To say that Alexander Zverev is not your average 21-year-old is quite the understatement. Already the winner of more than $15 million in prizemoney, the world No. 4 has also collected 10 ATP titles – the biggest of them all, the ATP Finals in November 2018, was achieved with back-to-back victories over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
For all those heights a coming of age at a Grand Slam event still beckons – will that occur for the young German at AO2019?
Certainly there are positive signs, after some impressive tests of Zverev’s maturity at Melbourne Park.
Following a five-set win over the dangerous Jeremy Chardy in the second round, the No. 4 seed managed a difficult third-round assignment against home favourite Alex Bolt in a Rod Laver Arena night match.
It takes the exciting Sascha into new territory, with a fourth-round match-up with Milos Raonic marking the first time he’s progressed so far at the Australian Open.
It follows Zverev’s pre-tournament declaration to simply soak in the positives as he targets new heights in his career.
“I just want to enjoy being here. I just want to enjoy playing as much as I can,” he insisted. “I just want to enjoy playing in the biggest stadiums, playing in the biggest matches.”
MORE: Matches to watch - Tom Tebbutt's Day 8 crystal ball
They don’t come much bigger than the one against former No.3 Miles Raonic. The two men are tied at one win apiece in their head-to-head record – Zverev winning on clay in Rome; Raonic triumphing in five sets on grass at Wimbledon – but have never met on a hard court.
“It's going to be a fun match,” said Zverev. “Obviously not a lot of rallies, not a lot of long points.”
While a meeting with the AO2016 semifinalist and Wimbledon runner-up would be daunting for many, Zverev carries the positive momentum of closing out his 2018 season as the only man to defeat both Federer and Djokovic at the ATP Finals.
“It gives you a lot of great confidence to beat those players, because they have a lot of great confidence, as well,” he explained. “I hope I can continue doing the things I have been doing for a while.”
Another 21-year-old, Naomi Osaka, has already experienced Grand Slam heights.
In 2018, the No.4 seed entered superstar territory when she became the first Japanese woman to lift a major trophy at the US Open. Achieved with victory over Serena Williams in the final, Osaka become the youngest champion of that event since Maria Sharapova in 2006.
Her Grand Slam form is showing no sign of waning. Having achieved only the second title at all in her short career (the other was at Indian Wells in 2018), Osaka constructed an 10-match winning streak as she progressed to the final of her next event in Tokyo.
Understandably feted as she returned to her birth nation as a Grand Slam champion, Osaka highlighted her ability to manage the potential distractions of her fast-growing fame.
Maturity is also evident in her second consecutive fourth-round run at the Australian Open. Following routine wins over Magda Linette and Tamara Zidansek, the 21-year-old withstood a three-set test over Hsieh Su-Wei in the third round.
A first Australian Open quarterfinal for Osaka requires victory on Day 8 against Anastasija Sevastova, who has progressed to this stage in Melbourne for the first time.
At age 28, the world No.12 is increasingly comfortable on a hard court at this level, as evidenced by her progression to the US Open semifinals last year.
Osaka has two wins in four matches against the experienced Latvian – most recently in the quarterfinals of Brisbane a fortnight ago, when she recovered from dropping the first set.
“That match was very tough. She's a really great player,” said Osaka. “We know each other's games quite well … I know for sure that match is going to be hard.”
A quarterfinal run in only Osaka’s fourth Australian Open brings the possibility to become the first Japanese player to become a world No.1. That milestone depends on the outcome of other matches, including the Monday blockbuster between current and former No.1s Simona Halep and Serena Williams.
It’s an objective that seems far from her mind. “I don't really feel that much different. A lot of people ask me about, like, how I feel after the US Open,” said Osaka when asked earlier at this event about her mindset as a top seed.
“For me, it feels like a fresh start. I'm just really excited every time I play a match.”