In the past decade, there have been 39 different men’s Grand Slam events played, and four players – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray – have won 33 between them.
It’s somewhat telling that, as that quartet enters the autumn of their careers, they are still considered to be the most likely winners of the major events – Djokovic and Nadal are listed as the favorite (+250) and fourth favorite (+550) respectively in the tennis betting odds for the 2022 US Open.
Federer’s return from a catalog of injuries appears to be a long road, but Murray – no stranger to the physio’s table himself – has been tipped by no less a judge than John McEnroe of being a genuine outside contender for the title at Wimbledon.
So can anybody break the stranglehold of the fantastic four on the men’s tennis scene? Here are three players who are, arguably, best placed to do exactly that.
Daniil Medvedev
Given that he was the first man outside of the ‘big four’ to be ranked number one in the world in nearly two decades, you could argue that Daniil Medvedev has already broken their monopoly of tennis’ top tier.
The Russian has now appeared in a quartet of Grand Slam finals, winning the 2021 US Open, and it’s clear that he will be a force to be reckoned with on the faster courts for years to come if he stays healthy and injury-free.
Whether Medvedev can dominate the sport like the members of the golden generation remains to be seen – his clay-court game could do with some improvement, and there are concerns about his slightly volcanic temperament.
But with his strong serve and bludgeoned groundstrokes, the 26-year-old has the main tools to win countless major titles.
Alexander Zverev
Much will depend on how well Alexander Zverev recovers from ankle surgery as to what his immediate future holds.
But, all being well, the German has the skill set and versatility to dominate tennis – as evidenced by the fact he has reached the semi-finals of three of the four Grand Slams already at the age of 25.
Zverev now needs to kick on and compete for major silverware – his loss in the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem the closest he has come to getting his hands on one of tennis’ most prestigious trophies.
But with an Olympic gold medal already in the bag, Zverev clearly has the mental fortitude to win under the harshest of pressures.
Matteo Berrettini
There’s more to tennis than a big serve.
But that can certainly be a huge weapon when paired with a solid return and a decent baseline game, and it’s that combination that has witnessed Matteo Berrettini climb as high as six in the world rankings.
In the 12 months to June 2022, Berrettini won a remarkable 88.7% of his service games, and that’s the kind of number that makes him incredibly difficult to play against – and explains why he has reached at least the quarter-final stage in each of his last four Grand Slam appearances.
If the Italian can continue improving, he – or Medvedev or Zverev for that matter – can take on the baton left behind by Djokovic, Nadal, and co.
