The last two decades of the Tennis world have been completely dominated by the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Federer and Nadal have won 20 slams apiece whereas Djokovic has won 18 slams. These three big players have enthralled the Tennis fans with their class and consistency.
However, the next generation of players has also shown the right promise to go a long way in their respective careers. The likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem, and Alexander Zverev have risen through the ranks and they have done well in the recent past.
The Big three have won 90% of the slams in the last decade and they have shown that they still have some fuel left in their tank. The trio has dominated since the early 2000s and the other players have failed to give a tough competition to them.
Federer is currently 39 whereas Nadal is 34 and Djokovic is 33. Thus, it is expected that Nadal and Djokovic still have some years of Tennis left in them.
Italian Tennis player Fabio Fognini believes the next generation will be lucky to play without the Big Three when they will retire.
Fognini said while talking to as.com, Fabio said, “Young boys will be very lucky to one day play without these three, that I have had all the way.”
“When I reached the second week of a Grand Slam I was already happy, as if it were a semifinal or a final, because from then on it was your turn to one of them, or Murray, Del Potro, Wawrinka.”
Fognini added it is his pleasure to play against three of the best players in the history of the sport.
“The good thing has been to compete against them and live with the best in history. The bad, that to do something good, incredible things had to happen.”
Fognini has thus far won four matches against Rafael Nadal, including the third-round victory in the US Open, when he became the first player to defeat the Spaniard when he was two sets two down in a slam. The Italian is yet to register his maiden win against Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.