A star is born?: Michael Antonius becomes first 2010-gen player with professional victory - Four years younger than Joao Fonseca

Michael Antonius has made history in Rochester, becoming the first tennis player born in the 2010 generation to win a professional match and earn his first ATP point. The American teenager is already being touted as a future star and has officially entered the ATP Rankings.

The young player has dazzled on the Junior Tour with impressive results in USTA and ITF events. These achievements earned him an invitation to the M15 Rochester tournament, marking his professional debut. His first challenge was none other than the top seed, Leo Vithoontien (world No. 734, 25 years old).

Antonius dominated the match, advancing when his opponent retired with the score at 6-3, 4-1. In the second round, he faced qualifier Kian Vakili (world No. 2080, 21 years old) and experienced a similar outcome, winning 7-6(2), 5-2, ret. Antonius swiftly reached his first professional tournament quarterfinal and will now face the 5th seed, Alexander Bernard.

Just one year ago—in February 2024—at only 14 years old, the American claimed the title at Les Petits As. This is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the Junior Tour, boasting champions like Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Kim Clijsters, and Bianca Andreescu among its notable winners.

Antonius is currently the world No. 70 on the Junior Tour, making him the top player of his generation. He's now the first from his generation to secure a professional win, and he's already on a two-match winning streak, still competing.

For comparison, Antonius is seven years younger than Carlos Alcaraz (born 2003) and four years younger than Joao Fonseca (born 2006), or two years younger than Diego Dedura (born 2008), who secured his first professional win a couple of months ago against Denis Shapovalov. The American Antonius is sure to be a name to watch in the coming years, though few would have expected to see him making history for the 2010 generation so soon.