Wimbledon 2024 — What will the next generation of men's tennis look like?

AFTER FOUR O'CLOCK and 42 minutes of battle, Carlos Alcaraz fell to the grass and rolled over in joy as the crowd roared. He had just done something that was previously unthinkable. He had Novak Djokovic his first loss at Wimbledon since 2017 and winning his second major title in the process. His combination of joy and disbelief was palpable.

Alcaraz had dreamed of beating Djokovic on Centre Court at the tournament since he first picked up a racket as a young boy. Now it had become a reality.

Djokovic was seeking his record-equaling 24th major title and his eighth at Wimbledon, and he was the odds-on favorite to win the tournament. He appeared bewildered as he slowly walked to the net to congratulate Alcaraz, 16 years his junior and now a legitimate rival and serious obstacle in Djokovic's quest for history.

It didn't take long for the latest speculation about a changing of the guard in men's tennis to begin. Although Alcaraz did not add any further fuel to that story during his press conference shortly afterwards, he did acknowledge the significance of what he had achieved for himself and his colleagues.

“It's also great for the new generation, I think, to see me beat him and make them think they can do it too,” Alcaraz said after the match. “It's great for me and I think for [all] the young players.”

But while others may have thought Djokovic’s time at the top was coming to an end, Djokovic had other plans. Less than two months later, he claimed his 24th major title at the US Open. After winning three of the season’s major titles and the year-end ATP Finals, he finished the season ranked No. 1 and publicly stated his goal of winning the “Golden Slam” (all four major titles and Olympic gold) in 2024.

Halfway through the 2024 season, the 37-year-old Djokovic is nowhere near where he wants to be. Let alone the majors: Djokovic has yet to win a title at any level this year, or even play in a final.

He lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open to Jannik Sinner and withdrew from the quarterfinals at the French Open due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. He underwent surgery on June 6, casting serious doubt on his ability to play at Wimbledon, but he has been training on the court all week. He told the BBC On Monday he would only play if he believed he had a chance to “fight for the title.”

Although it looks increasingly likely that Djokovic will play, he is not the favorite to win the title at the All England Club. Combined with the absence of Rafael Nadalthe 22-time major champion who has indicated this could be his final season on tour, and the 2022 retirement Roger Federerit looks like the guard is finally – for real this time – going to change at the top of men's tennis. The stars of tomorrow are now very much the present, and a handful of players could compete in each tournament.

'This is such an exciting time [for men’s tennis]”Brad Gilbert, the current coach of Coco Gauff and former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddicktold ESPN earlier this month.

“[The French Open] was one of the first ones where I didn't have a lockpick, and it feels like it's going that way. It used to be Joker at Wimbledon, but now, get on the court. Same thing at the Australian Open. Or Nadal at the French Open, but now, good luck, get on the court. These guys used to be a casino, and the house always wins. That's how it's been in a lot of these Slams. … But [in Paris] There wasn't an overwhelming favorite by any means, and maybe that's the way things go.”

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IF DJOKOVIC WITHDRAWS Before play begins on Monday, this will be the first Wimbledon main draw without any of the Big Three (Djokovic, Nadal and Federer) since 1998. And the trio didn't play alone at Wimbledon; they dominated together.

Last year, Alcaraz became only the second player outside the three to win the men's title at the event since 2002. Andy Murray. The 37-year-old Murray, a three-time major champion with two Wimbledon victories and perhaps the fourth-best player of the past 20 years, is waiting until the “very last moment” to decide whether he will play in the event due to a recent procedure on his back.

But whether Djokovic (or Murray) plays these two weeks, the 21-year-old Alcaraz and the 22-year-old Sinner are considered the ones with the best chances to win the title. ESPN BET had Alcaraz and Sinner tied for the highest odds (+165) on Thursday. Djokovic was a distant third (+385).

“I'm trying to figure out if [Djokovic] “was 100% healthy what the chances would be, because at the moment you have Alcaraz and Sinner as big favourites,” retired player and current commentator Patrick McEnroe said during a media interview this week. “Then there's a big drop off with Novak as the third man. … Now I have to say the idea of ​​him playing Wimbledon, if there's one place he could do it with this injury, after having this injury, maybe he could do it. … [But] I'd still lean towards the two younger guys. I think they both met the threshold to win majors.”

“[Sinner] is probably one of the toughest challenges we can face in tennis right now. I think he is the best player in the world.”

Carlos Alcaraz

From Federer's first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon in 2003 through the end of the 2023 season, the Big Three have won 66 of the 81 major titles. For years, they have mostly competed against each other in the finals, but in recent years Djokovic and Nadal have had to fend off a host of rising stars in Slam finals, including Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas And Casper Ruud.

Dominicus Thiem was the first male player born in the 1990s to win a major at the 2020 US Open, but even that came with an asterisk as Nadal and Federer did not play in the tournament and Djokovic defaulted in the fourth round. Medvedev became the first of the “Next Gen” to defeat a member of the Big Three in a Slam final at the US Open the following year. Djokovic was seeking his first Grand Slam of the calendar year, which requires him to win all four majors in the same year, before Medvedev played spoiler in three anticlimactic sets.

Djokovic said he was far from done, but he also saw the mood hanging.

“The new generation, if you want to call them that, is not someone who is new,” Djokovic said after the loss. “It is already current, established. Of course they will take it over.”

Since then, Medvedev, 28, has not been able to win another major, but he has played in three Slam finals and won seven ATP titles. It is Alcaraz and Sinner who seemed best poised to fulfill Djokovic's prediction.

Alcaraz has won three majors, including at the French Open earlier this month, and Sinner claimed his first at the Australian Open in January. Both have been dominant at tournaments at all levels this season.

Alcaraz, currently ranked No. 3, won six titles in 2023 and claimed his second trophy in Indian Wells this season. Sinner, who took over the world No. 1 spot from Djokovic for the first time on June 10, has won eight titles since the start of the 2023 season, including in Melbourne, the Masters 1000-level Miami Open in March and his first at grass in Halle last week.

The budding (and friendly) rivalry between the two has also become a must-see, as both seem to continually raise their game to match each other. Alcaraz holds a 5-4 career lead, including a victory in their most recent meeting in the French Open semifinals — a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 epic clash that lasted over four hours. Both seem to recognize how good their rivalry is for both themselves and the sport, as it looks to extend beyond the Big Three.

“[Sinner] “He's probably one of the toughest challenges we can face in tennis right now. I think he's the best player in the world,” Alcaraz said before their match in Paris. “The matches we've played before have been incredible matches, I think everyone wants to see this match. … Let's see how it goes, but I think it's going to be great for tennis and for the fans.”

The two could potentially meet in the semi-finals at the All England Club. Djokovic is on the other side of the draw and would only play one of them in the final.

But there are several players who have gone a step further this season and shown that they too are capable of winning the biggest titles. In five Masters 1000 tournaments this season, the most prestigious events behind the Slams and the ATP Finals, there have been five different winners. In addition to Alcaraz and Sinner, Tsitsipas, Andrei Rublev And Alexander Zverev have all won. They too could win at Wimbledon or elsewhere.

The depth of talent and those with potential to win doesn’t stop there. Medvedev, still best known for his hardcourt skills, reached the semifinals of last year’s tournament. He was able to build on his experience and momentum, especially against a field that was largely green on the surface. Medvedev will be among the favorites in New York as well.

Hubert Hurkaczthe seventh seed who lost to Sinner in the final in Halle is a former Wimbledon semi-finalist and even handed Federer his last defeat at the event in 2021. Alex de Minaur has had a breakthrough season, landing in the top 10 for the first time, reaching a quarter-final at Roland Garros earlier this month and winning his second title on grass at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships.

And there are those who can surprise, like the British star Jack Draperwho won his first ATP title in Stuttgart and defeated Alcaraz the following week at Queen's Club. Or Tommy Paulthe new American number 1 who won his first grass title at Queen's Club.

“I really like the way Tommy Paul is playing,” McEnroe said. “I really think he can get to the semi-finals or the final if he believes in it.”

With the opening round of Wimbledon's main draw fast approaching, there are still many questions surrounding the tournament. Consider, for example, Djokovic's playing qualities and men's tennis in general.

Will Djokovic win another major and become sole owner of the record for the greatest record in tennis history? Will Alcaraz and Sinner officially emerge as a Big Two? Or will they be joined by others who regularly compete for major titles? Wimbledon could be the first real taste of what life in the post-Big Three era will be like.

Of course, even with Djokovic's season so far and his possible absence from Wimbledon, it doesn't mean his reign at the top is over. Asked about the younger generation and knowing what people thought after his semi-final exit in Melbourne, Djokovic told reporters not to discount him just yet.

“I still have high expectations, you know, for other Slams, Olympics and whatever tournaments I'm going to play,” Djokovic said. “This tournament was not at my level or criteria or the level that I would normally play or expect from myself, but [it] does not necessarily mean that the [the] the beginning of the end, you know, as some people like to call it.”