American legend Jimmy Connors recently criticized the ‘lost generation’ of tennis for their inconsistency and inability to win. He name-dropped Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, saying no one from their generation stepped up after the Big 3’s peak and before Carlos Alcaraz’s rise.
Connors credited Novak Djokovic for going strong even at 36 and ensuring people retain an interest in the sport. With nobody from the lost generation establishing dominance, the Serbian was the superstar player tennis needed to capture viewers’ interests.
Jimmy Connors says Djokovic needs to play till 40 to retain fan interest in tennis
After discussing how the Djokovic-Alcaraz rivalry is essential for tennis, Connors touched upon how it was down to a 36-year-old Djokovic to make tennis engrossing. On his podcast Advantage Connors, he said that it took a veteran to make him feel a tennis match was ‘amazing’. He attacked Zverev, Tsitsipas, and their contemporaries for not taking over the mantle from Djokovic.
Connors hoped that Djokovic would play till he was 40 to create interest amongst the younger fans. He said that while Alcaraz is stepping up to shoulder responsibilities and take over from Djokovic, there is no surety who comes next after Alcaraz. The Spaniard is only 20 right now, but Connors asked who will be the next young star after him in some years.
“Here’s what’s amazing, it takes a 36-year-old guy to make it amazing. You know, where is Zverev, where is Tsitsipas, where are they? It takes a 36-year-old guy to make that happen and for me. I love that because playing long is wrong? No, playing long is right.
“I hope he plays, and can play until he’s 40 at that level because all that does is create the interest in the youth coming up. Alcaraz, you know, who’s after Alcaraz? You know in another two or three years, who’s after him?”
Djokovic has been consistently getting the better of the likes of Zverev and Tsitsipas. Even as Roger Federer retired and Rafael Nadal slowed down, the Serb kept dominating tennis. The lost generation could seldom get the best of him. His position was unchallenged until Alcaraz showed up. Showing no signs of slowing down, it would not be a surprise if he continues to overshadow others even at 40.
A look at some players who have been active at 40
Tennis has seen a fair few players who have kept playing past their 40s. However, not many have seen great success in the twilight of their career. Djokovic’s Big 3 rival Federer retired at 41 but won his last title aged 38. Connors himself played till 43 but his final years on tour were mediocre. He suffered multiple first-round exits in tournaments and his rank had fallen beyond 1200 by the time he hung up his boots.
The Williams sisters both played into their 40s. Venus, now World No.410, is set to feature at the 2023 US Open as a wildcard. Serena had a better run, reaching the 2021 Australian Open semi-finals just a few months before her 40th birthday.
Records are not kind to players who continue playing at 40. The record for the oldest Grand Slam winner is held by Ken Rosewall, who was 37 when he lifted the 1972 Australian Open. Djokovic is the best bet to break this record. He has the firepower and momentum to break the trend of players struggling for good results after 40.
