Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic dominated the primary quarter of the twenty first century in males’s tennis. Between 2000 and 2024, 99 main singles championships have been contested, with the trio profitable two-thirds of the titles (66 out of 99) — 24 by Djokovic, 22 by Nadal and 20 by Federer.
No American man has claimed a significant tennis singles title since 2003, when Andy Roddick gained the U.S. Open.
It now seems the way forward for males’s tennis may be dominated by a duo of younger European stars for a few years to come back. 23-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner is ranked No. 1 on the planet and is the reigning champion of the Australian and U.S. Opens. 21-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who’s ranked No. 3 on the planet, is the reigning champion of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Though the younger European stars compete in opposition to each other on the court docket, they’re pleasant and respectful of each other in individual off the court docket and complimentary of one another on social media. They’ve met 9 instances, with Alcaraz holding a 5-4 lead in these matchups.
27-year-old German Alexander Zverev, who’s ranked No. 2 on the planet, has but to interrupt by means of and win a significant title, however he has reached the finals of the U.S. Open (2020) and French Open (2024).
The one non-European at present on the planet’s high 10 ATP (Affiliation of Tennis Professionals) rankings is American Taylor Fritz. The 26-year-old Californian has been ranked as excessive as No. 5, and he made it to the finals this yr of the U.S. Open, the place Sinner defeated him in straight units 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. Like Zverev, Fritz has but to win a significant match title.
As for the previous guard, Federer retired in 2022. Nadal has indicated that he’s considering retirement at age 38, however has but to tug the plug on his skilled tennis profession. The 37-year-old Djokovic is ranked No. 4 on the planet and gained the gold medal this yr on the Paris Olympics. Within the tennis world, although, his age is already effectively past the outer restrict of optimum efficiency.
Accordingly, it seems the torch lengthy held by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic has been handed off — or quickly shall be handed — to Sinner and Alcaraz.
Will it simply be the 2 of them or will one other be part of them in presiding over the higher crust of males’s tennis?
