Roger Federer embodied pure tennis aesthetics and was the king of every center court. Rafael Nadal, who said “Adios” at the Davis Cup final in Malaga from November 19th, stood and stands for passion and brutal fight. And the insurmountable wall Novak Djokovic placed his name in every sports almanac with the attribute of sheer invincibility. The “big three,” they were charismatics who spoke for themselves in their workplace.
And today? The generational change feared by naysayers has been successfully completed. If you make a comparison, Jannik Sinner has taken Federer’s place in terms of type, Carlos Alcaraz has taken Nadal’s place – and Djokovic, who will be serving at least next year, probably comes closest to Holger Rune with his equally polarizing style. Even if this trio still lacks the charisma of their idols, it represents good security for the future of tennis.
Of course, there are also players who have made a name for themselves through a different route. Keyword Nick Kyrgios. Or Benoit Paire, Corentin Moutet, Alexander Bublik – they are hotheads and show players who, in their own way, give the tour a special flavor and are indispensable. Daniil Medvedev should not be missing from this list of names. The 28-year-old Russian not only impresses with his successes (20 titles), but also repeatedly plays himself into the spotlight as an enfant terrible.
All the more surprisingly, the 2021 US Open winner explained in an interview that “at the beginning of my career I was notorious for being very boring. And now I suddenly have the feeling that I’m considered one of the most entertaining people on the tour.” The way he carries himself on the tennis court isn’t fake, it’s more in keeping with his nature.
At the same time, Medvedev, who likes to mess with the audience and has already accused a referee of bribery, advises his colleagues not to think that they have to entertain on the pitch. “In our sport there are so many different players with different personalities. And all of this contributes to the fact that tennis is still exciting and still lives as a global sport that people enjoy watching.” And that even without the big three.
They will be missing from the ATP Finals starting on Sunday in Turin for the first time since 2001 after defending champion and record winner Djokovic (seven trophies) canceled his appearance. Instead, in addition to last year’s finalists and local hero Sinner, Alcaraz and Medvedev (winner 2020), Alex Zverev (winner 2018 and 2021), Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, debutant Alex de Minaur and Andrej Rublew are fighting for a total of 15.25 million dollars in prize money.
If a player can win all of his games (three group games, semi-finals and final), he will receive a winner’s check for $4.88 million. Djokovic won the title in 2023, but suffered a defeat against Sinner in the group stage. And this year? A tennis spectacle with the best players of the year is once again inevitable – so let the games begin!
