End of the Big 3 Era: US Open 2024 breaks a 21-year old Grand Slam Tradition

The 2024 US Open will be remembered for a number of reasons but the biggest of them all is going to be the end of the Big 3 Era. 2024 is the first year since 2002 that the Big 3 have not won a Grand Slam. 3 athletes who had a knack of showing up at the grandest stage of them all, it is a sad sight to behold that none of the Big 3 have won a grand slam in 2024.  

If you are among the legion of tennis fans who got the opportunity to witness the greatness and dominance of 3 men, who are always a part of the heated “Greatest Of All Time” debates, then you should consider yourself lucky. All good things come to an end. Sadly for the tennis fans, the streak of extraordinary performances too has ended. 

Big 3 of Tennis

The trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is nicknamed as the Big 3 of Tennis. All 3 of them are often considered among the greatest players of all time. 

The Big 4 (consisting of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and their closest rival, Andy Murray) was a term that was used from 2008 to 2016. The later half of Murray’s career plagued by injuries was one of the reasons why he couldn’t keep up with the other three and hence, the term Big 3 came into prominence.

What was the Big 3 Grand Slam dominance?

The Big 3 have won a total of 66 grand slams between them. The Big 3 were also ranked as world number 1s’ for a combined total of 947 weeks.  A dominance that lasted for 20 years, the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic trio held the world number 1 spot for 18 years! 

Known as the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal has won 22 grand slams, with a record 14 French Open titles. ‘The Swiss Maestro’ Roger Federer has a collection of 20 grand slams in his trophy cabinet, with 8 Wimbledon championships, a record no other male player possesses. Popularly known as the ‘Djoker’ and ‘Nole’ on the tour, Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic has won 24 singles’ grand slam titles, with a record-breaking 10 titles won at the Australian Open. 

On the tennis court, Djokovic, Federer and Nadal are known to be the 3 most ruthless and successful players of all time. The dominance of Big 3 started when Roger Federer won his first grand slam title at the 2003 Wimbledon championships. Rafa Nadal won his first grand slam at the 2005 French Open. The Djoker joined the pack with the 2008 Australian Open title. 

Federer and Nadal would dominate the professional tennis circuit from 2004 to 2010, playing numerous grand slam finals and taking home the biggest prize that the sport had to offer. But Novak Djokovic’s dominance began from the year 2011 where the Serb 3 grand slam titles in the calendar year and never looked back. 

Novak Djokovic realized the long-lost dream of winning an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics when he defeated the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. Rafael Nadal won a singles’ Olympic gold medal in 2008 and a doubles gold in 2016. Federer won a doubles Olympic gold with compatriot Stan Wawrinka in 2008 but narrowly missed his chance to win the Gold in 2012 Olympics against Andy Murray. 

‘They came, they saw, they conquered.’ This is the only quote that comes to mind while thinking of the Big 3. Three men who won accolades one can only dream of, we are truly blessed to be in the era of the three of greatest tennis players. With Federer already retired and Nadal looking to hang his racquet pretty soon, Djokovic is the one we hope can continue to play for a couple more years. A streak of 21 years has been snapped and the onus is on the young guns now. 

FAQs

Q. Who are the Big 3 of Tennis?

• Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the Big 3 of tennis. 

Q. How many grand slams have the Big 3 won?

• The Big 3 have won a collective total of 66 grand slams. 

Q. Who has the most grand slams among the Big 3?

• Novak Djokovic has the most grand slams among the Big 3 with 24 singles’ grand slam titles.

Q. How much has the Big 3 won as prize money?

• As of August 2024, the Big 3 have won over $450 million in prize money.