September 28, (THEWILL) – Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer believes a new player will surpass “The Big Three” and break his joint record of 20 Grand Slam titles, which he shares with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
With all three players, particularly Federer, nearing the end of their decorated tennis careers, the question of who will become the next dominant player in the men’s game remains unanswered.
Except for Wimbledon, Dominic Thiem has reached the final of every Grand Slam, while Daniil Medvedev most recently won the US Open with an impressive straight sets victory over Djokovic, denying him the calendar Grand Slam. Alexander Zverev, 24, won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020 after defeating Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
Federer believes a “new, incredible” player will emerge to break the trio’s illustrious Slam record. When asked if it was possible, his first words were straight to the point: “I think yes.”
“I feel like nowadays – and this is not to take anything away from Rafa, Novak or myself, for that matter – but, you know, I feel like it’s easier to dominate through the different surfaces nowadays.
“Back in the day, yes, we did have three grass-court events, but maybe the margins were slimmer. I feel like there were hard-court players, clay-court players and there weren’t so many players who could play on all surfaces.
“Sure, [Bjorn] Borg did it, but things were different. Players weren’t chasing one Slam after another like they are today and record after record. Nowadays, such a strategy is much more part of your career.
“So, yes, a new, incredible player will, I believe, break our run of 20 grand slams eventually – but not overnight!” he added.
With Federer recovering from the third knee surgery and aiming to compete in the Australian Open in 2022, he believes Nadal and Djokovic “have a different mindset” than him right now.
In addition, and in a show of support for the travails of female tennis player Naomi Osaka, Federer also opined that tennis should do more to improve the relationship between the media and players to protect the mental health of players on the men’s and women’s tours.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
