Rise of New Tennis Stars: End of the 'Big Three' Era

The dominance of the 'Big Three' in men's tennis, consisting of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, and Roger Federer, appears to be waning. Youngsters Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won the majority of Grand Slam titles this season, marking a possible end to an era that began in 2003.

An epoch-shifting Grand Slam season dominated by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has provided the clearest sign yet that the 'Big Three' era of men's tennis is finally over. Novak Djokovic may be the last member of that prestigious trio to hold the year-end number one title.

Despite Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer winning at least one Grand Slam title between them every year since 2003, this year marked a break from that tradition. Sinner clinched the U.S. Open title after his Australian Open victory, while Alcaraz took the French Open and Wimbledon, marking the first time since 1993 that men aged 23 or under have swept all four majors.

'It's a bit different, for sure. It's something new, but also nice to see,' said Sinner, who overcame a doping controversy to lead the new generation. 'It's nice to see new champions. Nice to see new rivalries. It's good for the sport to have some new champions.'

The 'Big Three' dominated by winning 66 of 81 Grand Slam tournaments from Federer's first Wimbledon win in 2003 to Djokovic's 24th major title last year. With Federer retired and Nadal hampered by injury, Djokovic stood as the lone veteran, winning three of the four majors in 2023.

Though he managed to stave off younger rivals at the Paris Olympics, including Alcaraz, to claim the coveted gold medal, Djokovic's Grand Slam season was lackluster by his standards. He exited in the semi-finals at the Australian Open, withdrew from Roland Garros, lost the Wimbledon final to Alcaraz, and was beaten in the third round of the U.S. Open by Alexei Popyrin.

Reflecting on his season, Djokovic said, 'It's hard to see the big perspective right now. You're just angry and upset that you lost and the way you played. But tomorrow is a new day.'

At 37, Djokovic is past the age at which any man has won a Grand Slam. He is unlikely to top the rankings this season. His primary goal now may be to win a 25th Grand Slam to surpass Margaret Court's record, possibly at the Australian Open, where he has a strong track record.

'You never want to count him out,' said seven-time major champion John McEnroe. 'If he doesn't win, you'd be like 'wow, he won three of the four last year and now we're saying he'll never win it again.' And then I would be surprised in a way if he did, because of his age.'

(With inputs from agencies.)