The big guns in tennis may still sit comfortably near the top of the men’s game, but the last few weeks have proved that some fresh faces are ready to challenge them.  Two of the more promising candidates for taking on that challenge are Kei Nishikori and Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Nishikori showed plenty of talent early in his career.  His offensive style, built around his aggressive forehand, earned him the honor of being named the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2008.  Unfortunately, a right elbow injury in the following season derailed his hopes of building on his early success.  Nishikori has managed to turn things around over the last two years, however, and he currently resides around the top 20. Couple that upward trajectory with the added grit and patience that new coach Michael Chang has added to his game, and Nishikori looks like a player who could be poised for bigger and better things as the season progresses.

Before Miami, the Japanese star already had booked a solid fourth-round showing at the Australian Open and successfully defended his Memphis title.  But it is what he has done this week at the Sony Open that appears to bode so well for his future.  In the fourth round, Nishikori defeated David Ferrer – one of the most dogged competitors in the sport – by securing two tightly-contested tiebreak sets and saving four match points. 

He backed up that win with an even more stunning victory over Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.  Nishikori was able to use his exceptional foot speed, aggressive returns, and high-spinning forehands to put the Swiss in uncomfortable positions throughout the three-set encounter.  But the most impressive element of his defeat over Federer was the way he held his nerve.  Nishikori came from a set and a break down, showing more resolve in the biggest moments than did Federer.  He will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to ultimately win the Sony Open title, but he still should reap plenty of positives from his run in Miami.

As great as Nishikori has been, though, he is not the only player who is starting to look more like a contender than a pretender.  Alexandr Dolgopolov, who also started brightly before taking a tumble in the rankings, has seen a resurgence in 2014.  The Ukrainian began his revival in February, when he reached the final of the Rio Open and semifinals in Acapulco.  Dolgopolov took the confidence gained from those two events into Indian Wells, where he stunned defending champion and top seed Rafael Nadal in the third round.  The victory was made all the more impressive with the way he backed it up by reaching the semifinals, where he lost to Federer. 

Even more encouraging on the heels of Dolgopolov’s performance at Indian Wells is the way he appears to have managed new expectations at the Sony Open.  He launched a run to the Miami quarterfinals, where he was eventually stopped by Tomas Berdych.

Fans should hope that Dolgopolov can continue to manage these expectations and maintain his upward trend, for he is a joy to watch.  As one commentator noted, he tends to spend more time up in the air than on the court when executing his shots.  His footwork is not the most precise, but he is able to cover the court with exceptional speed and agility.  Dolgopolov also possesses a certain flair for the game and frequently plays with a kind of wild abandon.  It is a style that is exciting to watch, although it might partially account for his inconsistency over the last few years.  Recent results, however, suggest that Dolgopolov has found a way to harness his unique brand of tennis and turn it into something that will make him a threat for titles on a more regular basis.

Only time will tell if these past few weeks are a flash in the pan for Nishikori and Dolgopolov. If they mark just the beginning of something promising for these two talented players, tennis will be all the richer for it.  Their intriguing and engaging styles of play would be a breath of fresh air for the men’s game.