Current number five in the ranking claimed a physical problem, without specifying where the injury is
The men’s tennis season comes to an end this week with the ATP Finals. The tournament that brings together the best eight of the year, in Turin, confirms two trends in the sport starting this Sunday: the new generation has already established itself and the popular “Big 3” has come to an end after a 20-year dominance. It will be the first time since 2001 that the Finals will not be attended by any member of this select group, formed by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The Big 3 began to disintegrate in 2022 when Federer retired. Nadal makes his farewell official next week. And Djokovic is already showing signs that the circuit is no longer his priority. Still active, the Serb lost his dominance of the circuit, did not shine in any of the four Grand Slams and ended his year with just one title, the gold medal, which has recognized value in the sporting world, but carries less weight in tennis.
The current number five in the ranking claimed a physical problem, without even specifying where the injury is, so as not to defend his title in the Finals. He still had a chance of qualifying to compete in Turin. Djokovic’s lack of willingness to face the circuit every week has become evident in recent years, to the point where he admitted that he was now only interested in the Grand Slams. But not even in this regard has he been successful. The 2024 season marks the first since 2002 without even a Big 3 Major title.
To give you an idea of this hegemony, between 2004 and 2023, only nine other tennis players lifted Grand Slam trophies. During this period, the trio won 66 of 79 championships at this level, equivalent to 83% of the total. In total, 12 different athletes have been Major champions in these two decades. Compared to the previous 20-year period, there were 28 different winners, one of them Federer himself.
This year, neither Nadal nor Djokovic have even reached a final of this level. The Australian Open, in January, marked the first time since 2005 without a member of the Big 3 in a Grand Slam decision. The Serb was then in the Wimbledon final, but lost a historic 3-0 to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. “Djokovic can still achieve some things, but I no longer see him as number 1. He no longer has the same physique to play every tournament, the Finals is an example of that. He no longer fights to top the rankings, he wants to win Grand Slams and increase records. He was always physically better than Federer and Nadal, which is why he had greater longevity. But he is at the end of his career”, analyzes former tennis player Thomaz Bellucci
Bellucci was the only Brazilian to face all three tennis players on the circuit. He presented good performances against them and even beat Federer in an exhibition at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera, in São Paulo, at the end of 2012.
NEW GENERATION
The end of the Big 3 coincides with the rise of young tennis players, with potential already compared to veterans. Alcaraz, 21, and Italian Jannik Sinner, 23, dominated the season. Each won two Grand Slams. Alcaraz won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, while the Italian leads the ranking and was the one who lifted the most trophies this year: seven.
Each of them leads one of the two groups in the competition, which has a different format than the traditional one. The eight tennis players are divided into two groups of four. The two best on each side advance to the semi-finals.” Sinner and Alcaraz are a little above the others. I see them as a ‘Big 2’ of today. They will have a number of titles and achievements that are more relevant than the others”, projects Bellucci, who already sees both winning over the fans on the circuit.
Many fear that the end of the Big 3 could reduce the popularity of tennis in the coming years. “This was discussed a lot a few years ago. But today I don’t see that as a problem. What we see today is a sport that remains very popular. The courts and gyms are full. I don’t think tennis is being directly affected by the three’s retirement. Especially because they continue to play tennis, present at events, in the sporting world.”
Published by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
