Is the Big 4's dominance in men's tennis about to get over?

The ‘Big 4′ of Murray, Djokovic, Federer and Nadal – soon to be a thing of the past?

Unlike the 30 tyrants in ancient Greece who could not sustain their Spartan oligarchy for more than a year, the ‘Big 4′ of men’s tennis have managed to keep a tight leash on tennis honours for the past decade. As the quartet of men took turns to decorate their lusty caisson, the large masses of men who played in their giant shadows had to be content with the occasional crumbs.

The big four – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have combined to keep out the working class as they went about collecting 37 of the past 41 Grand Slam titles in an imperious march that was barely challenged. But there have recently been signs of fragility and these are beginning to stoke the appetite of the hungry masses.

Thrasybulus had to march his men from Thebes, feeding them a diet of resolute defiance to defeat the oligarchs in the battle of Munichia. Stanislas Wawrinka, it seems, has taken on the role of the general in the gripping drama that is unfolding on the tennis firmament.

In a man who was nearly reconciled to being content with second best, Magnus Norman seems to have found the strings that lifted his ward’s confidence and with it the consistency of his performances.

After threatening to usurp the carpet from under the feet of Djokovic in both Melbourne and Flushing Meadows last year, Wawrinka made good on his promise at the Australian Open this January.

The Swiss, now ranked ahead of Federer, took his confidence into the finals, where he toyed with Nadal in a brilliantly crafted attack. In doing so, he may have left a template to try for his tormented tribe.

With the Grand Slams, the Masters series and even most of the ATP World Tour 500 tournaments firmly out of their grasp, the exiles were forced to feed themselves by practising their craft on the lower rung 250 events. But the established order was certainly rattled and shaken in January with Wawrinka’s celebrated triumph in Melbourne.

It appears that Wawrinka’s example has helped fuel the dreams of the back-bench boys that have kept him desolate company for the past many years. A look at the list of winners this season shines a shimmering light on the tunnel that has remained dark for much of the past decade to everyone on the fringes.

Lleyton Hewitt hadn’t won a title since Halle in 2010, but his confident run at Brisbane where he defeated Federer to win the title raised visions of a deep run at the Australian Open. That did not materialise though as Hewitt fell in a gruelling five-set thriller to Andreas Seppi.

John Isner has been turning losing into an art form, surrendering some hard-fought matches over the past couple of seasons. The American has been happy hunting at home mainly, but displayed a newfound resolve this year as he got off to a winning start at Auckland.

Before this year the enigmatic Gael Monfils last won a title in 2011 at the If Stockholm Open. But after an impressive performance against Nadal in the finals of the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open in January, Monfils weaved his way past Richard Gasquet to win the Open Sud de France in Montpellier. Incredibly, it was only his fifth career title even though he has made 21 final appearances.

Juan Martin del Potro, one of the few men to have won a Major since 2004, appeared in imperious form as he coasted to victory at the Apia International in Sydney. Just when observers believed that he was ready for another assault on the impregnable four, however, his wrist began to bother him again, this time the left, to force him into a stutter.

Fabio Fognini, as dependable as the weather forecast, is finally translating some of his breathtaking potential into results. The 26-year-old coasted to his third career title – all on clay – as he took Vina del Mar in the first week of February to add to his conquests in Hamburg and Stuttgart last year.

A title defence has always been held out as a challenging endeavour, especially in individual sport. If you thought this was the preserve of the big guns, Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori in Zagreb and Memphis respectively proved their detractors wrong by holding fort and retaining the trophies they won last year.

Tomas Berdych has been chapped and chastened by a lengthy title drought that stretched back from Stockholm in 2012. Finally, though, the man many believe to possess Grand Slam pedigree bathed in joy at winning the title in Rotterdam. Coming at a tournament where both Del Potro and Murray fell in the quarters, it underlined the Czech’s quest to remain in the hunt.

The men at the back of the room are beginning to smell the roses. But the weeks ahead will tell a story – are these men really ready to upend the order, or is this still a mere pretence? Nadal is back in action at the ATP World Tour 500 Claro Rio Open this week and both Federer and Djokovic will be in Dubai next week as the tour builds up into the Masters series events in March.

Tennis could use some variety, and the bunch at the back could do the game a mighty favour if they can overcome their trepidation and unleash their best at the mighty oligarchs that rule the game.