They are the children of the ’90s, long earmarked as the players most likely to knock off the established brigade from their well-worn perches.
In this year’s Brisbane International semifinals, the elder statesman of the world’s top 20, Roger Federer, was surrounded by three of them – Dominic Thiem, Bernard Tomic and Milos Raonic.
The 34-year-old Swiss was scarcely tested when reminding Thiem – a player 12 years his junior – he was not ready to hand over the reins anytime soon.
Now only 25-year-old Raonic – the same player he denied in last year’s decider – stands between him and a second straight Brisbane title, in what would be his 89th overall.
The 17-time grand slam champion is 40-3 against players born in the ’90s and holds an imposing 9-1 head-to-head record against the big-serving Canadian.
But he believes his opponent has made big improvements to his game in recent seasons and may be ready to take the next step up.
“I played some tough matches in the last, I guess 16 months or so (against Raonic),” Federer said. “I thought he played really well against me here and Indian Wells last year.
“Clearly with a serve like that things are always complicated.
“You always focus more on your own game rather than thinking too far ahead.”
Federer admitted being in the driver’s seat on serve was crucial to both. But he was not shying away from facing one of the tour’s biggest serves.
“I always embrace the challenge of playing big servers. I have a really good record against them,” he said. “I usually do a good job of getting the ball back and then finding a way. Sometimes it works and sometimes it hasn’t.
“I have no problems playing against him. Clearly I respect his game. I think he’s done a lot of progress in the past few years.”
On the road to recovery from a flu bug, the Swiss has tempered his expectations slightly this time round.
“Still, once in the finals, I clearly don’t want to lose that one,” he said.
Right foot surgery and a back injury interrupted 2015 for Raonic, with his ranking slipping outside the top 10. He still managed to capture a title in St Petersburg, his first in 14 months.
Federer ended 2015 as world No.3 having claimed a further five titles – in Dubai, Halle, Cincinnati, Istanbul and Basel – after his Brisbane triumph and finishing runner-up to world No.1 Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Encouraged by a return to the form, which took him to the final here 12 months ago, Raonic spoke of the challenge playing an in-form Federer.
“Last year’s final I managed to turn around a difficult situation being down a set and a break,” Raonic said. “I had quite a few opportunities at the beginning of the third, and he got the better of me by then. I feel like I’m a better player now, so hopefully I can change around that.
“You know what you want to do against him and what you should do. He can just make this part difficult on you.
“Each time he can come out playing in different ways and he’s able to do a lot of different things.”.
No.2 seeds Henri Kontinen of Finland and Australian John Peers will meet the all-Australian wildcard pairing of James Duckworth and Chris Guccione for the men’s doubles final.
Peers will be looking for his second straight Brisbane title after his triumph with Brit Jamie Murray last year.