The era of the Big 3 is well and truly coming to an end in tennis. With both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal having retired years ago, Novak Djokovic is the only one of the three who is still competing on the biggest stage. But it appears that the Serb’s era of dominance has also come to an end, as he has dropped out of the top 10 in the ATP Rankings. This marks the first time since 2002 that none of the Big 3 are present in the top 10, and tennis fans can’t help but reminisce about the days when they were at the top.

This is the first time since 2018 that Djokovic has dropped out of the top 10. He has lost seven places and has dropped from No. 5 to No. 12 following his first-round defeat to Mariano Navone at the US Open. Though he had finished the grass swing on a positive note by reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, Djokovic’s US swing proved to be nothing short of a nightmare.

After missing the Canadian Open, the veteran made his return at the Cincinnati Masters. But he fell on the first hurdle and was defeated 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Thiago Agustin Tirante. The same pattern followed at Flushing Meadows, where he was defeated in the first round once again, meaning that his US swing concluded with no wins.

Djokovic’s repetitive failures are signaling the end of the Big 3 era. Federer and Nadal were the ones to begin this era of dominance in the early 2000s by capturing numerous Grand Slam titles. While Federer won five Wimbledon and US Open titles in a row, Nadal won five French Open titles in the decade. Djokovic rose to prominence in the latter part of the decade and started competing toe-to-toe with Federer and Nadal.

The 2010s saw the three dominate over the rest of the field. They won 33 of the 40 Grand Slam titles from 2010-2019, playing some of the best tennis matches ever witnessed. Barely anyone was able to challenge their dominance, leading to limited success for the new generation of players.

They won even more Grand Slam titles in the early 2020s. Interestingly, they clinched 66 of the 79 major titles from the 2003 Wimbledon Championships to the 2023 US Open. Djokovic is the male player with the most Grand Slam titles at 24, followed by Nadal and Federer, who have 22 and 20 titles, respectively.

With Federer retiring in 2022 and Nadal hanging up his boots in 2024, Djokovic has been the last man standing for the last two years. But his retirement also seems to be closer than ever, and it won’t be a surprise if he soon leaves tennis for good. With one of the finest eras of the sport on the brink of its end, many fans are thankful to the three for providing them with several unforgettable moments.

Fans reminisce about the Big 3 era after Novak Djokovic’s recent downfall

A fan hailed the Big 3 by pointing out the longevity of their dominance. “2002! There’ll be people reading this who weren’t even born the last time the ATP top 10 contained none of Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. We really did live through an extraordinary era of tennis,” a user wrote on X.

A fan described the Big 3 era as the greatest time that tennis has ever witnessed. “That was the greatest era of all time which has passed now . Djokovic among all is also on the verge of retiring,” a post on X read.

There was a fan who hailed the Big 3 for their monumental success. “Unbelievable … What dominance by the 3 greatest of all time.”

A fan didn’t seem to be that surprised that the era was coming to a close. “I guess Change is the only constant thing in the world.”

Finally, a fan felt that the Big 3’s dominance will never be replicated and highlighted how much they contributed to the sport as a whole. “I am so thankful to have been a tennis fan in their prime. They gave this sport their all and I am sad, that it finally comes to an end. Nothing against the new era, but these three were just special!!!”

With the Big 3 era expected to reach its conclusion soon, it is now the responsibility of the current generation of players to take tennis forward and attract new fans to the sport.