And frankly, the latest generation of US men has had the misfortune of playing during the prime years of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, two of the greatest ever to play the game.
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But the real story is that by dangling discounted contract extensions to younger players that are aimed at locking them up through their prime years, both the game's richest and poorest teams have made startling progress in their efforts to convince players to stop selling themselves.
The average lifespan in Namibia is 47, meaning that many people are losing a lot of prime earning years.
That's because, all over Africa, workers in their prime productive years are being struck down by aids and other illnesses.
"Remember that once your kids are ready to go to college, you'll be in your prime earning years and better able to afford it, " says Cuthbert.
In this collaborative autobiography, these three attractive, successful journalists recount how they spent their prime childbearing years chasing story leads, while the detritus of failed or disappointing relationships gathered around them.
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The Gen Y population, or echo boomers (born 1986-2005), the largest pool of renters, is now in their prime rental years but many have found themselves jobless with no way to pay the rent.
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Fans who came of age in the 1970s, now well into their prime earning years and still more than a year before the great recession, came waving cash to relive the sounds of their beloved vinyl albums.
This has the biggest implications for the baby bust generation (born 1966-1985) as they approach what should be their prime earning years and for younger baby boomers that will be facing a vacuum of demand from younger generations when they want to retire, sell the family home and down-size.
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When the cohort born roughly in the years between 1993 and 2005 enters prime child-bearing years, there is going to be a pretty significant decline in the crude birth rate even if the total fertility rate (TFR) continues to move modestly higher.
After Smith's death Mr Prescott's star rose further - deputy leader in 1994, deputy prime minister three years later.
By the time she was elected prime minister four years later, I had become a news reporter with BBC Northern Ireland.
Mr Stoltenberg served a brief stint as prime minister five years ago.
Some wine experts believe the drink would do better to stand proud on a mantle piece than splashing around in tumblers--most Bordeaux are past their prime after 50 years.
Between winning Labour's leadership in 1994 and becoming prime minister three years later, Mr Blair's focus was on making Labour electable, not on what it would actually do in government to improve public services.
It is the fifth investigation of Olmert since he became prime minister two years ago and "the latest in a longer string of probes to dog him during his three decades in politics, " according to Haaretz.
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Seau, like others, was in what non-super athletes call the prime of life (43 years old), on the cusp of prime time earning potential.
Mr Brown's government had been seeking to increase the numbers of homes being built in recent years, but the prime minister admitted that "we failed over many years to build enough houses to meet the need that was there".
Mr Mousavi served as prime minister during the years of the Iran-Iraq war from 1980-1988.
Not even he can expect still to be prime minister in 20 years' time.
Mr Blair's ambivalence reflects the change in his feelings towards Europe during his eight years as prime minister.
Before Mr Koizumi, Japan had got through seven prime ministers in eight years.
He came to power only last October, upon the retirement of Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister of 22 years.
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During her early years as prime minister, the economy shrank and unemployment increased.
For the moment, Japan, which has had five revolving-door prime ministers in five years, will be spared another government crisis.
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He became prime minister again three years later and died in office not long thereafter, at the age of 46.
During his three years as prime minister he was responsible for privatisation and the sale of state enterprises to foreigners.
If so, Japan's sixth prime minister in four years might go first.
Noda is Japan's sixth prime minister in five years, a reflection of political volatility amid an economic slowdown worsened by the global recession.
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After five-and-a-half years as prime minister, Mr Simitis, an ex-academic fond of hard work and detail, is under fire from some former supporters.
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