As 2013 came to a close, Federer's fall in the rankings prompted many sources to debate whether the dominance of the Big Four had ended. 2. At the US Open, Djokovic retired against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round due to a shoulder injury, and Federer was upset by Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals. However, he still has a solid record against the fab 3, mainly against Novak Djokovic. 1 Nadal in five sets to reach his first major final in nearly two years. ATP team competitions: Laver Cup, ATP Cup, United Cup, Fellow top players, including David Ferrer, Tom Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Roddick have all spoken about the dominance of the Big Three (and Murray until 2017) and the challenge they have faced in matching them. Never expect to be that far in my career. [citation needed], At the 2022 US Open, Djokovic withdrew from another major for being unvaccinated, while Federer did not compete due to injuries. In a recent press conference, Djokovic shared his thoughts on the next generation of tennis players and his own legacy in the sport. Seppi remained winless against Novak Djokovic in 12 encounters that spanned a decade between 2006 and 2016. [170][171] In 2014, statistician Nate Silver labelled the group the 'Big Three and a Half'. Common tennis term for Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal trio, "Big Four (tennis)" redirects here. He also holds a positive winloss record in Grand Slam singles finals, winning three of four (the loss being to Nadal in the final of the 2017 French Open), as opposed to Murray who has won only three from eleven (a 27.27% strike rate). [16][17] Roger Federer first played on the ATP Tour aged 17 in 1998,[18] finishing his first full ATP season the following year. Indeed, throughout the year, Murray failed to register a single victory against another member of the Big Four in nine meetings. You can't compare really, but we have somewhat of a golden era right now [emphasis added]. It was an incredibly tough match. Federer is the player defeated more times by Murray, del Potro and Tsonga: 24 defeats, while Djokovic has 21 defeats and Nadal has 17 defeats. Thats my first Grand Slam. Federer's presence at Laver Cup 2023 is particularly noteworthy, given his longstanding relationship with the event as a co-founder but also a player. 6 has a far better record against Roger Federer, winning four times. Matches are always played on separate days. Querrey has a top FIVE win, but Nadal beat a much better grass-court player. 4 in November, the first time he had been ranked outside the top three since 2002. The four of us? Not many people can say this after a career in this era, bu Czech star Berdych certainly had Roger Federers number. In 2007 nadal won the French open and pushed Federer to 5 sets in the Wimbledon final. In the 2019 Australian Open, Federer was upset in the fourth round by 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas in a tight four-setter. 3 did, however, lose to the Mallorcan on eight occasions. Despite multiple appeals for exemption, he was denied a visa to enter the country, which prevented him from defending his title. The rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is the most prolific in tennis history. However, he still holds a solid record against the Fab 3. Another - Beating Medvedev anywhere other than a hardcourt will be a top 10 win, but it's not all that impressive. From 2005 to 2010, they ended each season as the world's top two players. I mean, I don't know. I have new opportunities in the other Grand Slams to win because if I did it here beating Nadal and Federer and other good players, maybe I can do it once more time.. The Frenchman's first win came in the semifinals of the 2010 Paris Masters, which was followed by another at the 2013 Shanghai Open. Nadal achieved his 36th Masters victory by defeating Djokovic in the Italian Open final. 1 for 18 years or was in the top 2 for nearly 16 years. It's very difficult for me to win a Grand Slam because there are the top four. .mw-parser-output .citation{word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}^ Outright record underlined. [32] He also won his first two Masters titles. [123] Nadal's loss to Dominic Thiem in the Madrid quarterfinals returned the No. He acknowledged that new talents are emerging all the time, and that the sport is constantly evolving. He also became the first British winner in singles sinceVirginia Wadewon the womens event in1977. Between 2008 and 2010, Djokovic and later Murray attempted to end the duopoly of Federer and Nadal at the summit of tennis. 1 for the fifth time, despite not reaching the semifinals of ATP Finals. But he lost all the other nine matches against the Spaniard. They did not break it but emerged ahead of the rest of the tour. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved | Developed with : by 12Grids, Tennis players who defeated Nadal, Djokovic & Federer, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are the three greatest, If not for his severe knee injury, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would have enjoyed a completely different career. At the 2018 US Open, both Djokovic and Nadal made the semifinals, where Nadal retired against Juan Martn del Potro after being two sets down due to a knee injury he sustained during the tournament. However, Murray did lead Great Britain to Davis Cup victory in 2015, winning all eight singles rubbers and becoming the final member of the quartet to win the Davis Cup. [46] At the start of the year, Federer continued his dominance as the world No. [163][164] It has also been argued that the dominance of the Big Four has made the game predictable[165] or even boring. However, the emergence of new players, commonly referred to as the "Next Gen", have tempered their dominance at the ATP Finals and ATP Masters tournaments since 2017. The win brought Nadal to 18 major titles, just two behind Federer's record of 20. The tournament further signalled the decline of the Big Four's dominance. Djokovic then continued to dominate throughout the remainder of the year, winning in Beijing, Shanghai, Paris and at the ATP Finals. The only player to clinch the no.1 spot in the Federer-Nadala-Djokovic era. Stan said, I still think that Im dreaming. [107] Djokovic defeated Federer in the Rome final. Lopez, a former world No 12, is retiring from . He won ten titles, including three majors (only the fifth man in the Open Era to do so) and five Masters titles (a then-record), enjoyed a 41-match winning streak (from the start of the season to his loss to Federer in the semifinals of the French Open), amassed a record amount in prize money, and ascended to the world No. [104][105] In Madrid, Murray defeated Nadal in straight sets. Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon due to scheduling reasons. He returned to the tour at Indian Wells and struggled much with form, failing to reach the quarterfinals of any of his first five tournaments after surgery. If not for his severe knee injury, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would have enjoyed a completely different career. However, Wawrinka has reached seven fewer Grand Slam singles finals, has won 13 fewer Masters titles than Murray, and has peaked at only number 3 in the world rankings. What is particularly impressive about the Big 3 era is how each player has stamped their authority over one specific surface. Alcaraz, ranked No. [37] Federer then defeated Murray in the final to win his fifth consecutive US Open title and his 13th major title overall. He was dominant on clay, suffering only one loss on the surface (to Federer at the 2007 Hamburg Masters final) between his breakthrough and the end of 2007. 1. Federer and Djokovic were both defeated at the ATP Finals by Alexander Zverev in the semifinals and final, respectively. The two most important players I ever faced. [24] They both reached the world's top 100 in 2005, and the top 20 in 2006. In Grand Slams, Djokovic leads 11 wins to 6. Subscribe to our channel for the best ATP tennis. Those guys weren't good or what? [158][159][160][161][162], The presence of the Big Four is generally seen to have had a positive impact on tennis, making the sport more exciting and in turn attracting more attention. [118] Murray ultimately won the final in four sets, becoming the first male player to win the singles gold medal twice. Nadal followed in 2005 with a French Open triumph on his first attempt, including a win over Federer,[12] and the duo occupied the top two places of the ATP rankings from July 2005 to August 2009. They have been ranked as world No. 1 ranking on 5 November to Djokovic, who ended the a second consecutive season there. However, Medvedev played calm, patient tennis to become the 3rd Russian man to earn Slam glory, joiningYevgeny Kafelnikov andMarat Safin. The Big Three monopolized the top spot in the ATP singles rankings 897 weeks (equivalent to 17 years). Madrid, Spain On This Day: David Nalbandian completes the first and only Big 3 sweep The now-retired Argentine is still the only player to ever beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak. 1 player every year from 2004 to 2021, with the exception of 2016. In both the 2018 and 2021 ATP Finals, Zverev defeated the Serb and went on to win the tournament. Djokovic was then only one title away from tying Federer and Nadal for the most men's singles majors of all time. [39] Nadal continued to dominate in most of the early season. Of course I will be in the history of tennis. Nadal's attempt to win his 23rd major title was thwarted by an upset in the fourth round by Frances Tiafoe. Federer and Nadal once again met in the Miami Open final, where Federer again won. At the 2016 French Open, Murray reached his first Paris final to complete his set of Grand Slam singles finals, but Djokovic beat him in the final to become the third Big Four member after Federer and Nadal to complete a Career Grand Slam, and the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. Following the win, Nadal returned to world No. [130] The title was won by Dominic Thiem, who became the first player outside the Big Three to win a major since Stan Wawrinka in 2016. The German lost to Nadal no fewer than five times, but only after winning the very first encounter between the two that took place in 2004 on an indoor carpet surface in Basel. 51 bested the Mallorcan at the Argentina Open. The Italian triumphed just once against Nadal in nine attempts, at the 2008 Rotterdam Open. Djokovic lost in the final to Daniil Medvedev, preventing him from winning a record 21 majors and achieving a Grand Slam, which would have been the first in men's tennis since Rod Laver in 1969. Nadal ended the season with a 06 record against Djokovic, with every encounter between them at a final. 1 truly remarkable", "Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic and clinched No. Holding the advantage at 27-23 in over 50 battles, the six-time year-end World No. Lleyton Hewitt has a solid record against the Fab 3. Federer is the best player of them all in terms of technique, but Nadal has beaten him so many times because . Federer 2019 Wimbledon final Vs Djokovic: In this match : Federer overall won more points than Djokovic (218-204) Federer won way more winners than Djokovic (94-54) Federer served more aces than Djokovic (25-10) Federer won more 1st serve % points than Djokovic (78%-74%) Federer won more receiving points when compared to Djokovic (36%- 31%) Winning against them is a very difficult goal, as the young players of the Tour like Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgio are experiencing. At the French Open, Federer returned to play at the tournament for the first time since 2015, reaching the semifinals where he was defeated by Nadal in straight sets. with Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all . Nadal successfully defended his title over Djokovic in a straight-sets final. They held the top-two spots continuously from 25 July 2005 to 14 March 2021, as well as the top ranking from 2 February 2004 to 28 February 2022, meaning that no player outside the Big Four were ranked world No. The answer is Roddick. At this time they are better than the other players. He became the fourth man in history to complete the double Career Grand Slam in singles, and the second after Djokovic in the Open Era. The GOAT era of tennis.. They have been the most successful men's singles players for the last two decades. The Argentinian defeated the five-time defending championRoger Federerin the final, 36, 76(75), 46, 76(74), 62 to win the mens singles tennis title. At the Olympics, Federer lost in the quarterfinals to James Blake, while Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Nadal, but went on to win the bronze medal. [60] He did not compete for the rest of the season, but still ended the year as world No. Since 2004, however, only four men have been ranked No. 1s in singles for a total 897 weeks (equivalent to 17 years); Djokovic for 378 weeks, Federer for 310, and Nadal for 209. [129] Djokovic was disqualified from the tournament during his fourth-round match against Pablo Carreo-Busta after inadvertently striking a ball at a line judge after conceding a break. Federer announced that he would again skip the entire clay-court season. Over the past two decades, men's tennis has had Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and also Federer and Novak Djokovic. The issue of his vaccination status meant he could not compete at last year's. Stan Wawrinka has won three Grand Slam titles in his career. James Blake won his first three matches against the Spaniard before losing the next four. In 2012, when asked about his Davis Cup comments, Federer . However, Murray features in the top ten on a number of Open Era records, including in quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals reached at the Majors, and is to date the only person in history to have won two gold medals in singles at the Olympic Games, and only the second player in the Open Era (after Andre Agassi), to have won a Grand Slam singles event, an ATP Finals, an ATP Masters, and an Olympic singles gold, as well as reach world No. Despite playing with low expectations,[135] Nadal progressed to the quarterfinals, where he defeated Denis Shapovalov, and Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals. At the end of 2009, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray finished as the ATP's top four players for the second consecutive year, with only Nadal and Federer changing positions from 2008. Djokovic's 2016 Australian Open victory was especially impressive, as he came back from a two-set . Current through the 2023 Australian Open. 1: Roger Federer (310 weeks), Novak Djokovic (308), Rafael Nadal (209) and Andy Murray (41). By 2011, Nadal declared that his joint dominance with Federer had ended, following the ascent of Djokovic and later Murray. At the Grand Slam tournaments, the trio are the all-time title leaders; Nadal and Djokovic have each won a record 22 majors, and Federer 20. The American Grand Slam title is Medvedevs only majortitle till date. ", "Men's Tennis: The Big One, Big Two, Big Three or Big Four? Djokovic has achieved the Career Golden Masters by winning all nine active Masters tournaments, a feat he has completed twice. 1 for a record seven years, with Federer and Nadal at five each, and Murray at one. Milos Raonic beat Rafael Nadal twice, both times on hardcourt. [92] However, Djokovic defeated Dimitrov and Federer beat Raonic to make it an all-Big Four final, the 24th they had contested. Roger Federer defeated No. ^ Two walkovers (2014 ATP Finals final and 2019 Indian Wells semifinal) are not included in the table. 1 Novak Djokovic five times. No one denied them more. The only player to clinch the no.1 spot in the Federer-Nadala-Djokovic era. Creator: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce Copyright: 2022 Getty Images, Juan Martin del Potro (17 wins against the Fab 3). The trio have each completed a Channel Slam, with Nadal having achieved it twice. The American's wins came in the 2005-06 period before the Mallorcan grew to be a near-invincible force on the ATP tour. The former World No. Nadal went to contest his 30th major final against Casper Ruud, winning a staggering 14th French Open title and 22nd major overall. 1, the Serbian channelled the experience . Relief is probably the word I would use describe how Im feeling just now., He added, Mentally, the last three, four days have been pretty tiring. Raonic, a one-time Wimbledon finalist, has a 3-11 record against Roger Federer after having registered wins at the 2014 Paris Masters, the 2016 Brisbane International and the 2016 Wimbledon semifinals. In 2009, the quartet held the top four places in the rankings for the entire calendar year. Djokovic has a clear lead in the head-to-head record between the two legends of tennis, with Federer winning just 16 times. These things happen rarely, but it has happened to Federer few times. After winning the title, Andy said, I was obviously very emotional. [59] Federer relinquished his world No. Novak Djokovic again faced defeat at the hands of Andy Murray at a Grand Slam final in 2013 when he lost the Wimbledon Open. Tomas Berdych (13 wins against the Fab 3). Spanish second seed Nadal outclassed world number one Djokovic in a 6-0 6-2 7-5 win, which clinched a record-extending 13th title at Roland Garros. Still, the Australian still generally got the job done against them. The hat-trick of wins began at the Lyon Open in 2003 and continued in the final of the Auckland Open in 2004. [80] Murray and Federer fell to sixth and eighth in the rankings respectively,[81] and after the tournament, several players expressed the opinion that they were now capable of challenging the Big Four. Now it is surely a huge achievement to defeat Nadal, Federer and Djokovic in ones career. Nadal made the final at all eight clay-court tournaments he played, winning six; he also made the semifinals at all eight of his hard-court tournaments, winning four titles. The Big Four regularly held the top four places in the year-end rankings between 2008 and 2013 and were ranked year-end world top four from 2008 to 2012, the longest span of dominance for any quartet of players in tennis history. 1, and extended the record to 302. Example - Querrey beats Thiem in R1 of Wimbledon 2019, Nadal beats Querrey in QF. Following an early loss at Shanghai, Nadal announced that he would skip the remainder of the 2016 season to recover fully from the wrist injury that troubled him earlier in the year. At the Olympics, the Big Four have won five gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal; Murray won a record two gold medals in singles and a silver in mixed doubles, Nadal won a gold medal in singles, following which he achieved a Career Golden Slam, and another gold in doubles, Federer won a silver medal in singles and one gold in doubles, while Djokovic won a bronze medal in singles. He beat Nadal for the second time a couple of years later at the Brisbane Open. At 19, Carlos Alcaraz beat Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev May 9, 20224:59 PM ET Bill Chappell Twitter Enlarge this image Carlos Alcaraz hits a return to Novak Djokovic on his way to a semifinal. After winning the title Daniil said, You never know if youre going to achieve [winning a major] in your career. Other players to have beaten Nadal at Roland Garros include Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, and Robin Soderling. [48], The 2011 season was dominated by Novak Djokovic. Mar 1, 2023. Between 2005 Wimbledon and 2007 US Open, he captured eight of ten majors with a record of 672 in those tournaments (his only two losses in that stretch were delivered by Nadal at the French Open). Federer returned to the tour for Stuttgart and won the title there, which saw him return to the No. He won the 2009 US Open against Federer. [96] Towards the end of the year, Murray managed to return to form, winning three titles in Shenzhen, Vienna and Valencia, allowing him to return to the top ten in the rankings[97] and qualify for the Tour Finals, but he bowed out at the group stages following a defeat by Federer, in which he won just a single game. View rivalry results and stats for matches on the ATP Tour. 1 ranking, all since 2012, saw him listed more comfortably alongside the other three members during the mid-2010s. The 20-time Grand Slam winner went on to win a couple more times before losing in straight sets at the 2002 Dubai Open. The Slovak managed to beat Rafael Nadal three times in a row. Federer withdrew from the remainder of the 2016 season due to a knee injury, missing the Olympics and US Open.[116]. Recent StatementSparksRumors, I Think Its Steroids Joe Rogan Was Convinced Serena Williams Was on PEDs After She Evaded Drug Tests. Qatar World Cup voted as the best of the 21st Century, Erling Haaland becomes the quickest to 20 Premier League goals, 12 football transfers that were a disastrous flop, WPL Schedule 2023: Match Timings, Teams List, Live Telecast, Schedule, Match Venue, and Live Telecast in India, The Greatest performances in Womens World Cup, Top 11 highest individual scores in womens T20Is, Ranking all the teams from the Womens Premier League, Revisiting the Best Matches of Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This led to the "Big Four" being the ATP top four again. ", "Wimbledon: Young guns Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov look to progress", "Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer to win Wimbledon title", "Roger Federer beats David Ferrer to claim Cincinnati title", "Rafael Nadal withdraws from 2014 U.S. Open with right wrist injury", "Andy Murray beats Tommy Robredo to win Valencia Open", "Roger Federer out of ATP World Tour final v Novak Djokovic", "Roger Federer finishes the job to clinch Swiss triumph", "Australian Open 2015: What did we learn Down Under? Creator: Cameron Spencer Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2018 Getty Image, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (16 wins against the Fab 3). It's very interesting at the top right now, and the depth I think has never been greater than right now. [40] With the win, he equaled Pete Sampras' all-time record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles and completed the Career Grand Slam, having lost to Nadal at each of the previous four editions of the French Open. [23] Djokovic, however, began to excel ahead of Murray in 2007, reaching one major final and two semifinals and beginning to regularly challenge Federer and Nadal. He broke Pete Sampras's all-time record 14 Grand Slam titles at 2009 Wimbledon. Actually, there are plenty of players who have beaten all of these 3 in the game of tennis. The term Golden Era has also been applied to other famous eras in tennis history including the mid-1970s to 1980s,[194][195][196] and the 1920s to the 1930s. For other uses, see. The GOAT debate has increasingly become centered around Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, as the trio have made themselves a part of tennis history with their continued dominance. [36] At the US Open, all four players reached the semifinals of the same major for the first time. Whereas Djokovic has 21 titles, winning the most recent at the 2022 Wimbledon Open. He was a serious player who gave Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic a run for their money. Daniil Medvedevtriumphed overNovak Djokovicin the 2021 US Open final, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to win the mens singles tennis title. Tonight, Rafael Nadal reached the semifinal of the French Open after beating his opponent Novak Djokovic in four sets, 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6(3). At the 2023 Australian Open, Djokovic returned to play and won his 10th Australian open title, matching Nadal's record of 22 men's singles majors. ", "Is the Dominance of the Big Three Good for Tennis? Tennishead.net is owned by Advantage Publishing (UK) Ltd. Company No: 05734573, Keep up to date with the breaking news & tennis action at our, Check out the latest tennis equipment with our, Read in depth features with stunning photography in, Check out our guide on how to watch tennis on TV, EXCLUSIVE 5% DISCOUNT for all tennishead readers on tennis rackets, balls, clothing, shoes & accessories with All Things Tennis. Naomi Osaka on the court with a baby bump: Andre Agassi her new coach? [71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79] This debate intensified after the Australian Open, which saw Stan Wawrinka defeat Djokovic in the quarterfinal and Nadal in the final to win his first Slam title, marking just the second time since 2005 and the first since 2009 that a player outside the Big Four had won a major title. Federer was defeated in the quarterfinals by Hubert Hurkacz. 1-ranked player, following Djokovic's loss in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships, thus ending the Big Four's streak of 921 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings (the streak began on 2 February 2004 when Federer overtook Andy Roddick). * Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Wimbledon Championships was cancelled. [68] A back injury ended Murray's season prematurely,[69] but he finished fourth in the rankings and was the only player besides Nadal and Djokovic to win a Grand Slam event or Masters title (at Wimbledon and Miami respectively). Nadal has an 82.9% career singles record of 1068-220, while Djokovic has an 83.5% career singles record of 1043-206. . One of those players is Roger Federer. Match after match I was playing better., MANORCO PVT LTD 2022 | All Rights Reserved. The 34-year-old has defeated Novak Djokovic eight times on hardcourt, the second-most of any player. [25] He also won two Masters titles and five overall titles during the season, finishing 2007 as the world No. Wawrinkadefeated the defending championNovak Djokovicin the final, 67(17), 64, 75, 63 to win the mens singles tennis title at the 2016 US Open. Nadal and Djokovic dominated the 2013 season. ", "Swiss tennis star Roger Federer confident of bouncing back to form", "Get ready for another Big Four-tnight at Wimbledon", "Wawrinka wins drama-charged Australian Open final", "Andy Murray six in world rankings, Stanislas Wawrinka up to three", "Andy Murray six in ATP world rankings, Wawrinka up to three", "Nishikori sees new generation threatening Big Four", "Berdych: Wawrinka showed us it is possible to win", "Novak Djokovic battles from behind to defeat Roger Federer and win BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells", "Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal to win Sony Open in Miami", "Djokovic defeats Nadal in three sets to win Rome Masters", "Rafael Nadal wins Madrid Masters after Kei Nishikori retires", "Andy Murray: World ranking drops to 10th lowest since 2008", "Wimbledon 2014: Is the end near for Nadal, Murray, Djokovic & Co?