1 ranking for the entirety of the period. He won the 2009 US Open against Federer. Check here, Be the first one to comment on this story. He also became the first British winner in singles sinceVirginia Wadewon the womens event in1977. Although Nadal did not reach the semifinals of either North American Masters event, he returned to world No. They have been ranked as world No. 1 for a record 378 weeks, Federer for 310 weeks, Nadal for 209 weeks, and Murray for 41 weeks. Compared to Novak and Fed with 3 each. The Serb has beaten the Swiss 27 times, with 22 defeats (as of April 2020). This meant that all of the Big Four had reached world number one at some point. [170][171] In 2014, statistician Nate Silver labelled the group the 'Big Three and a Half'. 1 seed Federer upset by Spanish teenager", "2005: Rafael Nadal Wins Roland Garros, Begins New Era in Clay Court Tennis", "The friendship and rivalry of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic", "Djokovic upsets Federer in straight sets", "BBC SPORT Tennis Brutal Nadal sweeps aside Murray", "Wimbledon 2008: John McEnroe hails Rafael Nadal victory as greatest final ever", "Murray trumps Nadal to reach US Open final", "Rusedski on the 'big four' of men's tennis", "Nadal wins battle for place in history by edging past Federer in Melbourne", "Rafael Nadal's Wimbledon withdrawal leaves door open for Andy Murray", "Roger Federer wins at Roland Garros to enter pantheon of grand slam greats", https://www.cbc.ca/sports/federer-wins-record-15th-grand-slam-1.789887, "Andy Murray beats Juan Martin Del Potro to win Rogers Cup", "Roger Federer enters sixth consecutive US Open final defeating Novak Djokovic", "Juan Martn del Potro crushes Rafael Nadal to meet Roger Federer in final", "Rafael Nadal: Why This Clay Court Season Might Not Be As Easy As the Last One", "The 10 Greatest Men's Seasons: No. The Slovak managed to beat Rafael Nadal three times in a row. So, the question he is probably itching to learn the answer to himself is: how does Thiems record against the big three stack up against others who have chased them? It will be safe to say that Dominic Thiem is the closest tennis player who comes to the Fab 3. Roger Federer According to a statistic recently popping out on Twitter, the only players to beat each of the Big Three, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic 5 or more times. [125] In the 2019 Davis Cup, Spain won its sixth title (its first since 2011), defeating Canada in the final 20. The tournament further signalled the decline of the Big Four's dominance. Camila Giorgi enchants Instagram with a cowgirl outfit! [4], The Big Four was used to describe the larger quartet of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Andy Murray from about 2008 to 2017, though the term is occasionally still used when referring to the group in that period. [40] With the win, he equaled Pete Sampras' all-time record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles and completed the Career Grand Slam, having lost to Nadal at each of the previous four editions of the French Open. Defeated Novak Djokovic and Rafael . Please logout and login again. Andy Murray responds to Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek praise: Lot of respect for them, Rafael Nadal will lose the Top-10 after almost 18 years. He beat Nadal for the second time a couple of years later at the Brisbane Open. Federer withdrew from the remainder of the 2016 season due to a knee injury, missing the Olympics and US Open.[116]. ^ Outright records and winning head-to-head records indicated in bold. Carlos Alcaraz is the most likely player to take over after the 'Big-3' era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic comes to an end, reckons Daniil Medvedev. They are the only three men in history to win eight or more singles titles at a single Grand Slam tournament: Nadal with 14 French Open titles, Djokovic with 10 Australian Open titles, and Federer with 8 Wimbledon titles. 3 did, however, lose to the Mallorcan on eight occasions. 1 position for the first time in July. 1 ranking back to Federer for one week until Nadal won the title in Rome. The Djokovic-Nadal and Djokovic-Federer rivalries are the only two in the Open Era to reach 50 matches. Since the2003 Australian Open, the Big Three have dominated mens singles, winning 62 of the past 77 Grand Slamtitles up to the2022 French Open. It's very interesting at the top right now, and the depth I think has never been greater than right now. Djokovic has completed a non-calendar year Grand Slam, making him the only man in history to hold all four majors at once across three different surfaces. The Scotsman became the first British man sinceFred Perryin1936to win a major title. Between 2008 and 2010, Djokovic and later Murray attempted to end the duopoly of Federer and Nadal at the summit of tennis. After winning the title, Andy said, I was obviously very emotional. Many young players who rise up the ranks nowadays point to either of . [147] At the 2022 Australian Open, Nadal surpassed both Federer and Djokovic by claiming the title,[148] and went on to claim his 22nd Grand Slam trophy at the 2022 French Open. Federer: 5 Nadal: 5 Djokovic: 4 Lleyton Hewitt (14) Hewitt has a fine record against them, although it is perhaps a little loaded since he was at the top when Federer and Nadal were just starting out. Nadal and Djokovic dominated the 2013 season. Milos Raonic beat Rafael Nadal twice, both times on hardcourt. The victory made him the first man to win the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles in the same calendar year since Rod Laver in 1969, and the second player to win majors on three different surfaces in a calendar year, after Nadal in 2010. However, there are a few players who have a winning record against him. Djokovic and Murray were third and fourth respectively, both reaching one Grand Slam final apiece. As the 2017 clay court swing commenced, Federer skipped the entire clay season to rest and focus on the grass and hard-court seasons, as well as to prolong his career. Murray dominated the rest of the year. He competed for Serbia in the 2008. At the start of 2018, Murray underwent hip surgery for the injury that had sidelined him since the previous summer. In Wimbledon, Nadal and Federer again met in the semifinals, their first meeting at Wimbledon since the 2008 final. [119] Nadal, Murray and Djokovic all lost before the semifinals. [71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79] This debate intensified after the Australian Open, which saw Stan Wawrinka defeat Djokovic in the quarterfinal and Nadal in the final to win his first Slam title, marking just the second time since 2005 and the first since 2009 that a player outside the Big Four had won a major title. I cried a little bit on the court. Medvedev's later elimination guaranteed a new champion (which would be Carlos Alcaraz), making this the 13th time that a major would feature a new champion since Federer's first Wimbledon title in 2003, and the third consecutive year that the US Open would feature a new champion. But then again we don't play doubles. Currently, Djokovic leads his head-to-head record against both Federer and Nadal. [59] Federer relinquished his world No. Russian man to earn Slam glory, joiningYevgeny Kafelnikov andMarat Safin. The Austrian ended up shocking the top seed with a victory in three sets. The first to do so was Juan Martn del Potro when he defeated . The defeat saw Nadal slip to seventh in the rankings, his first time outside the top five in more than a decade. Murray and Djokovic played in the finals of Madrid and Rome and split the titles. The Frenchman has got six wins against Federer and Djokovic, and four against Nadal. Medvedev thus became the twelfth player outside the Big Three to win a major since Federer's first win at 2003 Wimbledon. Roger Federer had better luck against Rainer Schuettler, winning his first match against the German back in 1999. Tennishead.net is now the world's most visited tennis news website, Tennishead magazine is the world's favourite tennis publication and the Tennishead CLUB is our ground breaking virtual tennis community. He reached world No. [citation needed], Federer did not participate at the French Open. Match after match I was playing better., MANORCO PVT LTD 2022 | All Rights Reserved. At the Olympics, Djokovic was knocked out of the men's singles in the opening round by Juan Martn del Potro, in a repeat of the bronze medal match from four years earlier. (W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (WL) winloss record. 1 ranking, all since 2012, saw him listed more comfortably alongside the other three members during the mid-2010s. In a recent press conference, Djokovic shared his thoughts on the next generation of tennis players and his own legacy in the sport. ", "Wimbledon: Young guns Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov look to progress", "Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer to win Wimbledon title", "Roger Federer beats David Ferrer to claim Cincinnati title", "Rafael Nadal withdraws from 2014 U.S. Open with right wrist injury", "Andy Murray beats Tommy Robredo to win Valencia Open", "Roger Federer out of ATP World Tour final v Novak Djokovic", "Roger Federer finishes the job to clinch Swiss triumph", "Australian Open 2015: What did we learn Down Under? They did not break it but emerged ahead of the rest of the tour. Naomi Osaka on the court with a baby bump: Andre Agassi her new coach? The former World No. [82][83][84][85] However, the first two Masters titles of the year in Indian Wells and Miami only had Big Four finalists, with Djokovic winning his third and fourth consecutive Masters titles with victories over Federer and Nadal respectively. Nadal withdrew from the ATP Finals to undergo surgery for an ankle injury. 2, while Djokovic, who lost in the quarterfinals, fell to world No. These things happen rarely, but it has happened to Federer few times. With five, Federer has recorded most bagels against all three of his peers, while receiving only one. Madrid, Spain On This Day: David Nalbandian completes the first and only Big 3 sweep The now-retired Argentine is still the only player to ever beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak. Murray beat Federer in a five-set semifinal match, meaning all four members of the Big Four had beaten each other at least once at a major, but he lost to Djokovic in the final. Nadal and Djokovic have each achieved a Surface Slam by winning majors on hard, clay, and grass courts in a calendar year, making them the only male players in history to do so. [9][153][154][155][156], I think the top four, they are better. Djokovic rebounded to win a record 36th Masters title in the Italian Open two weeks later. On his day, though, Del Potro was feared, even by the big guns. Nadal also won in Madrid, while Djokovic fell to Alexander Zverev in the Rome final. Answer: By twice in a row, I guess you are reffering to two back to back tournaments (for example when Federer defeated Nadal in Indian Wells and Miami 2017). 2 behind Andy Roddick. Tomas Berdych (13 wins against the Fab 3). Until March of 2021, Roger Federer held the record for being the world number 1 for the longest amount of time. [186][187], Some, including Steffi Graf and John McEnroe, believe the presence of the Big Four has coincided with that of a new "Golden Era" in men's tennis since 2008, wherein depth, athleticism and quality have never been better. After a quarter-final win at the Qatar Open in 2009, Monfils had to wait three years before his second triumph against Nadal, which came at the same venue only this time in the semifinals. A lot of the tennis stars such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Pete Sampras among the others have held the number 1 rank. Novak Djokovic: Probably no Serbia Open in 2024, Ion Tiriac wants his licence back, ATP Acapulco: Taro Daniel scores first top-10 win despite beating Novak Djokovic, ATP Dubai: Lorenzo Sonego keeps Rafael Nadal in top-10, Novak Djokovic passes Rafael Nadal, matches Roger Federer. Four of the five Masters tournaments typically held between the Australian and the French Open were cancelled, with the Italian Open the only one to be postponed. Djokovic was the year-end No. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all have credible claims to be considered the best. Murray, meanwhile, made the semifinals of all four majors, with including a runner-up finish in the Australian Open final to Djokovic. The early 2000s were seen as a time of transition in tennis, with older champions retiring and a few players breaking through at the very top of the game. Here is why! Nadal Defeats Ruud For Another Roland Garros Title", "Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Wimbledon Ahead of Semifinal Match", "Djokovic Seeks Big Four Supremacy in Semifinal With Federer", "The Big 3: Bagels served and received by each of the 3 greats of Tennis FirstSportz", "Grand slam winners record: How Nadal, Djokovic and Federer compare in the race for the most men's titles", "GOAT: Novak Djokovic closes Grand Slam gap on Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer", "Novak Djokovic wins record-equaling 20th grand slam title after beating Matteo Berrettini in Wimbledon final", "Rafael Nadal beats Medvedev in epic Australian Open final for 21st slam title", "2022 French Open men's final: Rafael Nadal wins 14th title at Roland Garros, 22nd career Grand Slam", "Novak Djokovic crowned Wimbledon champion after beating Nick Kyrgios", "Tsonga unsure how to end 'big four' dominance", "By The Numbers: Dominance of The 'Big Four', "Australian Open 2013: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray this is golden era of men's tennis, says Andre Agassi", "Bridging Gap to 'Big Four' Proving Too Tough for Rest", "Wimbledon 2011: Andy Murray is playing in the golden age of tennis for the men's game, says Bjorn Borg", "Ubha: Pete Sampras' take on the big four", "David Ferrer reluctant to claim 'Big Four' status", "Big Four searching for their way on clay", "A year in review: a look back at how the 'Big Four' jostled for supremacy in a vintage season", "Wimbledon 2013 Review: Where Has It Left the 'Big 4'? The Frenchman could never quite get the measure of Novak Djokovic though, losing 17 times to the Serb in as many encounters. Australia great Pat Cash took a dig at 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer's inferior head-to-head record against famous opponents Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Djokovic has a clear lead in the head-to-head record between the two legends of tennis, with Federer winning just 16 times. The Czech superstar was a Wimbledon finalist and was ranked no.4 during his peak. Berdych beat Federer and Djokovic at Wimbledon 2010 before losing to Nadal in the final. In February 2000 Marc Rosset defeated 18 year old Roger in the . He became the second player after Andre Agassi to win a Grand Slam singles tournament, ATP Finals, Olympic and Masters titles, and the first to do so in the same calendar year. 4. 1. The 2020 US Open quarterfinalist failed to defeat the Serb though, losing all four matches against the World No. The rivalry started in 2006 with Federer winning the first four meetings, but following Djokovic's first win at the 2007 Canadian Open, the rivalry became mostly even through to its conclusion in 2020. The 20-time Grand Slam winner went on to win a couple more times before losing in straight sets at the 2002 Dubai Open. Something quite amazing. [95] The US Open 2014 saw the Big Four's collective grip on the major titles slip still further, however, as Kei Nishikori and Marin ili beat Djokovic and Federer in the semifinals respectively to contest the first Slam final featuring none of the Big Four since the 2005 Australian Open, and the first time since 2003 that multiple first-time Grand Slam tournament winners have been crowned in a single season. [94] Later, he also won the Shanghai Masters, and returned to No. However, given Murray's injury-ridden exit from the tennis elite after his 2016 triumphs, and the Big Three's continued dominance through year-end 2019, the "Big Four" label has been increasingly confined to the 20082017 period. At the Davis Cup, Nadal helped Spain to win the title in five editions, Djokovic and Federer helped Serbia (2010) and Switzerland (2014) win their first title in the competition, and Murray helped Great Britain win the title in 2015. They have been the most successful men's singles players for the last two decades. [25] He also won two Masters titles and five overall titles during the season, finishing 2007 as the world No. 3. Nadal lost the bronze medal match to Kei Nishikori but won gold in the men's doubles event. Its a strange feeling. Del Potro said, It was so difficult to keep trying to fight. They have collectively occupied the top-three positions of the year-end ATP rankings eight times; in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2019. [124] Djokovic and Nadal, meanwhile, made the semifinals, where twetlfth-seeded Djokovic defeated world No. Thiem is the only player on the list who has his best days ahead of him, and his record against Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal really underlines what a serious talent he is. It was Djokovic's 16th major title, only trailing Federer's 20 and Nadal's 18. Nadal then resumed his domination of the clay-court season, winning all three clay-court Masters events and the French Open, where he defeated Sderling in the final. Speaking of players who had the hitting power but have been cruelly curtailed by injury, welcome to the party Juan Martin! 1 Nadal in five sets to reach his first major final in nearly two years. I always try to watch the finals of Grand Slams because thats where the best players are playing., He added, Before today, for me it wasnt a dream. Federer's early loss in Miami resulted in the loss of the No. A third loss, to Djokovic in the final of the Rome Masters, was the first time Nadal had lost more than two matches on clay in a season for a decade. Nadal withdrew before his first match at the Paris Masters, thus yielding the No. The Big Three monopolized the top spot in the ATP singles rankings 897 weeks (equivalent to 17 years). He became the fourth man in history to complete the double Career Grand Slam in singles, and the second after Djokovic in the Open Era. Juan Martn del Potro won his first Grand Slam mens singles title at the 2009 US Open, defeating five-time defending championRoger Federerin a five-set thriller. At the US Open, Djokovic retired against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round due to a shoulder injury, and Federer was upset by Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals. Alexander Zverev has beaten Nadal and Federer once on clay and grass, and Djokovic thrice on hardcourt Alexander Zverev's sole victory over Rafael Nadal on clay came in the 2021 Madrid. Thiem has scored four victories over Rafael Nadal on clay, the second-most by any player. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal bias underlines Novak Djokovic not being rewarded with the GOAT status, according to a veteran tennis player. Andy Murraydefeated then the defending championNovak Djokovicin the final of the 2012 US Open, 76(1210), 75, 26, 36, 62 to win the mens singles tennis title. Djokovic's 2016 Australian Open victory was especially impressive, as he came back from a two-set . Despite his struggles with form throughout the second half of the year, Djokovic still ended 2016 as world number two. Dominic Thiem has met Roger Federer only once on grass so far -- in the semifinals of the 2016 Stuttgart Open. [157], Since 2010, when the Big Four increasingly began to dominate the tour as a group, many articles and reports have concentrated mainly on the members of the Big Four and their chances in upcoming tournaments, with smaller sections devoted to all other players. The Frenchman possessed the hitting power to break down the defences of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, and the court-coverage to stay i the game long enough to make it count. The 34-year-old Serbian won his first Grand Slam title 13 years ago when he beat Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in four sets at the 2008 Australian Open. The Slovak triumphed in two out of three matches against Federer. The rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is the most prolific in tennis history. This was the fourth time that Nadal and Federer had won all four majors in the same year, following their sweeps in 2006, 2007, and 2010. In team sports, rosters change year by year and the rivalries endure.. [127], At the 2020 Australian Open, Nadal lost to Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals, while Djokovic defeated Federer in the semifinals. [63] However, Djokovic ended Nadal's record eight-year winning streak at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Federer did not compete in the 2021 Australian Open in order to recover from surgery. He also holds a positive winloss record in Grand Slam singles finals, winning three of four (the loss being to Nadal in the final of the 2017 French Open), as opposed to Murray who has won only three from eleven (a 27.27% strike rate).