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Torch passing in men's tennis apparently won't include Americans
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic dominated the first quarter of the 21st century in men's tennis. Between 2000 and 2024, 99 major singles championships have been contested, with the trio winning two-thirds of the titles (66 out of 99) — 24 by Djokovic, 22 by Nadal and 20 by Federer.
No American man has claimed a major tennis singles title since 2003 when Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open.
It now appears the future of men's tennis might be dominated by a duo of young European stars for many years to come. 23-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner is ranked No. 1 in the world and is the reigning champion of the Australian and U.S. Opens. 21-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who's ranked No. 3 in the world, is the reigning champion of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Another great battle @janniksin, one of many more to come! Congratulations for the No. 1 and for your tournament! pic.twitter.com/DCn8cjrOq1
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) June 7, 2024
Although the young European stars compete against one another on the court, they are friendly and respectful of one another in person off the court and complimentary of each other on social media. They have met nine times, with Alcaraz holding a 5-4 lead in those matchups.
Congratulations @janniksin! You deserve it! Enjoy the moment! https://t.co/uDUNKhQwRr
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) September 8, 2024
27-year-old German Alexander Zverev, who's ranked No. 2 in the world, has yet to break through and win a major title, but he has reached the finals of the U.S. Open (2020) and French Open (2024).
The only non-European currently in the world's top 10 ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) rankings is American Taylor Fritz. The 26-year-old Californian has been ranked as high as No. 5, and he made it to the finals this year of the U.S. Open, where Sinner defeated him in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. Like Zverev, Fritz has yet to win a major tournament title.
As for the old guard, Federer retired in 2022. Nadal has indicated that he is contemplating retirement at age 38 but has yet to pull the plug on his professional tennis career. The 37-year-old Djokovic is ranked No. 4 in the world and won the gold medal this year at the Paris Olympics. In the tennis world, though, his age is already well beyond the outer limit of optimal performance.
Accordingly, it appears the torch long held by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic has been handed off — or soon will be passed — to Sinner and Alcaraz.
Will it just be the two of them or will another join them in presiding over the upper crust of men's tennis?
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