In September 1991, American fan favorite Jimmy Connors took on 24-year-old compatriot Aaron Krickstein in the fourth round of the US Open. When he finally beat the odds and his opponent in a fifth-set tiebreak after a grueling four hours and 41 minutes, it was a remarkable feat. Connors was 39, an age when he was affectionately referred to as the old man of tennis. That kind of longevity has not always been a feature of men’s tennis. In fact, a couple of years ago, Connors himself said that it was unlikely to become a trend in the future. In an interview with Tennis World magazine, he said, “Too many things have to go in your way in order to play in your later thirties, especially when it comes to injuries…as you get older you find you just simply can’t compete with the younger guys.” He was referring to Roger Federer’s persistence and continued success on the tour after age 30.

And yet, a quick glance at this year’s Australian Open draw shows that Federer is not an exception. While he may be the most consistent and accomplished of all the players, he’s not the only wily veteran still sticking around, still hungry to compete with younger guys. Here’s a look at some of the others who are playing past what many might have considered to be their sell-by date, proving that in tennis, especially on the men’s side, the thirties might indeed be the new twenties.

Lleyton Hewitt

Given that this is the Aussie Open, it’s fitting to begin with Lleyton Hewitt who is playing his very last Grand Slam right here in front of his home crowd. The former Wimbledon and US Open champion and world No. 1 is 34. Twelve years ago, Hewitt, widely respected among players and fans alike for his feisty, never-say-die attitude on court, reached the final here, where he lost to Russia’s Marat Safin. This is his 20th consecutive Australian Open. Hewitt currently serves as Australia’s Davis Cup captain and is a mentor to some of the young Australian players like Bernard Tomic. As Tomic said about his opening-round match against another Aussie, “We all want Lleyton to win.” Be prepared for an emotional sendoff when he exits the tournament. Hewitt plays compatriot James Duckworth in the first round.

Tommy Haas

Making yet another comeback at this year’s Australian Open is Germany’s Tommy Haas who, at 38, is the oldest man to play singles in Melbourne since Bob Carmichael in 1979. Once hailed as the most talented young player on tour, Haas has suffered a career plagued by injuries and surgeries, the latest of which was for a torn ligament in his right foot that kept him out of the game since October 2015. But the fact that he has won the ATP Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year award twice (2004 and 2012) demonstrates his determination to bounce back. Haas, who also currently serves as director of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, has reached the semi-final in Melbourne three times, once beating Federer on the way. Recently, a tennis fan mocked the German on Twitter, tweeting, “What exactly is Tommy Haas playing at the Australian Open? Wheelchair tennis?” The most appropriate response came from Haas’s wife, Sara Foster, who said, “I think what you meant to say was ‘how inspiring that a former world No. 2 38-year-old with 15 surgeries behind him is playing…’” Haas plays Frenchman Benoit Paire in the first round.

Radek Stepanek

Another 38-year-old is the Czech veteran Radek Stepanek who, like Haas, turned pro in 1996. But unlike the German who was given a wild card into the Australian Open, Stepanek came through qualifying rounds to play in the main draw. Now ranked at 103, he is the oldest qualifier at the event since 42-year-old Mal Anderson in 1977. This is his 14th Australian Open. Known to be a shrewd tactician on court, Steps as he is sometimes known, will open against Russia’s Dmitri Tursunov who himself is 34.

Gilles Muller

This past weekend, Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller won his first ever ATP World Tour title in Sidney after playing 17 years on the tour. He is 33. Muller reached his first final in 2004. After the match, an emotional Muller lifted the trophy in front of his two young boys, and said, “I waited 13 years to win my first title.” He confessed that he was “very scared and worried” that he would never win an ATP title. His win, which goes to show that it might just never be too late, puts him in the top 30 for the first time in his career. Muller plays American Taylor Fritz in the first round.

David Ferrer

One of the men who seems to always be around is Spain’s David Ferrer. He recently said, after defeating Tomic – who is a decade younger than him – in Brisbane, “I am 34 years old, 35 next month, so I hope I will play a little bit longer.” Over the years, the former world No. 3 has proved a threat to many of the top players. His consistency and dedication have earned respect throughout the tour. Ferrer plays Aussie Omar Jasika in the first round.

Feliciano Lopez

Ferrer’s compatriot Feliciano Lopez is one of the few serve-and-volleyers left on the tour. The 35-year-old Lopez, a part-time model, has played some of his best tennis in recent years. He reached the US Open quarter-finals for the first time in 2015 at the age of 33. He is playing his 60th consecutive Grand Slam at this year’s Australian Open, a feat that easily – and unfairly – gets overshadowed by the records of players like Federer.

Fernando Verdasco

While on the subject of experienced players from Spain, we cannot forget Fernando Verdasco, who beat Rafa Nadal here a year ago in the first round. He went on to win two ATP titles last year. Verdasco, 33, has also saved some of his best tennis for later in his career. A renewed fitness regime has helped. Last week, he had five match points against Novak Djokovic in the final at Doha. Although he went on to lose that match, Djokovic paid rich tribute to his opponent: “Fernando is a very complete player on any surface. On a given day, if things go right, he can beat really anybody on any surface.” Their rematch in Melbourne is certainly the most exciting first-round encounter here and the Serb is not taking it lightly. Verdasco plays Djokovic in the first round.

Roger Federer

Leading the pack of 30-something players (which includes Philip Kolschreiber of Germany, Austria’s Jergen Melzer, Stan Wawrinka from Switzerland, and Ivan Dodig of Croatia) of course is 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. So much has been said about him that he needs no introduction here. Suffice to say that he is playing his 69th major here. After a knee surgery last year that led to a six-month interval from the game, Federer’s ranking has fallen outside the top 10 for the first time in 734 weeks. Having beaten fellow 35-year-old Jergen Melzer in round one, he will now play American qualifier Noah Rubin in round two. A little rusty from his long layoff, Federer might not be a favorite to win the title this year, but he certainly provides inspiration for all those who refuse to meekly accept that they are past their prime and continue to believe and compete against younger, fitter players.

‘Old’ man’s game?

While there is plenty of new talent on the men’s tour, the average age of players winning titles and reaching their peak seems to have gone up in recent times. The biggest stars of the game, apart from Federer and Wawrinka, are Rafa Nadal – who is surely the oldest 30-year-old in the world – and Djokovic and Andy Murray, both of whom are going to turn 30 later this year. In fact, Murray became number one for the first time at the relatively ripe age of 29 last year. Wawrinka, who won the first of his three slams at age 28, is only now a major contender at every event he plays in.

Remember the days when Boris Becker and Michael Chang won their first majors at 17? That was when most players peaked by 25, and retired when they hit 30. John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg each won their last major at 25, and Mats Wilander won all seven of his by 24.

So what has caused this transformation? Is it increased and better fitness regimens, superior equipment, star coaches, or a combination of all of these factors? Perhaps we can attribute much of it to the players’ hunger and desire to keep playing and winning. Perhaps each veteran’s success spurs on the rest. One thing is for sure. The longer they stay the more exciting the battle of the generations gets as new players are bound to come up the ranks over time to try and challenge the oldies. And in the meanwhile, until the young ones begin their takeover, we can continue to cheer for our sentimental favorites.

Oindrila Mukherjee tweets here.