‘Don’t think it’s fair’: Rafa’s harsh reality check to next generation of tennis stars

In the wake of Roger Federer’s retirement, and with Rafael Nadal (36), Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic (both 35) all in the latter stages of their careers, tennis is entering a new era.

But Nadal – who leads that so-called Big Four with a men’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles – has issued a brutal reality check to the new generation of superstars, saying he is “almost sure” that there won’t be a pair of players who reach 20-plus majors – the stunning milestone that Nadal (22), Djokovic (21) and Federer (20) all reached.

In 2022, teen sensation and world number one Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open, beating Casper Ruud in the final – the loser of the 2022 French Open to Rafael Nadal. Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev were the defeated parties in the other two Grand Slam finals.

With Roger Federer’s retirement and other rising stars claiming big tournaments (and big upsets) throughout the season, it felt like a turning point.

As Australia’s Alex de Minaur said Saturday: “I think there’s a very interesting kind of era of tennis coming up with a lot of chances and opportunities.”

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