It’s Time to Leave The Big Three Behind

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic. Three iconic names, made all the more legendary when together. 

But Federer and Nadal have retired, and Djokovic hasn’t won a Grand Slam since 2023. The era of the Big Three lasted a long time and produced some excellent tennis, but it’s over now. And instead of appreciating that greatness for what it was, the ATP seems hell-bent on recreating it. 

In a media video released by the ATP, various players were asked who could rise up to the level of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to create a new Big Three. A few answers were thrown out, ranging from young up-and-coming stars like Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien to established top players like Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti. But what the ATP doesn’t seem to understand is that what the Big Three was cannot be manufactured.

Ever since the rise of Alcaraz and Sinner, there has been a constant narrative pushed of who will be the Djokovic to their Nadal and Federer. Aside from the fact Sinner and Alcaraz are not Nadal and Federer but in fact incredibly unique players, there is no requirement for there to be a Djokovic at all. Instead of embracing this new era of tennis, though, the ATP just wants to recreate the past.

One name that came up in the video was Holger Rune, who is perhaps the biggest victim of being categorized as “the Djokovic” to Alcaraz and Sinner. For a while, the three of them were presented as the clear-cut new Big Three, with Rune and his constant drama filling the Djokovic role nicely. And with stellar results at Masters 1000s (including a win over Djokovic himself in the Paris final), Rune seemed poised to soar to the level his peers were at. 

The expectations rose higher and higher, but Holger Rune is not Novak Djokovic. And he doesn’t have to be—he has an impressive albeit inconsistent resume, and despite current injury setbacks, his career is just getting started. But he didn’t live up to what was expected of him; he didn’t fit the Djokovic mold.

Now, players get cycled in and out of being “the Djokovic”. Draper held the title after defeating Alcaraz and Rune en route to winning Indian Wells, but the spotlight has shifted from him following time away from tennis due to injury. Recently, Fonseca has been the target of the new Big Three mania, especially after taking Sinner to the brink in their first match. 

It doesn’t matter who the flashy player of the week is, though. In terms of record and level, Alcaraz and Sinner are far ahead of the rest of the Tour—as many players pointed out in the video. There is no Big Three right now, and there doesn’t have to be one. Alcaraz and Sinner are not Nadal and Federer, and the players that are able to challenge them are not Djokovic. 

When Rune returns to the ATP Tour, it may be to his benefit to not be burdened with such heavy expectations. But Draper, Fonseca, and all the other players speculated to fit into this narrow box don’t need to play with that on their shoulders either. Tennis evolves, and it’s best to leave the past where it belongs.