Will you stop watching tennis when the Big 3 retires?

[Pablo1989]

It is sad to see the low participation in the threads that have nothing to do with Rafa, Roger or Nole.

Of course, I understand that the popularity of tennis has increased a lot in recent years thanks to the fact that the three best in history have coincided during the same years, giving us epic matches and epic rivalries. Nadal will always be my favorite athlete but for me tennis is above any player, I saw this sport before 2005 and I will continue to see it when he retires. All I ask is that given the foreseeable drop in audience and prize money, they won't do bllshit like best-of-three in GS men's tennis. That would be much worse than the retirement of the Big 3 and only would make things worse.

 

[Deleted member 771911]

No- I will watch more of it! I'm actually waiting for big 3 to pack their bags and leave. Not that Miami is filling me with much hope for what will fill the void. Still, the sooner the better as I am tired of being stuck in this loop.

 

[Deleted member 748597]

I will still watch the Grand Slam tennis.

 

[Terenigma]

Ironically i think my passion for it will improve. Right now it sort of feels like it's not a player wide competition, it feels like i'm waiting to see which one of the Big 3 takes the slam lead before they all retire and all other events like Miami and Dubai are irrelevant. I do think once that battle is truely over, I will be able to enjoy tennis as a sport in general a LOT more and appreciate the younger generation much more. I enjoy watching most of the tennis but right now it feels like they're just passing them time until we see who wins the slams over the next 2 years.

 

[Pablo1989]

I will still watch the Grand Slam tennis.

Then you should vote the second option.

 

[Jonesy]

There will always be a new hot shot to be looked at.

 

[Yugram]

I’ll definitely watch, but it’s hard to say just how much.

 

[TheAssassin]

No stopping. Performers change but the show will always go on...

 

[ADuck]

Depends how captivating the next generations are. I predict I will take a long break before I'm brought back into it again.

 

[BauerAlmeida]

Yeah, for sure.

 

[duaneeo]

Definitely.

To be honest, I don't think most fans even enjoy the matches of the Big-3 anymore. It's all about the GOAT debate.

 

[mike danny]

I will still watch because tennis is bigger than just 3 guys. I will actually like the unpredictability for a change.

 

[Cupcake]

I watched a lot of tennis before the big 3 became the big 3, and probably will watch as much after they go... whenever that is.

 

[Phoenix1983]

I shall, of course, keep watching tennis.

Mind you, I hope that at least one young gun actually wins a slam by beating one of the big 3 before they retire. It will feel a bit rubbish if they only start winning because the terrific trio have stepped aside.

 

[Third Serve]

I'll still watch, for sure, but definitely less often than now.

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

I will only watch the good tennis. So if Nadal is gone, no more tennis.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

I would think so, yeah. Started way before so I’ll continue. Got used to United being rubbish so I hope to be able to do the same for tennis.

 

[Sport]

Yex.

 

[The Blond Blur]

I will only watch the good tennis. So if Nadal is gone, no more tennis.

 

[StrongRule]

Difficult to say. I'm not watching Miami right now. I feel I am losing interest to tennis recently.

 

[Cortana]

I'll root for Sinner and forget the Big3.

 

[Sysyphus]

Loved tennis when I first watched it as a kid, before there was any notion of the big three, and will love the game (playing and watching) after they quit as well. In a way looking forward to the post big three era, although I obviously wanna see the Swiss Santoro work his magic for as long as possible.

 

[blablavla]

It is sad to see the low participation in the threads that have nothing to do with Rafa, Roger or Nole.

Of course, I understand that the popularity of tennis has increased a lot in recent years thanks to the fact that the three best in history have coincided during the same years, giving us epic matches and epic rivalries. Nadal will always be my favorite athlete but for me tennis is above any player, I saw this sport before 2005 and I will continue to see it when he retires. All I ask is that given the foreseeable drop in audience and prize money, they won't do bllshit like best-of-three in GS men's tennis. That would be much worse than the retirement of the Big 3 and only would make things worse.

I might actually start watching more tennis once Big 3 retire
assuming that the trend of every player playing the same game keeps to be reverted by folks like NK, Bublik, Rublev, Shapovalov etc.
if the defense bots running 3-5 meters behind the baseline will dominate, then the presence / absence of Big 3 is irrelevant, cause I'm not spending my time on that sh*t show on every surface

 

[blablavla]

I’ll definitely watch, but it’s hard to say just how much.

you can switch to Champions Tour.
Nadal will probably join it very soon, as his brand name is crucial for his income keep flowing in

 

[Mark-Touch]

I will only watch women's tennis until the next great ATP player comes along that I like.

 

[Beckerserve]

It is sad to see the low participation in the threads that have nothing to do with Rafa, Roger or Nole.

Of course, I understand that the popularity of tennis has increased a lot in recent years thanks to the fact that the three best in history have coincided during the same years, giving us epic matches and epic rivalries. Nadal will always be my favorite athlete but for me tennis is above any player, I saw this sport before 2005 and I will continue to see it when he retires. All I ask is that given the foreseeable drop in audience and prize money, they won't do bllshit like best-of-three in GS men's tennis. That would be much worse than the retirement of the Big 3 and only would make things worse.

As Miami is proving tennis is dead after the Big 3. Certainly as we know it. These kids just have not patience or consistency and once the Big 3 have gone they will quickly get together and force Slams to be best of 3 set matches.
The world is changing at an unreal pace. And for the worse.

 

[Crazy Finn]

McEnroe was a star when I started watching tennis. Agassi was my favorite player. I kept watching after he retired, I'll keep watching after the Big 3 retires.

I'm a tennis fan, not a Big 3 fan.

I might watch more WTA, if it's more interesting - actually, I already do, because it is more interesting - in my opinion. However, I'll always watch ATP tennis. Having players worth watching will help, of course.

 

[Baseline_Bungle]

The Full Fledged Sinner thread has been going pretty strong for the past couple of years

 

[PilotPete]

How can you not keep watching if the level of tennis keeps rising?

 

[Djokovic_is_the_best#1]

Sinner could be the next player to break through I feel. He’s only 19, reached his maiden masters final already, got a good all round game and mentally strong. Will be interesting to see how he goes during this year and next.

 

[rUDin 21]

Difficult to say. I'm not watching Miami right now. I feel I am losing interest to tennis recently.

Basically the same.

 

[Ray Mercer]

There’s a lot of garbage players out there that play boring robotic tennis so no doubt I will watch less. It will take an aggressive shotmaking player with flair to get me excited again. Watching some lanky dude with a two hander play boring percentage tennis is not entertaining. I’m praying for the next Federer to come along.

 

[RaulRamirez]

It will be interesting, and there's no way to project where life will take me independently of tennis. I've followed the sport for a lonnnng time and my interest has waxed and waned for tennis and other reasons

I hope to be able to play at least occasionally for many more years and to follow it. Hopefully, my own business will give me a little less time to hang out as often as I do here (no offense intended) and while I'll miss each of The Big 3, there is a lot of talent out there beyond them - just not at their level.

 

[GhostOfNKDM]

Loved tennis when I first watched it as a kid, before there was any notion ofD the big three, and will love the game (playing and watching) after they quit as well. In a way looking forward to the post big three era, although I obviously wanna see the Swiss Santoro work his magic for as long as possible.

Swiss Santoro has ruined tennis for a lot of us.

No one comes home from a fancy steakhouse to rummage through the fridge for leftover spaghetti.

It'll be a little while before I get hungry enough to drive through McATP for a burger.

 

[Jason Swerve]

No, but most of the matches I watch will be VHS/DVD matches.

 

[Robert F]

Sinner could be the next player to break through I feel. He’s only 19, reached his maiden masters final already, got a good all round game and mentally strong. Will be interesting to see how he goes during this year and next.

I certainly hope he doesn't become another disappointment. Feel we were saying some of these things about Zverev and where did that get us?
I'll continue to hope.

For me, tennis was the only sport I'd watch on TV as a kid since I played it. Usually just a few major matches if it happened to be on. Then after college when I started playing again, Fed really pulled me in combined with the gallery of odd characters transitioning on and off the tour in the early 2000's, got me watching tennis all the time. But it was pulled mainly by Fed and when he started to stagger in 2009ish, I kept watching but not as much. Then his resurgence pulled me back in and even with him on the backburner, TC is my back up channel to watch.

So I think I'll watch post Big 3. My hope is something will change in the game to make it fun to watch. Maybe if the bigger titles are spread out more, we'll get some mini rivalries. I don't know if I can wait for another great player to hog slams to come back again. I'm still trying to figure out something that needs to change to bring back variety and offense back to the game. Also wondering if there is a way to make even 250's fun to watch.

 

[Lleytonstation]

No, but most of the matches I watch will be VHS/DVD matches.

Live matches is what gets me. I will like tennis more once I don't have a rooting interest.

 

[Jason Swerve]

Live matches is what gets me. I will like tennis more once I don't have a rooting interest.

Good point. Fewer heart attacks when you aren't too invested in one person.

 

[upchuck]

I am a little concerned that no one has truly captured my interest. Right as Lleyton Hewitt began to decline Djokovic emerged, so there was continuity in terms of having a favourite player to root for.

But after Djokovic? I like Shapavalov, I like Sinner, but it's not the same.

 

[upchuck]

On the women's side, I think I could become a big Naomi stan when the queen retires but I'm still waiting to see how consistent she'll prove to be. She really shouldn't be losing matches like the one this week against Sakkari at this stage in her career.

 

[tonylg]

Poll is obviously missing the "I'll probably watch more" option.

But as above, variety is what most true tennis fans want to see.

 

[yokied]

This place is overpopulated by glory hunters and deeply insecure fangirls, but a dip in activity from them would be welcome.

The game isn’t in safe hands, put it that way. I love the game and I’ll eat it, but I don’t have to like it.

Hopefully a few quality, aggressive and clutch players emerge and consolidate their positions near the top of the game to produce some quality viewing.

There is a disturbing pattern emerging of young players arriving with some of the game but lacking the strength and fitness for majors. They lose too much to big 3, get scarred and then plateau in the 5-30 range, fistpumping their way through error-riddled BO3s.

 

[socallefty]

I play a lot of tennis (about 400 hours a year) and so, it is very interesting for me to watch pro tennis which is the highest level of the sport. I feel like I‘m always learning from the pros when I watch them play especially live in person (attend Indian Wells every year), but also on TV. I’ve been watching tennis since the late Seventies and I don’t think I am going to stop once the Big 3 are gone although the Big 3 era is the most enjoyable era of tennis I’ve ever experienced.

Now that I am past 50 and am starting to play doubles regularly in addition to singles, I find that I enjoy watching pro doubles a lot too and I wish they would show it more on TV. There will always be new stars emerging and players like Sinner, Ruud, Swiatek will keep fans interested for a long time.

 

[BGod]

I already watch a ton less matches because of Covid. I imagine post Big 3 I'll be less inclined to travel abroad beyond the USO and four North American Masters. And yeah, maybe only watch SF-F matches on television. Maybe I'll stop watching the Slams outside USO-WMB.

But then I look at Shap, Felix, Tsit, Thiem and I am hopeful. If it's Zverev & Med running ship though I might just ignore for a few years.

 

[D.Nalby12]

I will watch a lot less for sure. In fact I've already reduced watching. I am waiting for new ATGs to rise and build exceptional rivalries like Big 3. I'm not going to watch it for Rublevs, Zverevs and Medvedevs for sure. I want quality tennis and good storyline.

 

[ChrisRF]

I will still watch every Slam final and some other earlier Slam matches. Other tournaments most likely not. That’s a big contrast to the Big 3 era where I watch every day of a Slam tournament and every tournament where Federer plays.

But on the other hand I will watch even more old matches and also make highlights of them.

 

[Pablo1989]

I've just read the comments on the Tennis TV Youtube channel and all the glory hunters "I will never watch tennis again when Big 3 retires"...This worries me a lot. I don't get how people are die-hard fans of players of a sport they don't like. It's completely nonsense.

 

[Ray Mercer]

I've just read the comments on the Tennis TV Youtube channel and all the glory hunters "I will never watch tennis again when Big 3 retires"...This worries me a lot. I don't get how people are die-hard fans of players of a sport they don't like. It's completely nonsense.

It has more to do with the fact that the current players are garbage and there’s no young elite talent in the sport. It’s a dying sport like boxing. Boxing used to be great and now they have to resort to pathetic fights with YouTube stars and old washed up fighters.

 

[jondice]

Historically, I get more interested when I have a favorite in any sport.

For tennis? It was Andre as a kid. Rafa as an adult. From about 03-06, when Agassi was on the way out and Rafa was ascending? I hardly paid any attention to the sport. As of now, no Next Gen-er or Gen Z-er has me interested like Agassi and Rafa. Maybe Sinner?

If none draws me in, I won't really watch religiously. Just check on results from time to time.

 

[Baseline_Bungle]

I've just read the comments on the Tennis TV Youtube channel and all the glory hunters "I will never watch tennis again when Big 3 retires"...This worries me a lot. I don't get how people are die-hard fans of players of a sport they don't like. It's completely nonsense.

They're fanboys - they follow these players the way 12-year-olds follow instagram stars. They have no idea what tennis. Sadly, the tennis biz needs them. But the game does not.

Granted, I have my own irrational crushes. But I've been known to turn off grand slam semis to go catch an ITF 15k stream.