"The era of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic is coming to an end, even if Djokovic still has a few years ahead" - Francisco Cerundolo
The golden generation of tennis, led by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, is coming to an end, according to Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
The Big 3 has been ruling men's tennis for about two decades. Several players have tried to dethrone them over the years, with little success. However, Cerundolo feels the time has almost approached for the other players on tour to take center stage.
In an interview with News Rebeat, Cerundolo opined that there has been a wave of change of late in men's tennis, highlighting the rise of occasional champions like Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.
"The new generation broke into the top positions of the rating -analysed. In the big tournaments a lot of finalists start appearing, occasional champions like Carlos or Daniil Medvedev. The era of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic is coming to an end, even if Djokovic still has a few years ahead," he said.
The 24-year-old reckons that it is a "good moment" for tennis to see a lot of players winning major titles, unlike in the olden days when there were just a few "established" players who dominated proceedings.
"It’s a good moment for tennis, because you don’t see it as impossible. Until a few years ago you could see Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Murray, maybe Del Potro… You could see four, five or six established players, who it was impossible to eliminate and beat in a Grand Slam or in important tournaments. Now there is a very big change in the circuit, with Alcaraz, with Tsitsipas, with Ruud… Many are my age," he expressed.
Francisco Cerundolo is currently taking part in the ATP Buenos Aires, where he will face Jaume Munar in the Round of 16 on Thursday (February 16).
"If we want to beat him, we have to keep working to improve" - Francisco Cerundolo on Novak Djokovic
Despite stating that the Big 3's era is nearing an end, Francisco Cerundolo acknowledged Novak Djokovic's expertise.
The World No. 30 believes that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is the "best player" currently on tour. He admitted that other players need to step up their game to have any chance of getting the better of the Serbian.
"The best tennis player, the number 1 and the champion of the last Grand Slam. He’s impressive because, with everything he’s already won, he still wants to play and win. I respect that a lot. And I think it’s good for tennis that it continues at that level, that it continues to demand from us. If we want to beat him, we have to keep working to improve," Cerundolo said.
Djokovic was last seen in action at the 2023 Australian Open where he claimed his 22nd Major title, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the summit clash.