
With all members of the Big Three tied at 20 Grand Slams apiece, it's a race between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to see who will capture his 21st Major trophy.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic has been a man on a mission in 2021, capturing three of the season's four Grand Slam singles titles to join Federer and Nadal at 20. The year's final Grand Slam will be the US Open, an event that Djokovic has lifted on three occasions (2011, 2015, 2018).
With all three men hoping to be the first to reach 21, renown tennis coach Darren Cahill believes that the only man who can stop Djokovic from achieving this milestone is Rafael Nadal.
"Nadal will try to stop Djokovic at the US Open," said Cahill. "If anyone can do that, it's him. Rafa loves to play in New York; he likes the conditions where the ball bounces high, having a lot of success in New York in the past."
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The Spaniard has met Djokovic on three occasions at Flushing Meadows, with Nadal winning two of their encounters. However, these matches occurred between 2010 and 2013, so a potential matchup could swing in either player's direction today.
Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon and the Olympic Games, citing rest and recovery from injury. However, he will make his return to the ATP Tour at the Citi Open Washington this summer.
"Rafa will play Washington, Canada and Cincinnati to shape his form, and he should challenge Novak in New York," added Cahill.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- I, like writer of this wonderful article, also picked Noskova to win this entire thing. I would love it if she and Andreeva are in the final.Rapunzel12-11-2026
- "Priorities", Saba... spend less time in front of cameras, anti-Social Media, selfies and back to Tennis.
mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
mandoist12-11-2026 - Andreeva with 11 games in a row to add to Saba's downward spiral issue !!! Personal feelings aside... Jess Pegula may want to reassess her evaluation of Mirra's abilities.
mandoist12-11-2026 - I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026








