A US Open that had been mourning the absence of the old greats has turned out to be the launchpad for teenagers.
Leading the way have been the pair who have burst into the men's and women's quarter finals, Spain's Carlo Alcaraz and Canada's Leylah Fernandez. On Monday night Emma Raducanu had the chance to join their number as she tackled America's Shelby Rogers.
While Rafael Nadal was winning a golf tournament back in Mallorca this weekend, 18 year-old Alcaraz was powering his way into the last eight with a five-set win over Germany's Peter Gojowczyk.
Rising British star Emma Raducanu has enjoyed a stunning run at her first US Open
The likes of Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams slipped further into the sub-conscious when Fernandez, who only turned 19 on Monday, beat former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber.
They have contributed to making the first half of this event one of the best weeks of tennis in living memory.
Alcaraz began the fortnight by knocking out Britain's Cam Norrie with a performance of startling quality. Both he and Fernandez have gone on to beat the third seeds in their events, Stefanos Tsitsipas and women's defending champion Naomi Osaka.
The Spaniard hails from Murcia in the country's South East, and will naturally exact comparisons with Nadal.
This is something of a ball and chain, as pointed out by his mentor, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Briefly world number one before Nadal and Federer made it to the top, Ferrero tries to downplay any parallels.
Carlos Alcaraz powered his way into the last eight with a five-set win over Peter Gojowczyk
There are, infact, many differences. Alcaraz plays right handed and is a slighter figure than his compatriot. He plays more aggressively, hits the ball flatter and has clearly spent more time on hard courts at this stage of his development. He is extremely quick with a seriously big forehand, and one thing that is definitely reminiscent of Nadal is the intense focus he brings to every point.
Alcaraz now faces Felix Auger-Aliassime, another key figure from the unlikely tennis boom that has been seen in Canada.
Like him, the
