The last two decades of the Tennis world have been completely dominated by the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Federer and Nadal have won 20 slams apiece whereas Djokovic has won 18 slams. These three big players have enthralled the Tennis fans with their class and consistency.
However, the next generation of players has also shown the right promise to go a long way in their respective careers. The likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem, and Alexander Zverev have risen through the ranks and they have done well in the recent past.
But they are always compared with the Big Three – which is a tad unfair as Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have all the experience under their belt. Former World No. 1 Roger Federer believes the next-generation of players should get their credit if they go on to win a big title in the absence of the Big three.
In fact, a lot of people question Dominic Thiem’s triumph in US Open 2020 as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer hadn’t played the event whereas Novak Djokovic was disqualified.
“It’s difficult for them [Next Gen] because they are always going to be compared to our generation,” Federer told Bein Sports. “If they do win a Grand Slam but they do not beat one of us [Big Three], fans and media do not give them the credit they deserve. That’s wrong. They are doing a great job.”
Federer added that it takes time for every player to get to the top of the sport. The Swiss maestro stated that he has to sometimes pinch himself for everything he has achieved in his glorious career.
“By the time I was 18, I thought maybe I can make it to the top 100 or even top 10, but I never thought I could be the world No. 1 one day. The road was long and rocky, but to win all the grand slams that I did… I often have to pinch myself to believe it.”
Meanwhile, Roger Federer had recently got back to action in the Qatar Open and he was knocked out by Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili at the quarter-final stage. Federer has decided to pull out of Dubai Open to get some more practice time.
