The Future of Tennis After Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Retire
The Roger Federer- Rafael Nadal rivalry is considered to be the best rivalry ever in the history of tennis. The rivalry is thought to be matchless, unsurpassed and without parallel, as two of the best players of tennis are playing in the same era.
Federer and Nadal have made tennis extremely engaging and one of the most followed sports in the last 12 years. The fan following of tennis has increased immensely and is mainly divided by the two legends.
Tennis has been revolving around Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the last 10 years, and both the players have dominated the era in their own way. The two have won the majority of the Grand Slam tournaments, ATP Masters 1000 and ATP 500.
Roger Federer leads the overall Grand Slam tally with 20 majors, followed by Rafael Nadal with 17 majors. The Swiss and the Spaniard have bagged many records which are very hard to break.
Federer and Nadal are still dominating men's tennis, with Nadal being the current world no. 1 and Federer at the 2nd spot. The domination of the two makes the Tennis fans happy, but also worries some about the future of tennis.
The future of tennis is certainly uncertain after Roger and Rafa retire. When both the players are out of the scenes, it will certainly be a very sad day for tennis.
What happens when they're gone? Is the youth ready to take Tennis to the next level? These are the two questions in the mind of every tennis pundits and fans.
Jimmy Connors was also worried about the future after Novak Djokovic claimed the 14th major title in New York in September.
He stated, "I love watching the guys that are over 30 play and keep winning but also I want to see some of these young guys. They've got to start now in Australia 2019. I'm going to be watching because that, to me, the future of the game is in the hands of the young."
The young guns will have very large shoes to fill and they have to start making their name in the game of tennis. They have to make sure that they not only follow the legacy of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal but also make their own legacy.
Players like Dominic Theim, Sacha Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapavalov are some of the great contenders who could be at the top. These players have unquestionably impressed everyone, but they have to increase their level.
These players have performed well in some of the ATP Masters 1000 and 500 tournaments but really under-performed in the Grand Slam tournaments. Not even a single Grand Slam has been conquered by these next-gen stars.
They will have to win some Grand Slams and beat Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to create some excitement in the game. Tennis will need a new young player willing to climb the mountain. If they do not perform up to the standards then the popularity of the sport will decline over the period of time.