Russian coach Dmitry Tursunov told Metaratings.ru what is the difference between modern men’s tennis and what it was during his playing career.

– You said that you watch men’s tennis a little, but at the current tournament you still devoted time to individual matches. And what trends, as a specialist, in men’s tennis could you highlight now? Have you caught yourself thinking that something has changed?

— There are no special changes. I would say that, to some extent, the game is moving faster. I can’t confirm this with any numbers, but there is a feeling that everyone is in better physical shape. Surprisingly, there are quite a lot of young guys who play well. It seems to me that many guys get into good physical shape very early.

Take the same Alcaraz or Rune: looking at them, it is impossible to say that they are 18-19 years old. They reach the peak of form early, so the physical component is already ready for them. Yes, they can improve it, but at the age of 18, having such physics is a huge plus. Even with gaps in experience, in tactics, they can close them with physical training. I do not remember that in my time, with the exception of Rafa Nadal, there were 18-year-old guys who came to this form so early.

– That is, tennis, roughly speaking, is getting younger?

“I don’t know how much younger he is in general. Maybe two of these guys just showed up. When I played, they finished at 34, the generation before me – at 30. Now tennis has advanced, guys can play up to 36-37 years old, and someone even up to 40. And it seems that Novak can play up to 42-45 years old if he needs it badly. There is definitely a shift in this.

And I can’t say that half of the tour is 18-year-old guys. There are not many of them. But I didn’t go into those things. This is what caught my eye.

At the end of the Australian Open, the 35-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic won.