US Open ‘excludes’ ‘Big Three’

The US Open It’s another exclusive year with an exclusive ‘Big Three’, reduced almost from 2019 to the ‘Big Two’ during Roger Federer’s long stay in the infirmary. New York certainly became a kind of independent territory in steel and longevity world order of men’s tennis, still in full force with Nadal’s Australian Open and Roland Garros and Djokovic’s Wimbledon in 2022. But, a year away, they haven’t bit the Big apple.

This is something known since Rafa’s elimination in the round of 16 matches Tiafoebut the exemplary achievement of Carlos Alcaraz against Casper Ruud serves as a resounding reminder: it has been an uninterrupted triennium at the US Open without a victory for any of the members of the eternal trident. The Murcian title succeeded to Daniel Medvedev in 2021 then Dominic Thiem in 2020. The pandemic has indeed caused a change in the tennis world order, even if it’s only in Manhattan.

Winners other than the trio since 2007

The US Open, land of opportunities

1

2009 – Del Potro vs. Federer

two

2012 – Murray vs. Djokovic

3

2014 – Cilic vs. Nishikori

4

2016 – Wawrinka vs. Djokovic

5

2020 – Thiem vs. Zverev

6

2021 – Medvedev vs. Djokovic

7

2022 – Alcaraz vs. Ruud

Not since Federer lifted the Australian Open in 2004 has a Grand Slam been won. twice in a row by someone other than the ‘Big Three’. It happened for the first time last year with Medvedev’s title after Thiem’s ​​in 2020 and the statistics are already fattening. three consecutive editions nobody from the best trio in history.

The United States, with its reputation as a land of opportunity, has become more than just tennis. If ever there was a ‘great’ that gave space to others, it was the US Open. To the point that, since 2007 -with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic already in the top-3 of the ranking-, 7 of 16 editions of the American ‘majors’, almost half – were won by players who did not belong to the ‘Big Three’: Juan Martin del Potro in 2009, Andy Murray in 2012, Marin Cilic in 2014, Stanislas Wawrinka in 2016, Dominic Thiem in 2020, Daniel Medvedev in 2021 and Carlos Alcaraz in 2022.

Successes outside of the trio of aces are few at other Grand Slams while the focus is on two of the players who won in New York: Wawrinkasince the late but brilliant explosion of the Swiss that brought him three ‘majors’ -Australian Open 2014 and Roland Garros 2015-, and Andy Murraysince the Scotsman sat at the same table as Roger, Rafa and Nole and talked ‘Big Four’: the Wimbledon editions of 2013 and 2016, the year in which Murray rose to number 1. Successes, in any case, far, because, since 2017no winner except the ‘Big Three’ in the other ‘majors’ despite the strength of ‘Next generation’. In addition, the US Open alone almost doubles the victories of players other than Nadal, Djokovic and Federer against all other ‘majors’ combined: 7 against 4.

But the ‘accessible’ US Open contains more unpublished data than the other three Grand Slams. Because Nadal prevailed Marian’s gate in the final of his first Roland Garros in 2005, all ‘majors’ finals have featured one of the members of the ‘Big Three’ except for the 2016 Wimbledon between Andy Murray and Milos Raonic. At the US Open, such a rare event has occurred up to three times, two of them in the last three editions: Nishikori-Cilic This is the last of 2014, Thiem-Zverev that of 2020 and Alcaraz-Ruud that in recent

Australia, Roland Garros and Wimbledon

Winners other than the ‘Big Three’ in previous years

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Wimbledon 2013 – Murray vs Djokovic

two

Australian Open 2014 – Wawrinka vs. nadal

3

Roland Garros 2015 – Wawrinka vs. Djokovic

4

Wimbledon 2016 – Murray v Raonic

However, there is an even more unique and exclusive statistic at the US Open: it is the only Grand Slam that Federer, Nadal or Dkojovic have not been to. quarter finals Almost in the last two decades, an ‘anomalous’ fact occurred in this last US Open and in 2020. To find such data in other ‘majors’, you have to go back to 2003 in the case of the Australian Open, 2004 at Roland Garros already 2002 at Wimbledon.

Some US Opens with extraordinary events

However, and without denigrating the merits of the players who have challenged and beaten the ‘Big Three’ in all these editions of the US Open on their own merits -such as Del Potro’s thrilling victory over Federer in 2009 final after Nadal was eliminated in the semis -, there was a Rare event which should be noted, especially in the last three editions. At the end, only Nadal showed up, Federer was injured and Djokovic was private because he was not vaccinated. In addition, the player from Manacor competed under conditions, with no rhythm after him stomach damage and his serving mechanics need to be varied so as not to suffer from such an ailment.

In 2021 Federer -who has not reigned in New York since 2008-, also did not appear due to his injury, the same reason why Rafa was absent, while in 2020 only Djokovic participated. The Swiss also caused a low for him knee problems while Nadal prioritizes the preparation of Roland Garros in a year in which the ‘major’ on clay was postponed between the end of September and the beginning of October due to the pandemic stoppage, which left little space in the calendar between New York and Paris. In addition, one in 2020 was the US Open where Djokovic was disqualified in the round of 16 against Pablo Carreno for a fortuitous pitch tantrum at a line judge. Although if anyone can bring down the Balkan, it is the Asturian -who also won 6-5 on serve-, something he will achieve in the match for bronze at the Tokyo Games.

All US Open orphans of the ‘Big Three’ victories have had common denominator of a Nadal that either did not participate, or it was reduced by his physical problems, repeated at the end of the season after a difficult schedule and on a surface that is not kind to injuries as difficult. The man from Manacori took a hiatus due to illnesses in 2009 – the year he fought Soderling at Roland Garros-, and absent due to physical problems in 2012 and 2014, while in 2016 -conditioning the wrist he strained at the Rio Games-, he was eliminated in the round of 16 at the hands of Lucas Pouille.

Federer also pulled out of that 2016 edition during the Swiss’s first long break due to his knee problems. But the various winners of these years have left showing pride and talent so they get the headlines and not what the dominant trident stopped.

In 2009 the master and then monarch of the US Open, Roger Federer -five wins in a row-, finished, after five sets, surrendered and tired before the vigor and destructive power of a Juan Martín Del Potro who was only 20 years old, received as a hero in Argentina so that afterwards it is always subject to the question what might have become of that giant if his dolls had not been made of clay. In 2012 Andy Murrayfilled with optimism for his Olympic gold in London, overcame his insecurities and finally took off the loser’s suit, -he fell to the ‘Big Three’ in 7 Grand Slam finals-, against Djokovic.

The 2014 edition will be the most spectacular because Cilic and Nishikori They broke forecasts, pointing to a Djokovic-Federer final. The Croatian, a danger when he refines the jab he has forehand and backhand in his flat game, He dismantled the Swiss in just three sets while the hard-nosed Japanese finished off the Balkan in four. In the finals, Cilic’s forceful speech prevailed in three sets. in 2016 Wawrinka, a nuisance to Djokovic at the time and especially with the angles of his elegant backhand, it would be ruined for the second time the Serbian plans on a Grand Slam final after Roland Garros 2015.

The new decade began with the title after coming back from two sets down Alexander Zverev of a Thiem who finally freed himself by winning his first Grand Slam, although what was expected after the Austrian – also punished by a long injury – still did not come. And in 2021, Medvedev became the first of the ‘Next Gen’ to raise the ‘major’ before the beard of a member of the ‘Big Three’ by riddled in three sets on his serve a Djokovic who has somewhat reduced the pressure to win the four ‘big’ in the same year.

But, soon to get his confirmation, the ‘ice man’ melted in front of Nadal’s rebellious enthusiasm in the final of the Australian Open after two sets up and lost the opportunity for a tennis player other than the fantastic trio to add two different ‘Grand Slams’ in a row, something he achieved last time Andrew Agassi between 1999 and 2000 by chaining the US Open and Australia.

Since the world is at his feet, it is also in his hands to renew that data in the Antipodes in January the volcano. Carlos Alcaraz. He responded with a flash of the past and bettered his mentor’s milestone, landing at number 1 John Charles Ferrero after losing the US Open final against Andy Roddick in 2003, the year Alcaraz entered the world. The last Spanish ‘Juanqui’, in addition, differs from Nadal who is the champion of a Grand Slam, the data also updated by his student.

In the city that never sleeps, Alcaraz must have woken up to attend his first Grand Slam final in time for his first Grand Slam final, the man from Murcia, who is from here. New York who ‘vetoed’ the indisputable ‘Big Three’ who wanted to further that transformation of the world order Melbourne, Paris and London.