King No1e
G.O.A.T.
As the heads of Federer fans explode, I will explain.
Roger Federer is 36. He's now one of the oldest players in the ATP. He won 2 grand Slams last year. He's (or will likely be) the last man of the Big 4 to remain fit. Murray has likely lost his battle to injury, and Djokovic is fighting the tide. Nadal is still dominating, but he's becoming increasingly inconsistent and injury-prone. Not a recipe for longevity.
A generation of 30+ players should not be favored to win titles anymore. Even the players who were in the past (Connors, Agassi, Laver) didn't win majors this long, and were few and far between. There is no new generation stepping up yet to take the mantle, which is why the ATP is desperately trying to prop the young players up. Dimitrov and Zverev are the only guys who have really done much, and Zverev still hasn't made it past the 4R of a Slam.
The Big 3 are all legends. I still admire and root for Djokovic. The hype will always be there until they retire.
But at this age that's what they should be. Legends. The fact that they're still around only adds to the mythos around them, but it also says that the sport isn't developing. The tour, and TTW, have descended into a grim uncertainty about the future of tennis. For the first time in tennis, there is no Grand Slam winner in their prime. Cilic is arguably an exception, but it's unlikely to see him bag another, unless he makes another shock title run (AO18 might be his last chance). Wawrinka and Murray are fading. Djokovic and Nadal's V8 engines are getting worn out, the price paid for brute-forcing their way through Federer's empire. Del Potro is unpredictable and a nostalgic favorite, but the injuries and age have taken a toll on even him. And Federer....even Superman ages.
Life must go on. So must tennis.
If Chung beats Federer, that's a step in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see Federer get injured or something. But the Big 3 aren't getting any better at this age. The first conqueror was Stan, who showed the big 4 that they were beatable. But he was one man, also in his late career. A new generation, one made up of younger, more consistent, more driven players must rise.
A win for Hyeon is a win for tennis.
Roger Federer is 36. He's now one of the oldest players in the ATP. He won 2 grand Slams last year. He's (or will likely be) the last man of the Big 4 to remain fit. Murray has likely lost his battle to injury, and Djokovic is fighting the tide. Nadal is still dominating, but he's becoming increasingly inconsistent and injury-prone. Not a recipe for longevity.
A generation of 30+ players should not be favored to win titles anymore. Even the players who were in the past (Connors, Agassi, Laver) didn't win majors this long, and were few and far between. There is no new generation stepping up yet to take the mantle, which is why the ATP is desperately trying to prop the young players up. Dimitrov and Zverev are the only guys who have really done much, and Zverev still hasn't made it past the 4R of a Slam.
The Big 3 are all legends. I still admire and root for Djokovic. The hype will always be there until they retire.
But at this age that's what they should be. Legends. The fact that they're still around only adds to the mythos around them, but it also says that the sport isn't developing. The tour, and TTW, have descended into a grim uncertainty about the future of tennis. For the first time in tennis, there is no Grand Slam winner in their prime. Cilic is arguably an exception, but it's unlikely to see him bag another, unless he makes another shock title run (AO18 might be his last chance). Wawrinka and Murray are fading. Djokovic and Nadal's V8 engines are getting worn out, the price paid for brute-forcing their way through Federer's empire. Del Potro is unpredictable and a nostalgic favorite, but the injuries and age have taken a toll on even him. And Federer....even Superman ages.
Life must go on. So must tennis.
If Chung beats Federer, that's a step in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see Federer get injured or something. But the Big 3 aren't getting any better at this age. The first conqueror was Stan, who showed the big 4 that they were beatable. But he was one man, also in his late career. A new generation, one made up of younger, more consistent, more driven players must rise.
A win for Hyeon is a win for tennis.
