'The reason Federer, Nadal, Djokovic are still out there is...', says former Top 10

The dominance of the Big 3 has prevented numerous players from expressing their potential in Grand Slam tournaments. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have monopolized the circuit for the past 15 years, fueling their hegemony even after they are over 30. The Swiss experienced a second youth starting from 2017, while the Spaniard and the Serbian reduced their gap from Federer's records, confirming themselves at very high levels. Thanks to his 13th success at Roland Garros, Nadal has reached his eternal rival at 20 Majors, crowning a very long chase that lasted more than ten years. In a recent interview with Cyprus Mail, former world number 8 Marcos Baghdatis explained how the performance of the three monsters is absolutely out of this world. The Cypriot boasts a 2006 Australian Open final as best result and a semifinal at Wimbledon the same year.

Baghdatis on the Big 3

"Take for example the Big 3, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic," Marcos Baghdatis said. "People see them and think what they are doing is normal. But I assure you it’s not, if it was I would have done the same! What Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have achieved is out of this world. And the reason they are still out there winning tournaments is because they never stop learning, they always find ways to improve themselves, even after almost two decades at the top," he added. Taking inspiration from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Baghdatis is trying to keep a positive attitude. “Every day I come across something new, I pay attention to details, I study the game and I try to communicate with her (Svitolina) in the most honest and simple way, without complicating things," Baghdatis said. "Again, learning is the key, it allows me to improve myself as a coach as well as a person. Good results will always come to those who manage to keep an open mind, in sports as in everyday life.” The Big Three are the top three players in terms of Grand Slam men's singles titles won, as well as the top three male players in terms of Major finals reached. Federer has reached 31 finals, Nadal 28, and Djokovic 27. They are the only three men to win eight or more singles titles at the same Grand Slam tournament: Nadal with 13 French Open titles, Federer with eight Wimbledon titles, and Djokovic with eight Australian Open titles. (On the women's side, Martina Navratilova won nine times at Wimbledon, while Molla Mallory won eight US Championships, a predecessor of the US Open.) They are the only men to have won consecutive Grand Slam titles since Andre Agassi in the 1999 US Open and 2000 Australian Open, Nadal achieving this twice, Djokovic thrice, and Federer five times.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3dYEXcO