Whether you stick with the traditional bookies or venture towards new sports betting sites, it’s invariably been the same two names that lead the way when it comes to men´s tennis in the Grand Slams.

The game has been largely dominated by Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in recent years, with one or other of the dynamic duo invariably contesting the Grand Slam finals the majority of the big finals.

There were signs in the latter months of 2016 that Djokovic was perhaps losing his aura of invincibility and his early exit at the Australian Open only confirmed the suspicion that the Serb might just be past his peak.  

The shock was that no sooner had Djokovic departed Melbourne than the newly-knighted Sir Andy Murray was also ousted.  It was all set up for one of the younger generation to stake their claim on the big stage but, despite the dominant duo being eliminated early doors, it eventually came down to a final between the veteran duo of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

It should certainly make for an intriguing season from this point forward though, with the feeling that we are finally due for, if not a total changing of the guard, at least a few new genuine contenders for the major prizes.

The Australian Open final may have featured two tennis legends, but it was the first Grand Slam final since the US Open in 2014 not to feature one of either Djokovic or Murray.  Indeed, prior to the Australian Open, 21 of the previous 25 Grand Slam finals have featured one, or both, of Djokovic and Murray.  A shake-up at the top of the game is somewhat overdue.

So where are the young contenders?  Kei Nishikori reached the US Open final in 2014 and Milos Raonic was a Wimbledon finalist last year, but even they are now 27 and 26 years old respectively.

The French Open begins in late May and the next player to make the breakthrough and reach a Grand Slam final could be the 23 year-old Austrian, Dominic Thiem.

Thiem was a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2016 (losing to eventual champion Djokovic) and, with clay being his favourite surface, the current world ranked no. 8 could be a great each-way shot at 25/1 with Coral for the title.