A change of power is underway in tennis, the likes of which has not been seen on the men’s side for 18 years. Spanish Carlos Alcaraz19, won the singles championship at the US Open the night before Monday and his first grand slam at the same time.
Even before the men’s final, it was known that one of the finalists, Alcaraz or Norway, would become number one in the world rankings. Casper Ruud. Alcaraz, who won the tournament, became the youngest ever to become number one in the world rankings, and Ruud, 23, became second.
Alcaraz’s rise to the number one ranking is also exceptional because since February 2004, only a few players have held the number one spot: the Swiss Roger Federerof Spain Rafael Nadal and Serbia Novak Djokovicas well as, more briefly, Great Britain Andy Murray and most recently Russia Daniil Medvedev.
Federer, Nadal and Djokovic first held the number one spot in the world rankings for more than 12 consecutive years starting in 2004. After Murray’s brief reign, the trio reigned for another 4.5 years straight.
This fall’s US Open was a turning point of sorts at the top of tennis. For the first time since 2003, the quarterfinals of the US Open were played without air Serena and Venus WilliamsNadal, Djokovic and Federer.
A Finnish star born in the same year as Federer in 1981, who has already finished his career Jarkko Nieminen has followed the change with interest.
– There is quite a big generational change going on. They were strong age groups who could play at a good level until they were old, or at least tennis players. Now almost everyone has left, with the exception of a couple of legends, and they are no longer in the throes of youth, says Nieminen.
The shock of youth has not completely disappeared, as Nadal won the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June for the 14th time. The 36-year-old Spaniard has suffered from various injuries, especially recently, but is still third in the latest world rankings.
Djokovic, who also won Wimbledon in the summer, is still one of the top players in the world, but he has been held back this season by not being vaccinated against the coronavirus. Due to travel restrictions, he has missed both the Australian Open and the recently concluded US Open this year.
No ranking points were awarded from Wimbledon, which weakens Djokovic’s situation. He is now seventh in the world rankings.
Instead, a return to the top would be a surprise for Federer, 41, who has not played competitive tennis since Wimbledon in 2021.
The coach is stomping
Will any of the legends who dominated tennis in the 21st century be able to become number one in the world rankings again? According to Jarkko Nieminen, young people now have the opportunity of all time to control the top positions of the list for a longer period of time.
Alcaraz is one of the biggest promises of all time, who is even expected to succeed Nadal, at least in Spain.
– There are now many developing and inexperienced young people who are applying for places and positions. Now there is room to win big competitions. Surely it will settle over a few seasons. It’s common for Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to win all the big tournaments for more than 15 years, but now that that’s not the case, Alcaraz and his partners have a good opportunity to succeed, says Nieminen.
Alcaraz said after his quarter-final win that he doesn’t think time has passed Nadal, Federer and Djokovic yet, but recognizes the change that is underway.
– As long as Rafa, Djokovic and Federer play, they are the best and their rivalry is ahead of others, Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrerohimself the number one in the world rankings from 2003, tops the expectations for Alcarazi and especially the comparisons to the “big three”.
– It is really difficult to achieve what they have achieved in tennis. We’re talking 22 grand slams. Carlos only has one. But who knows? I think he has the potential to become one of the best.
18 years of control of the legendary trio
Before Federer rose to the world ranking for the first time in February 2004, the top name in the list had changed no less than 25 times in the six years between 1998 and 2004. At the turn of the millennium, they pretty much took turns at the top Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Gustavo Kuerten, Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt.
But when Federer’s reign began in 2004, no one else had anything to do with the number one spot in the world rankings for no less than 237 weeks, or four and a half years.
The Swiss jumped to the first place at the age of 22. Nadal was the same age when he took the top spot from Feder for almost a year in August 2008.
Novak Djokovic, who has been on the duo’s heels for a long time, became the world’s number one player for the first time at the age of 24 in 2011 after winning three of the year’s four grand slam tournaments.
Alcaraz therefore rushed to the number one position in the world rankings clearly younger than Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. Time will tell if he can even come close to the trio’s achievements.
21-time grand slam winner Djokovic has the most weeks spent as world number one player (373). Federer’s streak of more than four years is the longest ever, and in total the Swiss great has spent 310 weeks at the top of the world rankings. Nadal is on this list for the sixth time in 209 weeks.
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