It is now time to catch up with our Top 5 players to watch in 2021. Nine months after predicting continued success for these players, they have not disappointed. All of them have continued to rise in the rankings, some more than others. As our staple veterans continue to dip in the rankings, and the new order at the top becomes Medvedev, Rublev, Berrettini, and Zverev, these youngsters will continue to knock on the door of the top 10. Let’s look at how they’re doing.

5. Jannik Sinner

It is no surprise Sinner is the biggest mover of the bunch. He has quickly risen to #14 in the world and continued winning results may very well earn him a year-end top 10 ranking. The ATP finals may be out of reach this year, but they will surely be in the cards next year. So far this year, his best results were winning Washington DC and reaching the Miami Open finals.

2020 Year-end Rank: #37
2021 Current Rank: #14

4. Alex De Minaur

Out of all these players, De Minaur has moved up the least in the rankings. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. He continues to knock on the door of the top 20 and has posted some good results so far this year. He won in Turkey and reached the semis at Queens Club and the finals at Eastbourne.

2020 Year-end Rank: #23
2021 Current Rank: #21

3. Casper Ruud

Besides Sinner, Casper Ruud has been the biggest mover. As predicted, Casper’s consistency on the tour has allowed him to break into the top 10. In 2021 Casper has been busy being consistent. He hasn’t had a breakout at a Grand Slam but has played the smaller tournaments very well. He won three ATP tournaments in a row, taking titles in Sweden, Switzerland, and Austria after Wimbledon. He also won Geneva. That’s four tournaments in all for Casper. Not a bad haul as he sets his sights on London.

2020 Year-end Rank: #27
2021 Current Rank: #10

2. Ugo Humbert

Many were expecting more from Ugo Humbert this year. He’s had some disappointing appearances at Grand Slams, but that’s because he had to face Nick Kyrgios in two of the four Grand Slams. In both those occasions, Kyrgios took out Humbert early on. It hasn’t all been disappointment though, as he managed to win Halle in the summer, taking out some heavy hitters such as Rublev and Zverev in the process.

2020 Year-end Rank: #30
2021 Current Rank: #26

1. Cristian Garin

Cristian has been another steady riser in the rankings, as he now sits at world number 17. He hasn’t been as successful as some of the other players on this list, and he did not perform as well during the clay-court season as expected. However, he managed to win his home title in Chile and achieved back to back round of 16 appearances at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

2020 Year-end Rank: #22
2021 Current Rank: #17

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