If there’s one takeaway from this year’s Wimbledon it’s that we are finally at that uber-tennis moment The Changing of The Guard (™). This idea first took hold at the start of the noughties when a 19-year old Federer demolished then top dog Pete Sampras, rendering his serve and volley instantly out of date. Roll on four years and those who had dominated mens tennis in the preceding decade, particularly Sampras and Agassi, were swept aside by first Federer and then in quick order Nadal Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Between them these four (actually a Big Five with Stan Wawrinka ,whose ridiculous one-handed backhand won him as many slams as Murray) won all bar 5 of the 40-odd slams in the twenty years to 2003. As a comparison you only need to go back half a dozen years in the golf majors to tot up more different winners, and a similar period in the womens tennis slams.
This year will more likely than not end with not a single slam being won by those who have dominated mens tennis for the past twenty years. Though Thiem, Medvedev, Zverev and Tsisipas have threatened, and won the odd slam, something different has happened this year. Jannik Sinner (22) and Carlos Acaraz (21) have split the slams between them with only Djokovic of the old guard making a single final. And what a final, Djokovic as dismantled as comprehensively by Alcaraz on Sunday as Federer ever did to Roddick or Sampras. With Murray and Federer retired, Wawrinka rarely making a second week, and Djokovic finally looking mortal, the greatest generation of tennis are almost history. Perhaps Novak will summon one more run of Darth Vader energy, but he’s going to have to get past not just the twenty-something pretenders, but Sinner and Alcaraz who play with no fear or deference. We have – it seems – arrived at the changing of the guard.
Alcaraz’s demolition of Djokovic was utterly compelling, as he appeared to have far too much power off both wings, coupled with an unreadable drop shot, that made the GOAT look well very sheepish. Despite a brief rally during the third set the man who had ground opponents down so many times over the past 20 years looked beaten well before the end.
Good, wasn’t it? I’d like Fed’s 8 Wimbledon’s record to remain intact while I’m alive.
And it’s due too. I thought the most startling fact about Alcaraz’s win in 2023 was that he hadn’t been born when the title was last won by anyone other than Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray.
Murray is certainly up there with the greatest male UK tennis players of all time, but just for reference. Grand slam titles won:
Djokovic 24
Nadal 22
Federer 20
Alcaraz 4
Murray (and Wawrinka) 3
Alcaraz is 21. If he stays fit and hungry I wonder how many he will get in the end.
I suspect the ‘big 4’ was different in Switzerland and the ‘big 3’ elsewhere than the UK
I didn’t bother watching the men’s final as I’m sick of Djokovic every bloody year but I wish I had now.
Changing of the guard in cricket, too… the first Test since Jimmy Anderson retired is today.
To be fair to Novak, to be even playing at Wimbledon a month after knee surgery was just a staggering (ha!) achievement. To actually get to the final, albeit with the help of a walk-over on the way, was ridiculous. I’m not citing that as a factor in the defeat – I think Alcaraz would have repeated last year’s victory anyway – but his mental and physical fortitude is off the scale.