New York: For the first time in 22 years, the Grand Slam roll of honour will not include any members of the “Big Three,” following Novak Djokovic’s earliest exit from the US Open since 2006.
The 24-time major champion experienced a surprising defeat in the third round against Alexei Popyrin, resulting in a season without a Grand Slam title for Djokovic for the first time in seven years.
“I played some of the worst tennis I have ever played,” Djokovic lamented, visibly disappointed after his title defence in New York was abruptly halted by his 28th-ranked rival.
This outcome has raised concerns regarding the long-term future of the 37-year-old athlete in the sport, as well as the concluding chapter for tennis’s golden generation, which includes the retired Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic himself.
When Federer won the Wimbledon title in 2003, it marked the beginning of the “Big Three’s” dominance, with 66 Grand Slam titles secured out of the 84 contested up to this year’s Wimbledon. Federer retired in 2022 with a total of 20 major titles.
Nadal, now 38, has claimed 22 Grand Slams, the latest being his 14th French Open victory in 2022. A series of injuries have restricted the Spanish player to only four matches in 2023, achieving just one win, and 19 matches overall this year with 12 victories. He faced an unprecedented first-round defeat at Roland Garros this season and subsequently opted out of Wimbledon.
Nadal has not participated in a singles match since his loss to Djokovic in the second round of the Olympics. He is expected to return at the Laver Cup in Berlin next month, and with his ranking having fallen to 154 in the world, speculation is rife that he may follow in Federer’s footsteps and use this event as his farewell.
Djokovic, at 37, holds the men’s record with 24 Grand Slam titles but remains tied with Australia’s Margaret Court for the all-time record. Should he achieve this milestone at the Australian Open in January, he would become the oldest Grand Slam champion in the modern era. “I have to draw the line,” Djokovic stated. “You’re just angry and upset that you lost and the way you played, and that’s it.”
Djokovic’s rollercoaster year has seen him lose his Australian Open title to Jannik Sinner who also ended his stay as world number one, a lofty status he had enjoyed for a combined 428 weeks.
Carlos Alcaraz, 16 years his junior, succeeded him as French Open champion after Djokovic withdrew from his scheduled quarter-final with a knee injury which required surgery.
Alcaraz then blew the Serb off court to defend his Wimbledon crown.
Djokovic quickly avenged that loss by claiming Olympic gold in Paris which he described as his “greatest achievement”.
