Alexander Zverev's Rogers Cup win proves that he has what it takes to be the next star of men's tennis

Ignore this year’s all too familiar Grand Slam winners: men’s tennis finds itself in a transition period.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may have enjoyed success in Melbourne, Paris and London this season, but their career Indian summers cannot last forever. Meanwhile, the likes of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka are all above the age of 30 and struggling with ailing fitness and poor form.

Of the young pretenders, 20-year-old Alexander Zverev looks the best set to make the jump from exciting prospect to Grand Slam contender. And the German reinforced that opinion with a second consecutive Masters 1000 title last weekend, blitzing Federer 6-3 6-4 in the final of the Rogers Cup.

Zverev was sensational, serving well and forcing Federer into a glut of uncharacteristic errors, before giving a measured post-match press conference in which he acknowledged that he was “playing the best tennis of my life”.

But it was Federer’s court-side interview which was the more interesting. Stood in the unfamiliar position of runner-up, blinking in the sunlight, Federer warmly congratulated his younger opponent.

“Masters 1000s are extremely difficult to win, and he has won two this year,” he said, adding: “And I wish him the best for the coming months and hope he can finish the season very strong, because there are opportunities now.”

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Those opportunities include the US Open, the fourth and final Slam of the season, which promises to be one of the most competitive since the rise of the great Swiss. Zverev has never been beyond the fourth round of a major – and crashed out to Jack Sock in the second round of last year’s US Open – but most bookmakers have already instated him as the fourth favourite to win this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows.

Could he actually do it? History may not be in his favour, but his accelerated career trajectory indicates that a maiden Slam win may not be too far away. He won his first Masters title in Rome when he beat Djokovic on clay, and before his Rogers Cup win got his hands on another piece of silverware when he beat Kevin Anderson in the final of the 500-level Washington Open.

His temperament is improving, too. In he past Zverev has been criticised for his frustrating habit of throwing away eminently winnable matches – his first round loss to Fernando Verdasco at this year’s French Open being the foremost example – but his recent titles suggest he is adding a newfound mental resilience to his prodigious natural talent.

The US Open is there for the taking, but regardless of whether he can maintain his momentum through the American hardcourt season or not, Zverev has established himself as the ATP’s hottest hot prospect.

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There can of course be no guarantees that the German can enjoy anything like the long reign of Federer, who will be attempting to win his 20th Grand Slam title when he travels to New York later this month. But if Zverev can replicate his Masters 1000 form on the biggest stages of all, his first Slam triumph is not a matter of if, but when. Watch this space.