kostyuk believes, because it’s all about perception.

That’s why ranking is still a good indicator of success, but it’s not everything: “It’s not to our advantage to look at it too much. It’s just a number anyway. For me, it’s more a question of feelings. »

And after all, once in the main draw of a tournament, no standings hold. It’s useful for identifying favorites, but on the pitch, when the ball is tossed through the air for the first time, only raw talent counts. The past, reputation and expectations are worthless.

“The ultimate goal is always to play at the level that I’m capable of playing at the top of my game,” Zheng recalled. And by doing it often and consistently, players are able to rise through the ranks, because it is the ability to rise in the big moments that will ultimately make the difference between a player with potential and a player with success.

Whether they’re one big title or unexpected big-tournament breakthrough away from becoming truly established players in the public eye, Zheng and Kostyuk know they can make a difference, in their own way.

Thanks to the social networks, with which they grew up, everything is seen, everything is known and everything is shared. Professional athletes are watched more than ever and the new generation seems preoccupied with the desire to lead by example.

“I don’t do anything specific to necessarily do that. I just try to be myself, and maybe some players will recognize themselves,” says the Ukrainian, followed by 232,000 subscribers on Instagram.

For the Chinese, the priority is to emulate her hero, because that’s how she learned to play tennis: “I always try to put forward a good attitude on the court. I’m not the kind of player who breaks her racquets. I want to show good manners, because I know that young people might look at me and want to copy me, like me at their age. »

While they both dream of a Grand Slam title, nothing stops Zheng and Kostyuk from aspiring to bigger goals. Like winning several, climbing the rankings or humbly becoming the female role models of tomorrow.