Yahoo Finance The end of Tennis’ Big Three (and Murray)? Nadal retirement would leave sport needing new stars urgently
You have to cast your mind back to 2002 and Thomas Johansson, Albert Costa, Lleyton Hewitt and Pete Sampras for a year when none of the modern Big Three, or Andy Murray, won a Grand Slam.
Because in each of the 21 years since at least one of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Britain’s Murray has picked up one of the four majors of men’s tennis. All-time leader Djokovic has 24 to his name, Nadal has 22, Federer has 20 and Murray has three.
And with Federer following women’s superstar Serena Williams into retirement in 2022, there’s a realistic scenario where tennis and sports fans lose another one of the big three – and possibly the much-loved Murray – this year.
Last tennis man standing
Nadal has been severely hampered by injury since winning his last major title at the French Open in 2022 and his recent return hasn’t gone according to plan.
A new muscle problem this week forced him out of the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, and back to Spain to recuperate for what the 37-year-old has said will be his last on the ATP Tour.
Murray, too, has contemplated retirement as he battles to get his body to do what he asks of it and has admitted that he could call time on his playing career this year if he continues to struggle for fitness and form.
The former British No1 may trail the Big Three by a distance for Grand Slams won but was a runner-up eight times and losing semi-finalist on 10 more occasions. That, combined with his tenacity to return to the scene following a number of operations, is to be admired.
The loss of both Murray and Nadal – not just British and Spanish icons, but global ones too – in 2024 would leave tennis with Djokovic as the last man standing and the sole representative of the golden era.
We have seen Iga Swiatek step into the spotlight on the women’s circuit in recent years, and Emma Raducanu take domestic headlines since her 2021 US Open victory, but neither has been able to become a superstar of the WTA Tour.
Marmite
Djokovic may be a Marmite figure to many, but it is very difficult to deny his greatness on the court. The reality, however, is that we might never be able to replace the Big Three if they’re all able to retire on their own terms.
So the likes of reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz needs to beat the Serb again and again in 2024, and beaten 2023 Grand Slam finalists Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev must apply pressure this year.
The modern women’s game has shown that the big shoes vacated by legends aren’t easy to fill, while the men’s game has been able to rely on Djokovic to keep the party going long past last orders.
This year could be huge for tennis and its future. The potential farewell of Nadal and Murray coincides with the second season of Netflix’s Break Point, a medium the sport is keen to use to grow the game beyond its biggest names.
Nick Kyrgios starred in the opening season, but didn’t win any major singles titles. This year’s series will highlight Alcaraz and the attempts of Coco Gauff to emulate Serena.
Tennis is trying to breed the next generation of players, and personalities, before the legends of the game put their tennis shoes away for the final time.
But with two of the men’s Big Three, Nadal and Murray, expected to be fully off the court by 2025, this could be the last year of seeing some of the greats who have dominated for so long. We’d better enjoy it.
