Breaking the old guard: the emergence of tennis' new 'Big Three' according to McEnroe
ATPWednesday, 10 July 2024 at 17:17
Former world number one John McEnroe believes that the likes
of Ben Shelton or Holger Rune can complete the new ‘Big Three’ in tennis. The famous ‘Big Three’ consisted of legendary players such as the former world number one, Switzerland’s Roger Federer, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.
With Federer already retired and Nadal on the brink of retirement after announcing that he will hang his racket at the end of the 2024 season, the older ‘Big Three’ is all but finished, which has dominated men’s tennis for over a decade.
McEnroe was recently quoted in a report as saying that while current world number one Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz are already looking like perfect replacements for Federer
and Nadal, America’s Shelton and Denmark’s Rune can become the new Djokovic to
complete the trio.
"But clearly Sinner and Alcaraz have taken it a step
way above these other guys. I would put (Ben) Shelton. I am not sure I'd put
(Holger) Rune ahead of Shelton at this point. I am hoping, maybe it's just
because we're hoping in America he breaks out big. But he's got that,"
McEnroe said.
All four players participated in Wimbledon 2024, but only one is still alive in the race to claim the title. World number one Sinner suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinal in a five-set thriller, with a score of 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3.
America’s Shelton was knocked out of the competition after
losing in the round of 16 to Sinner in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-4,
7-6. Denmark’s Rune lost in the fourth round to world number two Djokovic in straight
sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Alcaraz, on the other hand, booked his
place in the competition's semifinal after beating America’s Tommy Paul
with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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