Which of these phases of big 3 made you think most that another grand slam title is unimaginable.

[Nadal_King]

Big 3 has had big low phases but which was in your opinion the lowest and closest to career shutting.

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

Big 3 has had big low phases but which was in your opinion the lowest and closest to career shutting.

Djokovic in 2018.
He looked really finished as a contender for any match win, let alone a slam win. Lost 3 matches in succession to journeymen players. I felt really sad for the serbian superstar at that time.

 

[MeatTornado]

They're all pretty equal in my mind, but if I had to choose one

He finally got his chance without Djokovic in his way and his body simply let him down. There was no reason to expect he'd have any better chances at 35+

 

[clout]

1. Federer now because I sadly think he is officially done

2. Federer in 2016 since he was 35 and just had knee surgery - there was no reason to think he would ever win a slam again until he actually did

3. Nadal in 2015-2016 because most people predicted his decline years prior to these seasons which some now view more as a "slump"

4. Federer in 2013 is 4th since back then most people thought it was a natural decline from an aging player

5. Djokovic in 2017-2018 is last since....did we really think he wasn't going to be great again lol nowadays when he gets his s*** together no one can match him besides Rafa on clay because of how depleted the whole field was

 

[socallefty]

I saw Djokovic lose to Taro Daniel in R1 at IW2018 and thought that he would retire soon as he played very passively with bad body language like he wasn’t motivated. Little did I know that it was because he was still recovering from his elbow surgery and three months later, he would win Wimbledon and go on a hot streak of winning 5 out of 7 Slams.

 

[D.Nalby12]

I really thought Nadal was done. I was no longer taking him seriously. Could never have imagined he had 6 more Slams in him.

 

[Gary Duane]

Pointless because we have to vote on one. I'd check all of them.

 

[Dilexson]

Nads 15/16. Up until that point the narrative was that once an ATG goes past prime/ gets old he would just fade away , Federer being an exception like Agassi. And then Fed himself went away with the wobbly knee. It really looked like the end for the bull. I had more hopes about Fed than Rafa until 2017.

 

[LETitBE]

nads was injury free those two years was he not?

 

[MaxTennis]

I saw Djokovic lose to Taro Daniel in R1 at IW2018 and thought that he would retire soon as he played very passively with bad body language like he wasn’t motivated. Little did I know that it was because he was still recovering from his elbow surgery and three months later, he would win Wimbledon and go on a hot streak of winning 5 out of 7 Slams.

.
I saw that match too live. Was disappointed as a Djokovic fan but glad to see him turn it around.