It’s been a long time since Australia last had a male grand slam champion. It has been 13 years in fact since Lleyton Hewitt won Wimbledon in 2002.
Since then, there have been three male Australian grand slam finalists, three more semi finalists and nine more quarter finalists.
Hardly figures to be proud of for Australia, a country that prides itself on its sporting achievements and dedication.
Australia has over the past century excelled at many international sports. Tennis is no exception. Since the turn of the 20th century, Australia has produced 73 male grand slam wins from 16 different athletes.
The golden period of this was the 26 years between 1950 and 1976. Male Australian athletes won 62 out of the possible 104 grand slams held in that period. That accounts to 60 per cent of all slams in that time being conquered by an Aussie.
Since 1981 though there has only been five male winners out of 153 grand slams. That accounts to a meagre 3 per cent of all slams.
Most of those five trophies came in the most recent period of Australian tennis success in the late 1990s to early 2000s, when the likes of Pat Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis were in their prime.
These dismal figures although will not last much longer if the current group of talented individuals from our shores lives up to the high expectations set for them.
The average age of Australia’s current top ten male tennis players is a little under 24, with some of the most promising talent still in their late teens or early twenties.
The central figures who I am talking about are of course the ever more popular Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis as well as Bernard Tomic.
Nick Kyrgios has seemed to bring new life to the game of tennis in Australia after his recent quarter-final appearances in the Australian open and most Wimbledon.
His abrasive and exuberant appearance – his earring, slimline Mohawk, eyebrow slits, gold chain – combined with his youthful attitude have led many people to point fingers and moan about the young star, calling him as a “show pony”.
He is considered to be the cream of the crop of Australia’s next generation.
Becoming the first player since Roger Federer, arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, to reach two quarter-final appearances by the age of nineteen is no small feat.
Thanasi Kokkinakis is the other bright youngster who has recently entered the realm of professional tennis.
After achieving runner-up in two junior grand slam titles and conjuring up strong showings in successive Australian Opens, there is plenty of expectation surrounding Kokkinakis.
Is Australian male tennis entering a new golden era? With the amount of talent at hand, it is only a matter of time before our next grand slam champion appears.
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