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‘Federer Hasn’t Played for a Long Time’- Stefanos Tsitsipas Says the ‘Big Three’ Doesn’t Exist Anymore
Stefanos Tsitsipas feels that the dominance of the BIG 3 is not the same anymore. Following his early-round exits in the Sunshine Doubles, the Greek kicked off his clay-court season in the most stylish way. World No. 5 started off his clay-court season, defending his title at the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Open.
In the finals, he beat the in-form Spaniard, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who had beaten players like Djokovic, Goffin, Fritz, and Dimitrov on his way to the finals.
Tsitsipas on Big 3’s dominance
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer are often considered the undisputed kings of the game. The three have dominated the game ever since the term ‘BIG 3’ was coined. The term was first coined in 2003 after Federer won Wimbledon. Since then, the three have ruled the game for years. From Federer’s 2003 Wimbledon to date, the three have won 61 of the 76 Grand Slams played.
Apart from that, the three have also been dominant in the rankings. All three have been the World No. 1 in their careers for a long time. In the past 18 years, the three have shared the Year-End World No. 1 spot amongst them on 17 out of 18 occasions. Currently, in 2022, Novak Djokovic is still the World No. 1. Apart from that, Rafael Nadal recently won his 21st Grand Slam at the 2022 Australian Open.
Tennis – Australian Open – Men’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 31, 2022 Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning the men’s singles final with trophy REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/Reuters
Taking all the stats into consideration, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the BIG 3 have been ruling the game for a long time. However, despite the numbers in place, Stefanos thinks otherwise. The 23-year-old recently asserted that the ‘BIG 3’ are no longer the same seeing the rankings. He said, “The ‘Big Three’ is no longer such because they are not the best three in the ranking.”
Why does Stefanos Tsitsipas feel this way?
Stefanos Tsitsipas undoubtedly made one of the biggest and the most debatable statements by saying this. However, the Greek made sure to add reason to it. The former ATP Finals winner pointed out Roger‘s setback that has forced him to be out of the tour for almost a year now. He also pointed out Djokovic and Nadal‘s competitive status.
He said, “Federer hasn’t played for a long time and Nadal and Djokovic continue to see them competitive.”
DOHA, QATAR – MARCH 10: Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates winning his match against Dan Evans of Great Britain on Day 3 of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on March 10, 2021 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mohamed Farag/Getty Images)
Talking in totality, the BIG 3 as one, have failed to make a year this year till now. However, that hasn’t been the case with Tsitsipas. On the tour front, Stefanos has been having a decent run. Winning the Monte Carlo Open, he is now playing the Barcelona Open. Last year he lost in the finals to Rafael Nadal. However, with Nadal missing from the tournament this year, Tsitsipas is one of the top contenders for the title.
Being the top-seeded player, Tsitsipas will start his tournament in the second round against Ilya Ivashka.
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