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Are we seeing the end of tennis’ Big Four?

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the modern day greats. (AAP Image/Martin Philbey)
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16th March, 2015
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While tennis’ Big Four – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal – currently occupy the top four ATP Rankings, Nadal believes the era is coming to an end.

“It’s something that is finishing,” Nadal told the media at the 2015 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

“I don’t know if [it will happen] in one, two, three, four years, but for everybody it finishes. Hopefully we created a good example for the next generations.”

The current field of contenders are giving the Big Four a run for their money.

Last year, two of the four grand slam winners came from outside the Big Four – Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka won the Australian Open by stunning Nadal, while Croatia’s Marin Cilic took the U.S Open crown by defeating Japanese Kei Nishikori.

Nadal won the 2014 French Open by beating Serbia’s Djokovic, but the current world number one bounced back by trashing Federer in the Wimbledon final. Djokovic also won the 2015 Australian Open for his eighth grand slam singles title.

Of the 17 tournaments sanctioned by the ATP held in the first two months of this year, the Big Four only won three events: Djokovic collecting the Australian Open title, Federer ruling the Brisbane International, and Nadal raising the Argentina Open crown in February.

Nadal, the man many proclaimed as the greatest clay court expert ever, said he was amazed by the achievement of the Big Four in the last 10 years.

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“The same players are achieving almost everything. That is something that I think has never happened in the history of our sport.”

At 33, Federer is the oldest of the Big Four, but he is still in top shape and competes at the highest level. Djokovic and Murray are both 27 years old and are showing no signs of slowing down.

Judging from the current dominance of the Big Four, it seems many would not agree with Nadal. For them, Wawrinka, Nishikori and the rest of the gang still have a lot of catching up to do.

ATP World Rankings
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 13,205
2. Roger Federer (SUI) 9,205
3. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5,675
4. Andy Murray (GBR) 5,425 (+1)
5. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 5,415 (-1)
6. Milos Raonic (CAN) 4,980
7. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 4,595
8. David Ferrer (ESP) 4,535
9. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 4,340
10. Marin Cilic (CRO) 3,450
11. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 3,055
12. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 2,325
13. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 2,255
14. Gilles Simon (FRA) 2,050
15. Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 2,045
16. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,020
17. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 2,005
18. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 1,780 (+1)
19. Tommy Robredo (ESP) 1,755 (-1)
20. John Isner (USA) 1,720

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