The utter dominance of 80's born players since 2000

[clout]

Players born in the 1980’s have utterly owned men’s tennis since the turn of the millennium (which believe it or not, was 20 years ago)!!!

Slams won in the 2000’s (2000-2009): 29/40 slams won by 80's born players; 8/15 players who won slams in this decade were born in the 80's
Roger Federer - 15 (b. 1981) - winning span: 2003-2009
Rafael Nadal - 6 (b. 1986) - winning span: 2005-2009
Andre Agassi - 3 (b. 1970) - winning span: 2000-2003
Lleyton Hewitt - 2 (b. 1981) - winning span: 2001-2002
Marat Safin - 2 (b. 1980) - winning span: 2000-2005
Pete Sampras - 2 (b. 1971) - winning span: 2000-2002
Gustavo Kuerten - 2 (b. 1976) - winning span: 2000-2001
Novak Djokovic - 1 (b. 1987) - winning span: 2008
Juan Martin Del Potro - 1 (b. 1988) - winning span: 2009
Andy Roddick - 1 (b. 1982) - winning span: 2003
Juan Carlos Ferrero - 1 (b. 1980) - winning span: 2003
Gaston Gaudio - 1 (b. 1978) - winning span: 2004
Thomas Johansson - 1 (b. 1975) - winning span: 2002
Albert Costa - 1 (b. 1975) - winning span: 2002
Goran Ivanisevic - 1 (b. 1971) - winning span: 2001

Essentially all of the non-80's born slam winners were either prominent 90's players (i.e. Pete, Andre, Guga and Goran), who had their last hurrah's in the early 2000s (00-02), or were opportunistic winners who made the most of their limited chances of snagged a slam during that same time early 00's period (i.e. Gaudio, Costa and Johansson). From the 2003 French Open till the present day, all slam winners besides Gaudio at the '04 French (b. 1978) were born in the good ol' eighties.

Slams won in the 2010s (2010-2019): 40/40 slams won by 80's born players; all 6 slam winners were born in the 80's
Novak Djokovic - 15 (b. 1987) - winning span: 2011-2019
Rafael Nadal - 13 (b. 1986) - winning span: 2010-2019
Roger Federer - 5 (b. 1981) - winning span: 2010-2018
Andy Murray - 3 (b. 1987) - winning span: 2012-2016
Stan Wawrinka - 3 (b. 1985) - winning span: 2014-2016
Marin Cilic - 1 (b. 1988) - winning span: 2014
No further analysis needed here, this is just insane domination period

If we combine it with the WTA, every single birth year in the 80's produced at least one slam winner:
1980: Venus Williams (7), Martina Hingis (5), Marat Safin (2), Juan Carlos Ferrero (1), Francesca Schiavone (1) - 16 slams; 5 winners
1981: Serena Williams (23), Roger Federer (20), Lleyton Hewitt (2), Anastasia Myskina (1) - 46 slams; 4 winners
1982: Justine Henin (7), Li Na (2), Andy Roddick (1), Flavia Pennetta (1) - 11 slams; 4 winners
1983: Kim Clijsters (4) - 4 slams; 1 winner
1984: Sam Stosur (1), Marion Bartoli (1) - 2 slams; 2 winners
1985: Stan Wawrinka (3), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2) - 5 slams; 2 winners
1986: Rafael Nadal (19) - 19 slams; 1 winner
1987: Novak Djokovic (17), Maria Sharapova (5), Andy Murray (3), Ana Ivanovic (1) - 26 slams; 4 winners
1988: Angelique Kerber (3), Juan Martin Del Potro (1), Marin Cilic (1) - 5 slams; 3 winners
1989: Victoria Azarenka (2) - 2 slams; 1 winner
In total: 136 slams; 27 winners (that averages out to just over 5 slams won per individual and almost different 3 slam winners per birth year!!) - insane stuff

I know having this much talent born within one decade is rather unprecedented (with women producing more winners in the first half of the 80's, and the men in the second half of the 80's), but still, the 90's born generation has been a massive letdown on both tours so far; especially when you look at the quality that came before them

 

[tennis_pro]

Imagine if the new Federer and Nadal were born around 2000/2001 and start winning Slams soon shutting the door for the players born in the 90s. No single Slam champion from an entire decade would me more than mind blowing.

 

[clout]

Imagine if the new Federer and Nadal were born around 2000/2001 and start winning Slams soon shutting the door for the players born in the 90s. No single Slam champion from an entire decade would me more than mind blowing.

Even as someone born in 90's, I would lowkey love to see an FAA or Sinner win a slam before any 90's born player does, just to makes things even more funny

 

[Phoenix1983]

Even as someone born in 90's, I would lowkey love to see an FAA or Sinner win a slam before any 90's born player does, just to makes things even more funny

It's already the case that a woman born in the 2000s (Andreescu) won a slam before any 90s male player.

It would be truly hilarious if it happened solely on the men's side .

 

[clout]

Additionally, here is the list of year-end number ones since 2000:

2000: Gustavo Kuerten (b. 1976)
2001: Lleyton Hewitt (b. 1981)
2002: Lleyton Hewitt (b. 1981)
2003: Andy Roddick (b. 1982)
2004: Roger Federer (b. 1981)
2005: Roger Federer (b. 1981)
2006: Roger Federer (b. 1981)
2007: Roger Federer (b. 1981)
2008: Rafael Nadal (b. 1986)
2009: Roger Federer (b. 1981)
2010: Rafael Nadal (b. 1986)
2011: Novak Djokovic (b. 1987)
2012: Novak Djokovic (b. 1987)
2013: Rafael Nadal (b. 1986)
2014: Novak Djokovic (b. 1987)
2015: Novak Djokovic (b. 1987)
2016: Andy Murray (b. 1987)
2017: Rafael Nadal (b. 1986)
2018: Novak Djokovic (b. 1987)
2019: Rafael Nadal (b. 1986)


So yeah, every YEN1 since 2001 (the year 9/11 happened) has been an 80's born player and if not for Guga's heroic performance at the WTF in 2000, Marat Safin (b. 1980) would've been the YEN1 in Y2K, which would've given 80's born players the top ranking at year-end for the first 20 years of the new millennium!

 

[RelentlessAttack]

One of my theories is that the players that went through the transition between conditions and equipment through their key development years are equipped with some strengths from the best of both worlds, and the generation that has grown up trying to all outdo each other with the same cookie cutter academy full poly defensive baseline game didn’t develop the complete arsenal, tactics, and differentiating weapons required to win.

 

[helterskelter]

It's already the case that a woman born in the 2000s (Andreescu) won a slam before any 90s male player.

It would be truly hilarious if it happened solely on the men's side .

Teenage girls are always, have always been, and will always be more competitive in women's tennis than their counterparts in men's tennis. Even back when three 17 year old boys won Slams, there were multiple 16 year old girls who did so.

I still think it's premature to expect a 00s winner before a 90s winner. I don't think Auger-Aliassime is likely to contend for a Slam for a couple of years or more and a man born in the 90s will likely win a Slam by then.

 

[Milehigh5280]

Reading this reaffirms my belief we're witnessing men's tennis transition from a sport dominated by players in their early 20's into a sport where the top players are older. It's happened in other sports so I see no reason why it couldn't happen in tennis.