Last man standing: Rafael Nadal’s retirement hints at the final days of an era, but not the end

This article originally appeared in The Field’s newsletter, Game Points, on October 16, 2024. Sign up hereto get the newsletter directly delivered to your inbox every week.

And then there was one.

For nearly two decades, the Big 3 had staked a claim over every major event in men’s tennis. Younger challengers came and went, but their grasp over the Grand Slams, in particular, rarely loosened.

By 2022 though, Roger Federer decided to call time on his illustrious career. Just last week, Rafael Nadal announced that the Davis Cup Finals next month will be his last event as a professional player.

Novak Djokovic will remain on tour as the last active member of the Big 3 of men’s tennis. We are nearing the end of an era. But what an era it has been.

There is no discounting the thrilling rivalries and achievements of players from decades earlier. But what Federer, Nadal and Djokovic did in men’s tennis had been unprecedented. This was a dominance over the sport like none before. A dominance that lasted nearly 20 years.

Between the three, they won 66 of the 81 Grand Slams that were held between Federer’s first (Wimbledon 2003) and Djokovic’s last (US Open 2024). Together they had been world No 1 for 947 weeks, or just over 18 years.

The numbers,...

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