Teenage Tennis Players with the Best Chance to Become Grand Slam Champions

Teenage Tennis Players with the Best Chance to Become Grand Slam Champions

Teenage Grand Slam champions went out of style with Johnny Mac (John McEnroe) short shorts. These days, 30-somethings and players in their late 20s dominate Grand Slams and the top 10 in men's and women's tennis.

Winners of the 2016 U.S. Open, Stan Wawrinka, 31, and Angelique Kerber, 28, are playing their best tennis late in their careers. So when discussing teen phenoms, it's about prospects with potential.

Which of today's teens have the talent and tools to one day win a Grand Slam?

Could American Taylor Fritz be another Juan Martin del Potro? Is Borna Coric the next Novak Djokovic? Will Switzerland's Belinda Bencic one day hoist as many major trophies as her compatriot Martina Hingis? Could Naomi Osaka surpass Kei Nishikori as Japan's best hope of winning a Grand Slam? 

This list includes players under age 20, with the prowess and promise to one day win a Grand Slam.

Simply being one of the highest-ranked teens on the ATP World Tour or WTA Tour doesn't automatically qualify a player as a future Slam winner. American Catherine Bellis is having her best year and is ranked No. 115. However, she doesn't make the list because she lacks the size and serve of what has become the prototypical Slam winner in the women's game. 

As Viv Bernstein of ESPNW wrote in 2011, teenagers no longer win titles. "In the last decade, there has been a shift in women's tennis. In the 1990s, teenagers won 15 Grand Slams on the women's side. In the 2000s, that number dropped to three. In 2001, the average age of a Grand Slam finalist was just under 21. In 2010, it was up to 27. This year, through three Slams, it's 26.5."

The same thing is happening with men. The youngsters are getting schooled by more experienced players.

So who are the quick studies? The following are teenagers with the best chance of becoming Grand Slam champions.