For years they have tried to force the door, closed three times by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokokic, the “Big Three” of world tennis. So in the absence at the US Open (August 31 – September 13) of the Swiss – injured at the beginning of the year, he ended his season – and of the Spaniard – title holder, he gave up in due to the health situation -, four young wolves – the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (22 years old), the Austrian Dominic Thiem (27 years old), the German Alexander Zverev (23 years old) and the Russian Daniil Medvedev (24 years old) – hear take the opportunity to lift their first trophy of a Grand Slam tournament in New York.
“It’s the first time in a very long time that we find ourselves without Roger and Rafa in a Grand Slam table. This US Open has been the most open for many and many and many years », relishes Nicolas Escudé. The figures prove the former French player, now director of the Brest challenger and commentator for Eurosport, right: since 2004, only 10 Majors out of 65 have escaped the “Big Three” cartel, which since 2017 has not left any none in competition, or 13 consecutive (3 for Federer, 5 each for Nadal and Djokovic).
“Thiem is one step ahead and a bit of additional experience compared to Tsitsipas or Zverev”, Nicolas Escudé
When Federer won his first Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon in 2003, Tsitsipas was just learning to read. Five years that Thiem breaks his nose against this glass ceiling … The Austrian, precisely, is, of the four heirs to the world throne, the one who has never seemed so close. Recent finalist in Melbourne at the Australian Open, the leader (3e world) and dean of the pack also has two finals at Roland Garros (2018 and 2019), lost against Nadal, the master of Parisian ocher.
Powerful, the Austrian right-hander with the devastating one-handed backhand is a complete player, who has raised his level of play, observes Nicolas Escudé. “He’s hitting the ball tighter than before, stands much closer to his baseline even on return serve and serves very, well, lists the old 17e worldwide in 2000. At the Masters [le tournoi qui réunit les huit meilleurs joueurs de la saison] last year he was exceptional in some games. “ The judgment of the “Scud” is final: “Thiem has a head start and a bit of additional experience compared to Tsitsipas or Zverev. “
A top 10 member for over four years, the Austrian is also a putative successor to the one who shows himself the most consistent in Grand Slam, with his good results on hard, the surface on which the US Open is played. His career record against Djokovic, Nadal and Djokovic also pleads in his favor; “Domi” can even claim to have counted more victories than defeats over the last twelve months against the “Big Three”.
No complex
” For a few years now, I have been able to compete with the best three in history. I won some spectacular games against them and these are very special moments in my career. (…) Winning a Grand Slam in this particular time would make the title even brighter “, Thiem said in July, a few weeks before the recovery. The Austrian knows the art of patience and respect for his elders. “Unlike the Tsitsipas or the Zverevs, who sometimes have a very loose tongue”, quips Nicolas Escudé.
Before playing in the Queen’s tournament (London), a little over a year ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas had dropped to the Daily Mail : “It’s annoying to see these guys winning all the time. I think it would be good for our sport to have a little variety, something different. “ As talented as he is hot, the Greek, who then imagined himself taking power, is one of the most promising young people in world tennis. Professional for only two years, Tsitsipas notably distinguished himself during an epic confrontation against the Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the round of 16 of Roland Garros 2019, the match of the tournament for many. Since then, not much, or almost, until his victory at the London Masters in November, which firmly established him sixth in the world. In addition, the Greek does not harbor any complex in the face of the triumvirate.
Another candidate for succession, Alexander Zverev. The German with a strong ego rarely makes his ambitions a secret. “I won the biggest and the biggest tournaments among young players. I think Thiem, Tsitsipas and I are the hottest [à la place de numéro un mondial] “, said in May, in an interview for the German daily Kicker, the 23-year-old player of Russian origin. Without the Covid-19 crisis and the forced shutdown of world tennis, the young generation “Would have already taken power over the” Big Three “”, even dared at the end of April the number 7 in the ATP ranking, no doubt perked up by his semi-final in Melbourne in January.
“From arithmetic logic”
He had been rather discreet during the Covid-19 crisis, choosing not to play any of the exhibition matches organized during the summer. Daniil Medvedev, finalist of the US Open after a thunderous North American tour in 2019 (victory at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati), is also a serious contender for the victory in New York. But the young Russian, whose French is almost irreproachable – he lives and trains in Monte-Carlo – is unpredictable and sometimes works on alternating current. So he’s playing it rather modest at the start of the fortnight, even though he has so far only given up sixteen games in two games. “There are two members of the ‘Big Three’ missing, so it gives a newcomer more chances to win the title, it’s just arithmetic logic”, Medvedev told the daily The team during the New York tournament.
Like the Russian, he will not have escaped the strong math skills that Thiem, Tsitsipas, Zverev and Medvedev all display against Novak Djokovic, if not balanced, at least encouraging. But the Serb, winner of the Cincinnati tournament on August 28 and winner of five of the last seven Grand Slams, is playing alien tennis. “It all depends on the level of play he can achieve. He can be surprised, we saw him at the Masters with Thiem last year, but you have to play insane tennis to be able to beat him ”, emphasizes Nicolas Escudé.
And the Serbian will probably not miss such a great opportunity to get back on the heels of Nadal and Federer in the number of Grand Slam victories (17 against 19 and 20 respectively). He came to New York for that, the opportunity is too good for “Nole” to write his own legend.
