Is Stefanos Tsitsipas' ATP Finals win a sign of change, or another false dawn?
Since 2005, we have seen tennis being dominated by three of the greatest players to have ever picked up a tennis racquet. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have established such a stranglehold over the sport that it's almost impossible to picture anyone else being World No. 1.
For the past few years we have been waiting for the NextGen to take up the mantle, but there has been no luck so far. Could Stefanos Tsitsipas' latest win at the ATP Finals signal the start of change, and herald a new era in tennis?
The last three years we have seen the Grand Slams being dominated by the 'Big 3', but the results at the Masters 1000 events have shown the signs of a changing of the guard. In 2019, apart from Tsitsipas clinching the year-ending championships, young players such as Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem managed to pick up Masters 1000 titles too, beating one or more of the 'Big 3' along the way.
So is this really a new beginning? Should we expect the NextGen to start winning Slams in 2020? It's difficult to answer that in the affirmative, because there is still one thing that the Big 3 have and which the NextGen don't - consistency.
Take for example Alexander Zverev, who started 2018 brilliantly by reaching the final of the Miami Masters and winning the Madrid Masters. But then he had a massive dip in form until the ATP Finals, where he managed to play his best tennis and win the the title. In 2019 he again had a dip in form, failing to win a single title other than the lowly Geneva 250.
Another example is Medvedev, who had an amazing hardcourt season this year. The Russian reached six consecutive finals from June to September, winning two Masters 1000 titles along the way. But at the Paris Masters we saw a massive drop in his level of tennis, and lost in the first round to Jeremy Chardy. He then failed to win a single match at the ATP Finals.
The 'Big 3' themselves have not played the their best tennis the last couple of years, but they have still been head and shoulders above the rest. Even after crossing the age of 30, they have been consistent enough to ensure that the Slams remain their monopoly.
If the NextGen want to be remembered in the same vein as the 'Big 3', they have to bring their best not just in one match but in all their matches. Failing that, we might see the 'Big 3' competing for the Slam titles even in 2025!