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, as astounding as they are, however, just give a glimpse of the golden age of men’s tennis. What the Big 3 also did, was split the world of tennis into three ways.

Federer, older to Nadal by five years, was the first to break onto the scene. The once pony-tailed hot-head from Switzerland eventually transitioned into a calm and stoic athlete. He made the most brutal of rallies seem effortless. He did not run as much as he did glide across the court. And his one-handed backhand, by far his weaker shot, was hailed for its balletic beauty.

His first big rival was Nadal, a powerful left-hander with bulging biceps. If Federer oozed grace, Nadal was all about the grind. He would sprint, retrieve, bludgeon the ball with topspin, and then do it all again, from first point to the last. Probably the most difficult Grand Slam on the tour, the French Open, which is played on physically demanding clay, became Nadal’s fortress. With 14 titles in Paris, his dominance over that one event surpassed all athletes across sport.

His first big rival was Federer. His biggest was Djokovic.

Just a year younger than Nadal, Djokovic is the joint most successful Grand Slam champion of all time, level with Margaret Court with 24 titles.

Djokovic threw a spanner in the works for the “Fedal” rivalry that had captivated the tennis world. One of the strongest players, mentally, in the sport, Djokovic’s athleticism was often unmatched. The Serb is a defensive baseliner who would chase everything down, sending it back with interest – sometimes even doing a full split just to get to the ball.

The Big 3 had their own idiosyncratic style of play. They were fierce rivals on court, they pushed each other to greater heights. And though there were often clashes between fans of each group, the players themselves remained respectful of each other’s achievements and abilities.

They were each other’s greatest opponents, but perhaps the only thing that could eventually break them down was age.

Federer has long transitioned into a life outside of tennis. Nadal is edging towards that phase. But it is folly to think that Djokovic is ready to make the step as well.

The 2024 season was the first since 2002 when neither Federer, Nadal or Djokovic won a Grand Slam. But Djokovic cannot be written off yet. He reached the Wimbledon final barely a month after undergoing knee surgery. And in August he managed to capture that one title that had remained elusive through most of his career – an Olympic gold.

At 37, he continues to compete. He remains the last piece of an era of tennis that will long be remembered.

An era that is ending. But it is not yet quite over.