This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s new series on the joy of tennis
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Alcaraz The future of men’s tennis, with a forehand like a Switchblade missile. Carlos Alcaraz is aged 19, ranked in the top 10, and beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on successive days in May. Born in Murcia, southern Spain, he is the least nervous teenager who didn’t go to Eton you will ever encounter. Under official ATP Tour rules, each newspaper is only allowed one “Escape from Alcaraz” headline per Grand Slam.
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Boris Becker It doesn’t matter how many titles you win as a teenager, you might still end up in the wrong kind of court, especially if you conceal ￡2.5mn during bankruptcy proceedings. “I accept you were in chaos,” the judge told Becker, now 54, in April, but “you have shown no remorse [or] humility”. The three-time Wimbledon champion was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, of which he is likely to serve half. A shame for those who enjoyed watching him on the BBC’s coverage.