After The Big Three: A New Dawn For Men's Tennis

With Roger Federer having bid adieu last year and Rafael Nadal on his endgame stint, Novak Djokovic is the last man standing from the iconic 'Big Three' era. As their sun sets, the Serb's agonising defeat in the '23 Wimbledon final may mark the beginning of a new era for the sport

- Ravi Raj

It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when an empire starts crumbling. It happens slowly, then suddenly. You could argue that it's imperceptible, but the signs are always there - the ageing of a ruler, internal conflicts in the manor, or the unchecked power of a new rival. But these signs were evident only in retrospect, once the disintegration was complete. The Centre Court in London is familiar with such a rise and fall of empires. Roger Federer built a figurative mansion here, winning the Wimbledon title on eight occasions and was mere inches away from claiming his ninth in 2019, when his nemesis Novak Djokovic handed him perhaps the deadliest blow of his career.

On Sunday, 16 July, at the same venue, Djokovic (at 36), was almost certain of claiming his eighth championship. In his way stood the stormy figure of Carlos Alcaraz, who just turned 20 this May. The Djoker tried hard to hold his ground, fighting till the last moment as he always does, but still fell short of winning what could have been his third successive major of the year. In doing so, tennis' latest young hotshot also ended Djokovic's unbeaten streak at the Centre Court, which had lasted well beyond a decade.