What did the world look like the last time someone other than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray won the men's singles Wimbledon title?
Novak Djokovic has emerged as the victor once again at Wimbledon. The Serb won his 21st Grand Slam title and his seventh at SW19. The victory by the former World No. 1 means that no player outside of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray has won the prestigious event since 2002.
It is a remarkable statistic and testament to the dominance of the 'Big 4', whose playing careers have coincided together. Lleyton Hewitt from Australia was the last player outside the 'Big 4' to win a Wimbledon title, defeating David Nalbandian in the final in straight sets.
The last time a male player who isn’t named Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Andy Murray won a Wimbledon Singles Trophy was July 7, 2002!
- Carlos Alcaraz was 10 months away from being born
- Jannik Sinner was 11 months old
- Lorenzo Musetti was 4 months old
To put into perspective what men's tennis looked like back in 2002 when one of the 'Big 4' didn't win Wimbledon, let's take a look at the tennis landscape from that era.
#1. Carlos Alcaraz was not born
The man tipped by many to dominate the sport for years to come, Carlos Alcaraz was not born the last time one of Murray, Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Federer did not win Wimbledon. The Spaniard was born on May 5, 2003, nearly 10 months after Lleyton Hewitt's victory in SW19 in 2002. Alcaraz reached the fourth round of Wimbledon this year but lost to Jannik Sinner in four sets.
🏻 Thank you for the support! 
Tomorrow we'll need it again! 
🏻 Centre Court! 🤩
The energy I get from playing in front of u all is amazing! ⚡️🙌🏻 Thank you for the support! 💜 Tomorrow we'll need it again! 👋🏻 Centre Court! 🤩
📸 @Wimbledon https://t.co/81OVoDueLe
#2. Martina Navratilova was still playing
Widely considered to be the greatest player of all time, Martina Navratilova was still an active player the last time one of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray did not win Wimbledon.
The 18-time singles Grand Slam champion announced her retirement from tennis in 2006. Partnering with John McEnroe, the duo won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon that year and became the oldest pair to win a Major.
59-time major champion 
Martina Navratilova has too many incredible stats for one tweet, but here’s a few:
▫️ 59-time major champion
▫️ 26-time major finalist
▫️ 369 career titles
Happy Birthday, @Martina! 🥳 https://t.co/ss00Af80ZC
#3. Jannik Sinner was less than a year old
Jannik Sinner was less than a year old in 2002 when Lleyton Hewitt won Wimbledon. The Italian was born on August 16, 2001, less than a year before the Australian's triumph and the dominance of the 'Big 4' at Wimbledon.
The 20-year-old reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the first time and had a winless record on grasscourts coming into the tournament.
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Not to be yesterday, enjoyed the battle out there. Taking these experiences with me and back to the practice court to get better. Congrats Novak, and thanks to everyone for the amazing support these last few weeks 🙏🏼💪🏼 https://t.co/KYMv97AZNH
#4. Serena Williams had won only 4 singles Grand Slams
23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams captured only four Grand Slams until 2002 as the American's assendancy was at its infancy. Serena Williams had won two US Open titles, one Wimbledon title and one French Open title eight years before Novak Djokovic won his maiden SW19 title. However, she had won another five Majors in the doubles event with Venus Williams.
Of all the stats of Serena Williams's career this might be my favorite
14-0
Her record in Grand Slam women's doubles finals (all with Venus)
#getty https://t.co/j8DVWFU2xm
#5. Lorenzo Musetti was 4 months old
Another next generation player who is tipped to achieve big things in the sport, Lorenzo Musetti was four months old when one of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray were not the winners of Wimbledon. Born in March 2002, the Italian was eight months away from celebrating his first birthday.
Lorenzo Musetti
(2019-Present)
Highest ATP Ranking: #51 (May 2022)
Current ATP Ranking: #70
@lorenzomusetti_ https://t.co/KCHK0dRrBQ