“I could see Federer (on left) going on past 40 because his movement is so efficient. Looking at Djokovic’s (right) body type, he could also go on a long time. I don’t see Nadal (centre) going on as long because of the aggressive and physical way he plays, especially with that big follow through.”[/caption]
Regular readers of this column would remember that this writer had written quite extensively about some young guns who looked as if they were ready to break the domination of the top “three”.
The pretenders
Players such as Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric, Dominic Thiem, Jack Sock and, for that matter, even the ever entertaining, and most of the time for the wrong reasons, Nick Kyrgios had shown flashes of brilliance from time. They could very well be considered the “pretenders” to the crown held for so long by the top guns. They looked as if they were starting to mature enough to take on the “big guns” of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic and consistently beat them to replace them at the top.
There lies the problem. While they have shown that they have the game to beat, these legends from time to time and on their day, have not shown enough consistency to suggest that they would do enough to replace the said top guns. In that case this writer wonders, is it time to swallow the pride and put his hand up and say that the top three would dominate the game of tennis well into their forties. In which case, given below are the points which suggest that they might very well do so for a few more years at least.
French Open
This has become quite apparent with the starting of the French Open this week. This is a big time for birthdays in tennis. Nadal turns 35 today (Wednesday), while Djokovic and Andy Murray became 34 in the past two weeks. By the end of this summer, Federer will have reached 40. And even in the female game, the legendary champion Serena Williams would also turn 40 years old. But in the hearts and minds of the spectators and the players alike, the one player that is considered a prohibitive favourite for the men’s title would be Rafa Nadal.
And of course, the ever present question of who will end up with the highest number of Grand Slams at the end of their careers is also at the forefront of everyone’s minds. With Federer and Nadal tied on 20 each, and Djokovic closing fast on 18, it looks as if that particular race will also be as exciting as their matches have been when they played each other. All in all, these legendary champions seem to be carrying the image and the brand of tennis on their shoulders well in to their thirties as well.
Expert opinion
That then begs the question as to when these much-heralded “next generation” is likely to start breaking through and showing us their skills on a consistent basis. On a scientific level with the advancement of age, the bodies of these champions should be slowing down and their reactions getting slower and their sharpness getting blunted. But the problem is that at least on the surface, that does not seem to be happening! And unfortunately for the younger generation of players coming through in the game, there is not much of hope from the medical experts as well.
Giles Stafford, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at London’s Wellington Hospital, has long experience dealing with elite athletes and is a keen tennis player. According to him, the fact that tennis is an individual game and that the player has the ability to make decisions on an individual level without having the pressures of a team to consider might very well be contributing to their longevity. “A big difference between a sport like tennis and a team one like football or rugby is that a tennis player can choose when they come back after injury,” he says. “In a team sport, there may be reasons to rush back, because the manager needs to strengthen the team, or the player may fear losing their place or not getting a new contract. I’ve seen myself that it shortens careers. These top tennis players can choose exactly the right time to return.”
Father time
He does expect “father time” to start playing its role of course. But as he says that also comes with a caveat. “You would usually expect them to slow down when it comes to explosive speed in their early thirties, but at the same time, that is when endurance is likely to improve,” says Stafford. I could see Federer going on past 40 because his movement is so efficient. Looking at Djokovic’s body type, he could also go on a long time. I don’t see Nadal going on as long because of the aggressive and physical way he plays, especially with that big follow through.”
And on the other hand, these top athletes have a physical-pain endurance level which baffles mere mortals. And he talks about some of the All-Blacks players to illustrate his point. “Another aspect is that these outstanding athletes can compartmentalise pain in a way that it is hard for recreational players to understand. I once did quite a major operation on an ex-All Black that took more than two hours. To my astonishment, a couple of hours afterwards he was trying to discharge himself (from the hospital) and I had to persuade him otherwise. In normal language it was basically because he was as hard as nails.”
Conclusion
So, there is certainly not much hope for the younger players from that front. They will just have to work that much harder and try to catch up on their own terms. Meanwhile, us mere mortals might as well enjoy the show.
Because we might really, only appreciate it when it isn’t around anymore.