Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been the backbone of men’s tennis for the last two decades. The ‘Big Three’ have dominated in a way never seen before, competing for titles amongst themselves. Djokovic, Federer and Nadal are arguably the three most decorated players in tennis history.
The ‘Big Three’ have won 66 Grand Slam titles among themselves, in an era of dominance never seen before. However, now the ‘Big Three’ era is coming to it’s end after Roger Federer’s retirement and Nadal’s constant injury struggles. Recently, Novak Djokovic admitted that their generation is slowly running out.
Rafael Nadal missed most of the 2023 season due to an injury. The Spaniard has further hinted that 2024 could be his last year professionally on the tour. Only Novak Djokovic is still going strong from the last generation of tennis stars as the Serbian continued his dominance in 2023.
“Nadal didn’t play in 2023, Federer retired. Our generation is running out.”
Novak Djokovic further added that he sees young Carlos Alcaraz as the next big name in tennis. The Serbian is locked in a rivalry with the Spaniard as the duo compete for big prizes. However, Djokovic believes that Alcaraz will take tennis forward for the next 10-15 years.
“He will be one of the great leaders of this sport for the next 10-15 years and, definitely, we will continue to see many things from him (Alcaraz) in the biggest tournaments. Our generation is running out, but what emerges in Alcaraz is great.”
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz rivalry
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz share the biggest rivalry in tennis right now. The two best players in the world often compete for big prizes and thrill the crowd with their tennis. The Serbian leads the head-to-head by 3-2. Djokovic has won the last two meeting between the duo and gained a upper hand in the rivalry.
However, Carlos Alcaraz won the biggest match of his career against Djokovic. The Spaniard defeated the Serbian in a thrilling final in Wimbledon. Alcaraz came from behind to win 16 76(6) 61 36 64 to claim his maiden Wimbledon title. This was widely regarded as the changing of guard in men’s tennis, however Djokovic had other ideas.
Later at the Cincinnati Masters, Djokovic got his revenge over Carlos Alcaraz. The Serbian defeated Alcaraz is a thrilling final, considered as one of the best three-sets final in tennis history. Djokovic lost the first set but won the next two sets in tie-break to win 57 76(7) 76(4) and lift the Cincinnati Masters. The Serbian later followed it up with US Open triumph. Djokovic won his match against Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals in straight set to gain a upper hand in the rivalry.
