Since 2003, one in every of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, has won at the least one main every one year.
With Djokovic crashing out of the 2024 U.S. Initiating on Friday, that gorgeous 21-one year chase has ended. The Serb suffered a third-round loss to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, ending his main-less 2024 that observed him lose in the semifinal at the Australian Initiating, quarterfinal at the French Initiating (fret) and finals at Wimbledon.
The 21-one year chase began at the 2003 Wimbledon, when Federer, then 21, beat Mark Philippoussis for the principle of eight titles at the hallowed grass courts. After that, the chase persisted with the Big 3 dominating the slams yearly, successful 65 majors out of 83 (excluding the canceled 2020 Wimbledon). The chase ended with Djokovic’s 2023 U.S. Initiating title, his 24th main title.
That is a breakdown of the four majors between 2003 to 2024:
- Australian Initiating: 18/22 (Big 3 didn’t preserve in 2003, 2005, 2014 and 2024)
- French Initiating: 18/22 (Big 3 didn’t preserve in 2003, 2004, 2015 and 2024)
- Wimbledon: 17/21 (Big 3 didn’t preserve in 2013, 2016, 2023 and 2024)
- U.S. Initiating: 13/22 (Big 3 didn’t preserve in 2003, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024)
By the blueprint, the U.S. Initiating changed into once the one main wherein the Big 3 loved a lower than 80 p.c preserve fee since 2003. As such, it changed into once becoming that the chase ended at the venue the set apart apart they hadn’t dominated as principal.
The one year 2002 marked the final time no longer one in every of the Big 3 won a indispensable when Thomas Johansson (Australian), Albert Costa (French), Lleyton Hewitt (Wimbledon) and Pete Sampras (US) triumphed at the slams.
The chase changed into once earlier at risk when Djokovic underwent surgical operation after withdrawing from his quarterfinal tie at Roland Garros. On the exchange hand, the Serb miraculously returned a few weeks later and evolved to the Wimbledon finals sooner than shedding to Carlos Alcaraz. He would follow that fulfillment by successful his first-ever gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
As such, there changed into once a stage of expectation from Djokovic coming into the 2024 U.S. Initiating.
Alas, all perfect-trying issues arrive to an stop.
