Novak Djokovic has dominated the Australian Open over the years, but the dominant forces in the past two decades have been him, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal combined.
The Big Three left a huge mark on the sport and it would take too long to really go over everything they achieved. They've basically dominated the ATP Tour continuously for 20 years with a few players breaking out in a major way in between.
Djokovic has by far been the best player in Melbourne, as he has won 10 majors in Australia over the years. The first one came back in 2008, and the last one was in 2023. Federer won his first in 2004, and his last one came in 2018.
Rafael Nadal won his first in 2009 and his last one in 2022, and since 2004, there were only two years when one of the Big Three didn't win the event. That's incredible, but it also makes this upcoming Australian Open the first one since 2005 that doesn't feature any of the Big Three members in the final.
Obviously, that is because time passes, and these players are not at their peak anymore, which was going to happen sooner or later, but it's still important to note how much they have dominated in Melbourne over the years.
The final between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev will be remembered as the first without Djokovic, Nadal, or Federer since 2005 when Federer stumbled just short of the final in the semi-final.
It certainly signals the end of an era because the new generation is right here. On top of that, Federer retired, while Nadal is still around but not near his peak. Djokovic is keeping the Big Three legacy alive, but the youngsters are starting to prove just too strong.
Now it's time for the young guns to take over, and if Jannik Sinner could win the event, it would be just that.
0 Comments