This is a real quiz, but it’s always fun to play: the legacy of the four most successful tennis players of our time – and perhaps all of it. history – will it be affected by the 2020 season interrupted by the coronavirus?
And how will Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – known as the “Big Three” of men’s tennis – as well as Serena Williams, manage on their return to competition? (Federer is absent until 2021 after needing two arthroscopic knee surgeries.)
Call them the “Big Four”. They dominate their sport, on and off the field, and have done it to such an extent that no matter how many wins and losses there are, their place in history is assured. Williams owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the pinnacle of the professional era. Federer holds the men’s record with 20, Nadal totals 19 and Djokovic has 17; no other man has more than 14.
They attract the attention of tennis fans and others too.
Let’s be honest: what’s going on in their case is more important than the other players, especially because Williams is trying to match the modern era record of 24 major titles from Margaret Court, and Nadal and Djokovic are getting closer to Federer.
The most fascinating: their ages. Federer and Williams will soon be 39; Nadal is 34, Djokovic 33.
“It could be like, ‘Uh, I really like spending time at home.’ They are not in a mad rush. So emotionally and mentally they might think, ‘do I really want to start over? Do I really want to resume training? Can I really focus 100 percent? ‘ “Said Chris Evert, champion of 18 major titles.
“Or, on the flip side, they might have a sense of urgency and think, ‘OK, I really want to play for another year or so and I need to reach my goals now. I’m not getting any younger. ‘ “
Wimbledon was scheduled to take place at this time, but was canceled for the first time since 1945 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sanctioned tennis has been suspended since March and, for the moment, should resume in August; the US Open starts on the last day of this month. Roland-Garros, postponed to May, should now start on September 27, two weeks after the end of the American tournament.
“It is much easier (to prepare) a body aged 21, than a body aged 34. It’s obvious. But at the same time, a 34-year-old body and head have much more experience than a 21-year-old body and head. So I don’t know what’s going to happen, ”said Nadal.
“In general, it’s better for a young person, because during all this time that we have lost, a young person has a lot of time to recover. For an older guy, we lost the same period, (but) in terms of perspective, it’s different, continued the Mallorcan. Because losing a year at 34, 36 or 33 is not the same as losing a year at 20, when you have your whole career ahead of you. “
Nadal may be planning to skip the hard surface of New York, where he is the defending champion, to be more rested and prepared for the clay of Paris, where he could equal the 20 major titles de Federer with a 13th triumph at Roland Garros. Perhaps Djokovic will choose to compete in the United States Open after being reluctant to this idea, believing that Nadal’s absence increases his own chances.
Probably Federer’s best opportunity to add to his total would probably be at Wimbledon, which he has won eight times. It’s hard to say how many attempts he has left.
Williams, meanwhile, has played in the final of four of the last seven Grand Slam tournaments, making it 0-4. And even though she surprisingly lost in the third round of the Australian Open in January, there is little reason to believe that she could not make another attempt, especially at the United States Open, where she is sixfold champion and finalist in 2018 and 2019.
As for the extended break, Williams said, “I felt my body needed it, even if I didn’t want it. And now I feel better than ever. I feel more relaxed, more fit. Now I’m ready to take the necklace back and play real tennis. “
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