KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Frances Tiafoe was eating a chicken and rice lunch in the player cafeteria overlooking the stadium court at Crandon Park a few days ago. He had one eye on the television, where Michael Mmoh closed out his upset of Miami Open No. 12 seed Roberto Bautista Agut.
"I screamed right there in the eating area when he won," Tiafoe said later, admitting he practically leaped out of his shoes. "I was just so happy for him. I'm really happy with all the stuff we [young Americans] are doing. It's only going to help each other."
Mmoh lost his next match, against No. 19 seed Hyeon Chung, a Korean who is part of the same generation as Tiafoe and Mmoh. All three belong to an impressive fleet of players traveling under the #NextgenATP banner, a group whose best players are slashing their way through the rankings. And they're doing it free from the traditional constraints of nationality and enmity.
"It does seem like something special is happening," Tiafoe said Tuesday, after losing to No. 6 seed Kevin Anderson. (Tiafoe had to bounce back to play after finishing off a rain-interrupted match with Tomas Berdych.) "It seems that each and every week someone is breaking through. It's coming in a massive wave."
Call it a tsunami that threatens to wash away the established ATP pecking order.
Thirteen players between the ages of 18 (Denis Shapovalov) and 23 (Kyle Edmund) and won at least one match at this Miami Open. This is a generation that has already spawned two certified stars in 20-year-old world No. 5 Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios, 22. They have a lot of backup, too, as others in the cohort are capturing the imagination and allegiance of legions of fans mourning the tribulations of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.
"Come on, Shapo!" rang out repeatedly on the stadium court in Miami on this bright, blustery afternoon on Key Biscayne. Shapovalov caught on quickly and orchestrated a few lusty ovations as he battled for his competitive life but ultimately lost a very close battle with Borna Coric. Did we mention Coric, too, is part of this #Nextgen group, although at 21 he's something of a tribal elder.
Not even Roger Federer is safe from these hellions; Zverev already has two wins over the all-time Grand Slam singles champ. And Federer has stumbled in recent weeks, losing consecutive third-set tiebreakers in Indian Wells and Miami.
But the men with the most cause for worry is that clutch of 25-and-over veterans whose aspirations have turned into a reservoir of frustration behind the dam created by Federer and his Big Four cronies.
"They are very big threat, for sure. A guy like [Hyeon] Chung, he's coming," said John Isner, who easily beat Chung on Wednesday. "His ranking hasn't even caught up with the results he's had this year. He's only going to go up. Very good chance he gets to the top 10 somewhat soon. These guys are good, and it's a good thing for the sport."
The numbers compiled thus far in 2018 by some in this crew are impressive. Chung did not win his 18th match of last year until the US Open. He's already 18-6 this year. Tiafoe was 7-17 last year at this time. When he upset Berdych here, his record on the main tour this year improved to 10-4.
Last year at this time, Shapovalov was ranked No. 194. He finished 12-13 on the main tour. In 2018? So far, he's 11-9. Coric already has 14 wins this year, a number he didn't hit in 2017 until the French Open.
These aborning stars are mostly lumped together under that #Nextgen family, but they aren't as identical as sardines in a can. They represent the full gamut of styles, from the muscular baselining of Chung to the electric, slashing, rocket-serving of budding rivals Kyrgios and Zverev.
As Tiafoe said, "We all play different styles of games, and we have different personalities. Everyone is figuring out who they are, both as players and as people."
Most remarkable, perhaps, is the camaraderie and shared vision of many in this group.
"It is not just about the publicity," Chung said. "I think we really are good friends. We can be friends and rivals, like Federer and Nadal. It feels like the same kind of thing."
It may be premature, but Chung is on the right path. He's made the quarterfinals or better in six consecutive events.
"There are definitely a lot more chances with the big guys out," Coric said. "I was in the quarterfinals with a ranking of No. 36, playing a guy whose ranking is close to mine. It's not so often that we get to play against each other at such a late stage."
It appears that no solid top-10 or top-20 player is safe, yet some of the most endangered ones don't feel overly threatened. Milos Raonic is just rounding back into form following a spate of injuries. Some have suggested the game is leaving behind the former Wimbledon finalist, and he's only 27 years old.
"I don't really feel pressure from this generation," Raonic said. "You see these guys, but you don't respect a player any differently because of his age. You try to play who they are that day, not who they're going to be in the future."
The problem for Raonic and others in his own generational class is that "who they are" these day just keeps getting better and better.
