Consider the World’s 26th Best Male Tennis Player
Spare a thought for the quarterfinalists
Men’s tennis is having a moment. A transitional moment. One dominant generation is retiring, and tributes to their impact and inspiration are everywhere.
But if you competed against that dominant generation, inspiration was not all you received. They also dealt you losses by the handful.
Even those who don’t follow men’s tennis probably know of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
Beginning with Federer’s Wimbledon victory in 2003, these three men have won 66 of the 83 major championships, the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, or the US Open, collectively known as the Grand Slams. Those tournaments are the pinnacle of every professional player’s career.
Two decades ago, those numbers were incomprehensible. In 2000, Pete Sampras surpassed the 30-year-old record of 12 Grand Slams by winning his 13th at Wimbledon, and it was impossible to imagine anyone winning more. (Sampras added a 14th at the 2002 US Open.)
Then Federer surpassed Sampras in 2009 when he won his 15th Grand Slam at Wimbledon, on his way to a total of 20. Nadal reached 22 Grand Slam victories, including 14 French Opens. And Djokovic now stands at 24 Grand Slams, with the possibility…
