Age is just a number for these 30 plus champions

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'Age is just a number', a old saying has a say. And going by this years' Wimbledon line up for men, this statement seems to be true. For the first time in the history of the ATP rankings, which date to the early 1970s, the men's sitting at No. 1-5 are all 30 or older. Half of the 32 seeds at Wimbledon, which started on Monday, are older than 30. Four others are 29.

Seven times champion Roger Federer turns 36 years old this August and his fierce rival Rafal Nadal turns 31. With Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic both hitting the thirty this year and seeded at three in the ATP Stan Wawrinka is 32, Wimbledon senior championship has truly lived up to its name. Although Wawrinka suffered a shocking defeat in the first round yesterday, its good to see the others making it to round two.

So why is that there is a sea change shift on the court. Various factors attribute to this dramatic shift. With advanced training, scientific conditioning and wealth of experience, 30s are the new 20s in the sport.There are instances in the history of Wimbledon when teens like Boris Becker or Rafal Nadal became champions and grabbed the top positions much before they could actually get a legal driving license. A decade ago, the top players older than 30 were 22nd-ranked Spaniard Carlos Moya and 29th-ranked -Argentine Agustin Calleri.

ATP ranking

1 Andy Murray (30)

2 Novak Djokovic (30)

3 Stan Wawrinka (32)

4 Rafael Nadal (31)

5 Roger Federer (35)

Brad Gilbert, who quit playing in 1995 at 34, ancient by early 90s standards, to coach Andre Agassi, says, "You see it in every sport now, athletes playing longer and playing better at older ages."

Renowned tennis coach Nick Bollettieri believes players are sticking around longer due to the benefits of age - experience and increased strength - and improved training methods. "Back in the 80s, 90s, when I trained (Andre) Agassi, (Jim) Courier, I was training a lot of teenagers. They would mature by the late teens to 20, 21," says Bollettieri, who has coached the who's who of tennis, including Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, the Williams sisters and Boris Becker. "Majority of young ones today struggle on the pro tour because it is difficult mentally and physically. That's why you see a lot of players maturing from the mid 20s to late 20s... even the 30s, making it tougher for youngsters to break through."

Now this being the case, the world is waiting to see who is in the line to catch up the Big 5 group eventually? Below we take a look at some of the young players who could cause put up a tough fight.

Dominic Thiem (Austria) Age 23, ranked 8

With his single-handed backhand, Austria's Dominic Thiem boasts one of the best shots in men's tennis, and another impressive clay court season saw him emerge as the only person to beat Nadal on his beloved red dust this year.

Alexander Zverev (Germany) Age 20, ranked 12

Zverev's swashbuckling game has already seen him tipped as a future Grand Slam champion and he comes into Wimbledon with some pedigree, having won three tour titles this year.

Denis Shapovalov (Canada) Age 18, ranked 164

Wimbledon junior champion Denis Shapovalov sneaked into the main draw with a wild card, but is undoubtedly a promising talent.

Borna Coric (Croatia) Age 20, ranked 42

Having reached a career-high 33 in the world in 2015 Coric is one of several young players who have been tipped for great things but have found the next step tricky.

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