Federe, Nadal, and Djokovic eras will never happen again’—the f former star makes ‘brutal change’.
As the extraordinary era controlled by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic draws to an end, Feliciano Lopez has declared that the tennis world is “experiencing a painful transformation.”
The former world No. 12 asserted that previous eras shouldn’t be compared to this “unreal” time, saying there will never be a finer group of players than the Big Three.
All but eight of the Grand Slam competitions held between 2006 and 2019 were won by Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic; the only other notable winners were Juan Martin Del Potro, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, and Stan Wawrinka.
Men’s record holder Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles; the next two players on the all-time list, Nadal and Federer, have won 22 and 20, respectively.
While Djokovic won three of the four majors in 2018, Federer earned his final Grand Slam title at the 2018 Australian Open before retiring in 2022, and Nadal won his most recent Grand Slam title at the 2022 French Open.
The three giants’ shared years are considered a golden age of tennis because of their fierce rivalries, which rank among the best in the sport’s history.
Read more: Men’s tennis’s nine oldest ranked players: Days remain before Novak Djokovic breaks Roger Federer’s record.
Lopez, who frequently faced off against all three of the Big Three, talked about the present state of change in the men’s game in an interview with EFE.
It’s readily apparent. Rafa does not know what he has left, Djokovic does not know what he has left, and Roger Federer is no longer among us. However, it’s clear that the tennis world is undergoing a drastic transformation,” the 42-year-old Spaniard said.
“In the end, the events of the past several months have been unbelievable. It seems unbelievable to me that the last fifteen years have seen three No. 1 players—the greatest players in history—competing together. I also believe that this will never happen again. It would be best if we accepted it sooner. Furthermore, it is best if the comparisons end as quickly as possible.
“Because there won’t be a better generation if we look at it objectively. Since the inception of tennis, none have existed. Since it is impossible to have what we have, we will make the most of what we do have. A generation of tennis players has emerged that is here to stay. Repeat once more.
After becoming pro in 1997, Lopez had an outstanding 26-year career that included seven ATP singles titles before he announced his retirement in June of last year. In the quarterfinals of the Mallorca Championships, the big-serving left-hander was defeated by Yannick Hanfmann in his last encounter.
The Spaniard has had a career-high ATP doubles ranking and won six doubles titles, including the French Open in 2016.
