Jane Stockdale for The New York Times
WIMBLEDON, England — Tennis has its latest prodigy in Cori Gauff, the 15-year-old American who upset Venus Williams, once a wonder child herself, in the first round of Wimbledon of Monday.
This sport, more than most, has long relied on the emergence of such youngsters to drive interest and refresh itself. Tracy Austin. Bjorn Borg. Steffi Graf. Monica Seles. Boris Becker. Michael Chang. Jennifer Capriati. Martina Hingis. The Williams sisters. Maria Sharapova. Rafael Nadal.
The list is extensive, punctuated with cautionary tales. As tennis has become a more physically demanding sport, these breakout moments have been trending later.