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Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerlan wait to go on stage during the ATP Heritage Celebration at The Waldorf=Astoria on in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerlan wait to go on stage during the ATP Heritage Celebration at The Waldorf=Astoria on in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
There has been an ongoing debate about whether the next-gen players have taken over the sport of tennis or not. With players like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Dominic Thiem giving some tough competition to the ‘Big Three’, it looks like they are ready to carry their legacy forward. However, World No.1 Novak Djokovic doesn’t feel the same way.
Novak Djokovic recently won his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2021. Facing the man in-form and next-gen superstar Daniil Medvedev in the finals, he didn’t face any difficulty and defeated him in straight sets. The final scoreline of the match was 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.
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In a recent interview, Djoker mentioned that even though people claim that the next generation has taken over the sport, it is far from the truth. He believes that the ‘Big Three’ are still dominating the sport.
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Tournament winner Novak Djokovic of Serbia and runner up Daniil Medvedev of Russia holding their trophies after their final match REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
“People have been talking about the next generation takeover like it already happened, but the top spots of the rankings are still held by Rafa and myself,” said Djokovic in the interview.
The Serbian legend highlighted that he and Rafael Nadal still sit atop the ATP rankings. This is why he feels that the takeover hasn’t happened just yet.
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“Rafa, Roger, and myself are still giving them hard time”- Novak Djokovic
In the same interview, Djokovic admitted that the next-gen players are in some great form. However, he also reflected that he along with Rafa and Roger Federer is still giving them some tough competition.
“They are already there, but Rafa, Roger, and myself are still giving them hard time,” added the 9-time Australian Open winner.
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia shakes hands with Rafael Nadal of Spain after winning the match point during their final singles match daring day 10 of the ATP Cup at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)
The World No.1 certainly believes that although the next-gen players are playing well, it’ll be incorrect to say that they have taken over the sport. He feels that the ‘Big Three’ can still pose a threat to them.
In the last decade, the ‘Big Three’ won almost 90% of the Grand Slam titles. Although the next-gen superstars caused a few upsets, they were unable to deliver in high-pressure situations.
They’ll certainly want to learn and improve their game in order to carry the legacy of the ‘Big Three’ in tennis. What’s your take about this conundrum?
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