Mailbag: Has the ATP's next generation fizzled out?

Jon Wertheim answers reader questions about equal prize money in tennis, Hawk-Eye on clay, a slump in men's tennis and more in his weekly Mailbag.

Jon Wertheim | Apr 27, 2016

Mailbag: Has the ATP's next generation fizzled out? /

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When are we going to admit men's tennis is in a slump and to be honest, one of its lowest quality in the last two decades? Men's tennis presently, as a lifelong tennis fan, is boring. Djokovic is not playing at his best but still ends up winning.Murray seems to be lacking motivation since his first child's birth. Nadal is giving it his all but quality is not there! Federer is brilliant in phases but no longer in form for Grand Slam best-of-five-set matches for seven matches. Next generation has fizzled.

Maybe it is time for the men to play with the women's balls and create a more variety and support more attacking players. Increase grass length in Wimbledon with less fuzz balls and let the game reward some power tennis attack games.
—Subhadeep from Cincinnati, Ohio

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Published Apr 27, 2016

JON WERTHEIM

Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat , sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for "60 Minutes" and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor's in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.