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The Serb is focusing his mind on his next match, and deflecting talk of the Calendar Slam until Sunday. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday September 8, 2021

Novak Djokovic is all about gunning for the Calendar Slam. The World No.1 continued that quest on Wednesday night in New York by taking out Matteo Berrettini in four sets, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

Just don’t ask Djokovic to talk about it too much. He’s much more concerned with simplifying his mission and taking it match by match.

After his victory he was asked about the Calendar Slam on court, but told ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe that he preferred just to think about his next match, which will come against Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.

Djokovic was asked about it again in his post-match press conference, and explained why he doesn’t went to spend too much time talking about the subject.

“I've been getting that question quite a lot recently, which is understandable,” he said. “But I had enough of answering that. I just said millions of times that of course I'm aware of the history, of course it gives me motivation. If I start to think about it too much, it burdens me mentally. I want to really go back to the basics and what really works for me mentally.

Onward idemooo #semis 💪🏼🎾 thank you for all the amazing support #NoleFam 🙏🏼 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ooHwz85Ahe

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) September 9, 2021

It’s a wise decision by Djokovic to keep his mind free of distraction. The only way he can achieve this incredible milestone is by taking it one match at a time. He’s done that effectively throughout 2021, winning all 26 matches he has played at the majors, including nine in which he dropped the opening set.

“Again, I'm in a position that is very unique,” he said. “I'm very grateful for that. I'm inspired to play my best tennis. But I know what works for me to win just the next match. So that's the reason why I stopped Patrick. I hope he doesn't mind. I know that a lot of people want to hear me talking about it. But let's talk about it hopefully on Sunday.”

🇷🇸 Djokovic v. Zverev 🇩🇪

Chapter 🔟 of this rivalry is set for Friday 🍿 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/faNCJRQo8j

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 9, 2021

Zverev Next

Speaking of Sunday, Djokovic will get ready for his biggest challenge at this year’s US Open when he faces the man who ended his quest for the Golden Slam at the Tokyo Games. But Djokovic still owns a 6-3 record over Zverev, which includes 2-0 at the Slams.

“I know it's going to be battle, even harder than it was today,” he said. “But I'm ready for it. Look, these are the hurdles that I need to overcome in order to get to the desired destination. Result is something that I can't predict, but I can definitely put myself in the best possible state of mind and body to perform as well as I can.”

Djokovic believes it will come down to mental toughness, and a few important points.

“I know his game,” he said. “As I said, I know his game very well. I've seen him play. He's been playing very, very well. Again, semis. When we face each other, there's nerves, a lot of things on the line. It could go both ways. I think very few points will really determine the winner there. Let's see what happens.”

The Canadian is putting the finishing touches on a fantastic run at the summer Slams in New York. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday September 8, 2021

In just his tenth Grand Slam singles draw, Felix Auger-Aliassime has cracked a giant milestone, reaching his first major semifinal with his victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday in New York (6-3, 3-1, (ret)).

But anybody who has followed Auger-Aliassime knows that the journey has been long, and the process never easy to master. The Canadian himself talked about his journey after reaching the semifinals on Tuesday night.

He said that boosting his own self-belief, through adversity, has been the key to his arrival on the Grand Slam stage this summer.

FINAL 4️⃣ #USOpen
Such an amazing run @alcarazcarlos03, hope you have a speedy recovery! pic.twitter.com/dL8HTrBAGs

— Félix AugerAliassime (@felixtennis) September 8, 2021

“I've gotten impatient sometimes this year, last year,” Auger-Aliassime has said. “I had I think losses that I was disappointed with either in Grand Slams or in Masters. I think I just learned to accept them, to keep my self-belief high, to keep working well, and things would come. Have the belief that things would come, and you never know exactly when, at some point things would click and I would get a great result.”

Auger-Aliassime entered Wimbledon this year with a record of 8-8 at the Grand Slams. Since, he has won nine of ten. Somethings when a breakthrough is achieved, things can happen fast.

The Canadian will face Russia’s Daniil Medvedev for a spot in his first major final on Friday.

“I'm happy that this tournament, on a stage like this, the US Open, to be performing the way I'm performing,” he said. “At the same time I'm still in the tournament, so that's the best part, is that it's not over. Certainly, yeah, it's already been a great tournament. I hope to do more.”

Great for Canada, Great for Quebec

Auger-Aliassime is joined by 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez in the semis, which means that for the first time in US Open history Canada is represented by a semifinalist in the men’s and women’s singles section of the draw.

“It's great for Canada. It's great for Quebec,” he said. “We're both born in Montreal. I mean, I never thought a day like this would come. Both a little girl and a little boy from Montreal, both at the same time in the semifinals of the US Open. It's special. It's special. It's special for us. I hope the people back home appreciate the moment also. We do a lot.It's great. But it would be amazing if we were both in a final, right?”

The Pole Hopes to Get Her Mind Right Before the Third Round. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday September 2, 2021

Iga Swiatek won from a set down for the fourth time at a Grand Slam on Thursday, battling past Fiona Ferro of France, 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-0 to set a third-round encounter with Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.

But the Pole, the 2020 Roland Garros champion and the No.7 seed in New York, was not pleased with the way she handled the pressure on Day 4.

“For sure it was a tough match,” she told reporters. “I think I didn't start it properly, because I felt like I couldn't properly feel my legs. But it's not the first time, so I'm trying to work on that.”

Fighting back from the brink 🤘@iga_swiatek | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/MmTtc9G6mK

— wta (@WTA) September 2, 2021

Swiatek, who is into the third round for the second consecutive year in New York, says she felt better in the second set but never really was able to find her aggressive game and mindset against Ferro.

“In second set, I loosened up a little bit, kind of changed tactics,” she said, comparing it to her win against Barbora Krejcikova at Rome this spring. “It was a similar match, in my mind, it was a similar match in Rome against Krejcikova. It was a similar situation. And it's always tough for me to use these kind of solutions when I'm just trying to push that ball and just give it back, because I usually want to, I don't know, lead or attack or just build the rally.

“This time I felt like I'm pretty tight, so it's the only chance for me to win points.”

Looking ahead to facing Kontaveit, Swiatek says she hopes she can trick her mind into believing she is the underdog, because she knows it will be easier to play loose if she believes it.

“I'm trying to trick my mind all the time, so, yeah, I mean, it's hard,” she said. “That's why I'm like kind of struggling on court, but yeah, Anett is playing great. I know that. I don't have such a strong control over my mind to actually be sure that I'm going to be able to do that, but I will try, because I know that then I will just be loosened up and that's the most important thing for me right now.”

The American fell to Sloane Stephens in New York, and reflected on her Grand Slam season. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday September 1, 2021

After her 6-4, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Sloane Stephens, 17-year-old Coco Gauff took stock of her impressive Grand Slam season. The American reached her first major quarterfinal at Roland Garros, before losing to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. Two weeks later she made the second week of Wimbledon for the second time, falling to former champion and eventual semifinalist Angelique Kerber.

Though she may have wanted more, Gauff believes she is closer than ever before to winning a major.

“I think that I feel like I've learned that I'm capable of making it far in slams,” she said. “I think if I tighten up a few things, that I'm capable of winning one. The past couple slams I've lost to players that have gone to the quarters or won eventually, so it shows that I'm there.

“I feel like there's just an experience lacking that I have. I definitely think it shows. I think that I just need to play more matches so I feel more comfortable on the pressure moments.”

Stephens, who is ranked 23, says her high point of the season was reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. She also reminded reporters that her work is not done at the majors this year. She’ll play doubles with Caty McNally.

“I think obviously the standout was the French Open quarterfinal,” she said. “The goal is always to win, so obviously I think I can do a lot better. But I feel like I have a lot to improve on. I think today's match showed what I need to improve on. I still have doubles, so it's not quite over. Singles-wise, I think I have a lot to work on. I'm going to go back to work once this is over.”

Reigning US Open champion, her sister, Mari Osaka, and BodyArmor revitalize the public courts where the sisters grew up playing.
Reigning champion Naomi Osaka has lit up Queens before launching her US Open defense.

The four-time Grand Slam champion returned to her roots today—the tennis courts at Detective Keith L. Williams Park in Jamaica, Queens where she and her older sister, Mari Osaka, grew up playing—to deliver a major makeover for the tennis community.

More: Top 10 Takeaways US Open Women's Draw

Osaka, her sister Mari Osaka and BodyArmor Lyte refurbished the tennis court facilities as a way to bring its US Open partnership to life beyond the tournament and inspire young athletes in the local Queens community where Osaka got her start.

In addition to a complete overhaul of the actual tennis facilities, BodyArmor collaborated with Mari Osaka on the development of a bold artwork bordering the courts that incorporates colors and symbols that are meaningful to the tennis champion. To bring Naomi and Mari’s creative vision to life, BodyArmor tapped New York graffiti artist, Mast, who helped embody the vibrant spirit of the community.

“I’ve seen first-hand how playing sports can have a positive impact on kid’s lives,” said Naomi Osaka. “It’s been extremely gratifying to collaborate with BodyArmor on revitalizing the very same tennis courts that I grew up playing on.

"And the fact that BodyArmor is also a Queens based company makes this initiative even cooler and more meaningful to me. The update to these courts means so much—local high schools use these for practice and competitions, the community comes here to play—the benefits will be long lasting.”

Born in Osaka, Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father, Osaka's first Grand Slam experience came as a kid growing up in Valley Stream, New York attending the US Open.

"I remember hitting on these courts a lot so I actually recognize a lot of people that came out here today," Osaka said. "It's really nice to see you guys. 

"Just to see the courts kind of new and different from how I grew up, it's really amazing to see. I just really love this neighborhood when I was a kid. We used to have so many adventures, me and my sister. For me, just revisiting here and wanting to build up and do better for the community was very important for both of us."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by 大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka)

To officially unveil the new courts, BodyArmor partnered with Naomi Osaka’s foundation, Play Academy, to host “LYTE Up the Courts” a youth tennis clinic featuring participants from New York-based tennis organizations.

On a sticky summer day in Queens, the kids participated in several drills working on groundstrokes, volleys and serves as well as playing games. Osaka hit, offered some tips and chatted with community kids today during the official unveiling of the courts.

"While you're playing have love for the sport," Osaka told the kids. "And even if you're not playing just want to be a better you."

"Through our partnership with Naomi Osaka, BodyArmor has been able to give back to the Queens community, which holds a special place in our hearts,” said Michael Fedele, Vice President of Marketing at BodyArmor. “Being able to support this project is much bigger than the renovation itself. With the new courts, we’re not only able to provide an upgraded facility for the next generation of tennis players, we’re also investing in the future of the community we call home.”

In 2020, BodyArmor Lyte announced its multi-year partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) which named BodyArmor Lyte as the Official Sports Drink of the US Open Tennis Championships.

Photo credit: BodyArmor

To celebrate its 110th anniversary, Fila will make a Flushing Meadows fashion statement.
Fila will celebrate its anniversary with a US Open blues festival.

To honor the 110th anniversary of the brand, Fila will release two all-new collections to be worn on court by select sponsored tennis players at the final Grand Slam of the season. Blue is a primary power color for both collections.

More: Osaka on Anxiety and Super Power

World No. 1 Ash Barty and Americans John Isner, Reilly Opelka and Sam Querrey will don the exclusive 110 Year Collection, while Fila sponsored athletes Sofia Kenin, Karolina Pliskova and Diego Schwartzman will sport the new Wildcard Collection in New York City. 

The 110 Year Collection celebrates the brand’s signature style with fashion-forward designs inspired by sketches from the Fila archives. The classic line features a color palette of Fila Navy / White / Marina Blue, harkening back to the brand’s roots in tennis, which includes some of the most iconic and recognizable styles in history. This limited-edition collection combines the vintage styles of the brand’s rich tennis heritage with complementary silhouettes in today’s performance fabrics, perfectly suited to allow Fila-sponsored athletes to be at their best on court in New York this summer.

The collection offers a variety of Fila's most popular styles, with the Racerback Tank and Short Sleeve Polo for women, each paired with the A-Line Skort, along with a flattering and timeless 110 Year Dress. Isner, Opelka and Querrey will choose from a classic Short Sleeve Crew with chest-level horizontal striping or the similarly-styled Short Sleeve Polo, each offered in the collection’s primary colors of navy, white and marina blue. The Signature Stripe Polo is destined to become the latest in a long line of iconic Fila on-court styles, paired with the classic navy Stretch Woven Short.

Both the men and women will round out the 110 Year Collection with the iconic Fila French Terry jacket featuring the heritage signature stripe side panel and rib knit stripe detailing at the collar, cuffs and button band. This vintage piece is instantly recognizable as one of the most iconic looks in the brand’s history, paying homage to Fila's role as a pioneer and an innovator in tennis fashion, which included bringing color to the traditionally white-clad world of tennis. A French Terry track pant will complete the collection.

All pieces in the 110 Year Collection feature a special Fila x 110 Anniversary logo, including three upgraded footwear styles that are ready to play both on and off the court. Each Fila sponsored athlete wearing the 110 Year Collection in New York City will sport a marina / fila navy / white style of the Axilus 2 Energized, Fila's leading performance tennis shoe. Also included in the collection will be the Tennis 88 street sneaker and Drifter Lux slide.

Wildcard Collection

Kenin, Pliskova and Schwartzman will make their own fashion statement on court when they introduce the Wildcard Collection, featuring modern takes on styles of the past with a mystifying color palette of rattan / dusk blue / stucco / black and moonlight.

Kenin and Pliskova will select from a range of styles and silhouettes, including a classic Racerback Tank in three distinct color styles; a High Neck Racerback Tank with delicately printed front and back yoke; a Full Coverage Tank featuring contrast color piping detail with flatlock stitching at front and back; and a Short Sleeve Top with mesmerizing printed side panels under the arm. Players can pair any of the top options back to one of three distinct skort options: the 12.5 inch Side Wrap Skort, with a printed undershort and offered in dusk blue / moonlight / black; the 13.5 inch Flirt Skort, with contrast color piping and a rubber Fila tennis ball logo; and the 14.5 inch Scoop Skort, offered in black / rattan / dusk blue. 

Schwartzman and fellow FILA sponsored ATP Tour players will debut offerings from the men’s Wildcard drop in a tantalizing color palette of white / muskmelon / dusk blue / stucco / black and moonlight. Standouts of the collection include three top options: the Short Sleeve Crew, the Short Sleeve Polo and the Contrast Polo.  Each specially designed option can be paired back to the all-new Short, built on dense stretch woven fabric and available in white, black or dusk blue plaid.

Fila sponsored athletes wearing the Wildcard collection will also debut two limited-edition styles of the Axilus 2 Energized. WTA Tour players will wear a white / black / stucco style while ATP Tour players will vie for Grand Slam glory in a statement-making stucco / muskmelon / white style.

Photo credit: Fila

The San Diego Open, an ATP 250 tournament, will be played on the hard courts of Barnes Tennis Center September 27th- October 3rd.
The west coast will be prime tennis territory next month.

San Diego will host an ATP 250-level tournament in September the week before the expanded two-week BNP Paribas Open starts in Indian Wells.

Isner: Sinner Will Carry the Game For Years

The San Diego Open, an ATP 250 tournament, will be played on the hard courts of Barnes Tennis Center September 27th- October 3rd.The Center is located at 4490 West Point Loma Blvd., San Diego, CA 9210.

The tournamnent will feature a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw. The event will offer a total of $600,000 in prize money and tournament champions will receive 250 points in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the Barnes Tennis Center and the San Diego tennis community to come together with the ATP to put on a world-class men’s professional tennis event,” said Youth Tennis San Diego Chief Executive Officer Ryan Redondo, who will serve as San Diego Open tournament director.

According to Redondo, additional seating, including a 2,000-seat Grandstand on Stadium Court, will be built to accommodate spectators at the Barnes Tennis Center.

“With the size of the draw, fans are going to have the opportunity to watch the top players in the world” Redondo said. “We are preparing the venue to host the tournament and the seating on Stadium Court will give fans an intimate setting to watch matches.”

The San Diego Open will be one of ten ATP Tour tournaments to be played in the United States in 2021. In the past, San Diego County has hosted numerous men’s professional tennis events, including exhibitions, Davis Cup ties, World Championship Tennis and ATP Challenger tournaments, but this will mark the first time an ATP Tour level tournament will be played in San Diego.

“We are delighted to welcome the San Diego Open onto the ATP Tour calendar for this year," ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said. "I would like to thank the organizing team for their commitment to tennis and agility in stepping up to stage this event at short notice. It promises to play an important role in delivering a strong finish to the season for our players and fans.”

Tournament officials will announce ticket information and opportunities for volunteers and ball kids soon.

The Barnes Center is owned and operated by Youth Tennis San Diego. It was built in 1995 and completed in 1997. . For additional information, please visit www.barnestenniscenter.com.

Photo credit: Barnes Tennis Center

Rising young Americans Jenson Brooksby, Mackenzie McDonald and Brandon Nakashima will play the US Open.
Rising Americans have made their mark on the US Open Series.

Next up is New York.

Watch: Emotional Osaka Sheds Tears

Jenson Brooksby, Mackenzie McDonald and Brandon Nakashima join former world No. 8 Jack Sock leading the list of men's wild cards into this month's US Open main draw.

The US Open begins on August 30th at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.

Brooksby, 20, of Sacramento, California, has enjoyed a breakout season in 2021 and recently broke into the ATP Top 100, currently ranked a career-best No. 99. He has won three ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, reached his first ATP Tour final at the US Open Series’ Hall of Fame Open in Newport, R.I., earlier this summer and reached the semifinals of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., an ATP 500 event.

The 20-year-old Nakashima, of San Diego, also achieved his career-high ranking this week, coming in at No. 86 after a remarkable summer that saw him reach back-to-back ATP Tour finals in Los Cabos, Mexico and Atlanta. He qualified for the main draw of Wimbledon and added his second ATP Challenger Tour title earlier this year.

Nineteen-year-old Emilio Nava of Los Angeles, is currently ranked No. 381, a career-best. He was the boys’ singles finalist at the 2019 US Open, the last time the junior competition was held. He also reached the boys’ singles final at the 2019 Australian Open and is a two-time junior Grand Slam doubles finalist. He earned his first professional title earlier this year at an ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in La Nucia, Spain.

Ready to make noise 🗣️

Seven 🇺🇸 American men have received singles main draw wild cards into the @usopen. pic.twitter.com/oF3wseCeZn

— USTA (@usta) August 18, 2021

The 28-year-old Sock, of Charlotte, N.C., is currently ranked No. 185 but has been ranked as high as No. 8 in the world. Battling back after a number of injuries, Sock reached his first ATP Tour quarterfinal since 2018 at the Hall of Fame Open earlier this summer. He also won an ATP Challenger Tour title in May.

Ernesto Escobedo, 25, of Los Angeles, is currently ranked No. 179 and has been ranked as high as No. 67. Recently, he qualified for the main draw of the ATP 250 event in Los Cabos, Mexico, reaching the quarterfinals and reached the semifinals at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Lexington, Ky. Earlier this year he qualified for the main draw of the Miami Open, reaching the second round.

Sam Riffice, 22, of Orlando, Fla., is currently ranked No. 690. He won the NCAA men’s singles title in May representing the University of Florida after helping lead the Gators to the NCAA team national title as well. The following week, he reached the semifinals of an ATP Challenger Tour event in his hometown of Orlando.

Zachary Svajda, 18, of San Diego, is currently ranked No. 716. He won the 2021 USTA Boys’ 18s national championship, defending his title from 2019 (the last time the event was held). He became the first player to win back-to-back boys’ 18s singles titles since Jack Sock did so in 2010 and 2011. Svajda memorably pushed ATP Tour veteran Paolo Lorenzi to five sets in the first round of the 2019 US Open at the age of 16.

Max Purcell, 23, of Sydney, Australia, is currently ranked No. 206 in singles. An accomplished doubles player, he will be making his US Open singles main draw debut.

The USTA also announced the men receiving wild cards into the US Open Qualifying tournament, held August 24-27 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center: Ulises Blanch (23; Orlando, Fla.), a former world No. 2-ranked junior and two-time ATP Challenger Tour winner; Christian Harrison (27; Shreveport, La.), who reached the semifinals of the Delray Beach Open in January and has improved his ranking by nearly 800 spots this year after returning from a number of injuries; Zane Khan (19; Houston), who has won three ITF World Tennis Tour titles this year; Aleks Kovacevic (22; New York), a former All-American at the University of Illinois and 2021 USTA Summer Collegiate Team member; Stefan Kozlov (23; Pembroke Pines, Fla.) a former world No. 115 who reached two junior Grand Slam finals and has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles; Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (24, New York) a former standout at the University of California, Santa Barbara who has won three ITF World Tennis Tour titles this year; Govind Nanda (20, Redlands, Calif.), a current UCLA star who competed in qualifying at the 2019 US Open after finishing runner-up at the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships and recent winner of a ITF World Tennis Tour M25 title; Ben Shelton (18, Gainesville, Fla.), this year’s USTA Boy’s 18s singles finalist and rising sophomore at the University of Florida; and Eliot Spizzirri (19, Greenwich, Conn.), the 2019 US Open boys’ doubles champion and current University of Texas standout who also recently won a ITF World Tennis Tour M25 title.

Photo credit: Citi Open Facebook

The American thinks its funny that haters label him as a one-trick pony because he serves big. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday August 12, 2021

Reilly Opelka has a razor sharp sense of humor and he’s not shy about having a controversial take. That’s one of myriad things there is to like about the 23-year-old outside-the-box thinker, who dabbles in fashion and high-art when he’s not thundering serves and forehands past the world’s best tennis players.

But hold on a minute – Opelka has a message for all the haters and misunderstanders out there: He’s not a SERVEBOT.

#Servebot for the win ✌️ @ReillyOpelka 😂 #NBO21 pic.twitter.com/okmP9djxkd

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 13, 2021

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Opelka signed the camer “Servebot” after his impressive 6-3, 7-6(1) victory over Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday in Toronto. Every heard of irony, my friends?

Opelka has.

The American says that he and fellow bomb server John Isner thinks it funny that tennis fans (some, at least) like the label them as boring one-trick ponies just because they can serve like the devil.

“I mean, quite frankly, Isner and I joke about the term "servebot," Opelka said. “It's pretty stupid, like, slang. Of course I leave it to the tennis media to come up with that word or term or whatever. We just joke around with that term now.”

Trust Opelka when he tells you that there’s more to reaching back-to-back Masters 1000 semifinals than serving frozen ropes from high in the sky.

“I mean, anyone who knows anything about tennis knows that the ball comes back no matter how good your serve is,” he said. “Maybe one or two matches a year where Isner and I pitch a perfect game, we don't have to hit too many balls. Isner's more than serve, as am I. You don't get to be 20 in the world with just one shot. It's just silly. It's ridiculous.

“Yeah, we just kind of throw that term around, because it's just a weird term, but yeah, I don't know. We found the positive in it.”

The Greek gives his take on the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday August 12, 2021

For the first time since 2001, Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati will be played without the Big 3—Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal—in attendance. It certainly doesn’t signal the end of an era—yet—but it is another grim reminder of how close the setting sun of this era of men’s tennis has come to the horizon.

Yes, Novak Djokovic is in incredible form and probably will be for years, but Roger Federer, now 40, is on the cusp of retirement, and Rafael Nadal, 35, is once again struggling with injuries and will may miss the US Open.

So what should we make of it? Federer (20), Djokovic (20) and Nadal (20) have remarkably combined to win 60 of the last 72 Grand Slam singles titles since Wimbledon in 2003, but the next decade of major events will certainly be more wide open.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is sentimental about the legends of the game, but at the same time he sees it as an opportunity.

“Obviously, let's accept it, because it's a fact—it's true—they bring a lot of fans to the courts, and they are also the reason why people come and watch these big events,” he said of the Big 3. “Also, they are a big part of, you know, tennis being where it is now.”

But Tsitsipas believes that now is the time for young guns to step in and capture the hearts of tennis fans. There is a golden opportunity at Toronto and Cincinnati for starts to make an impression on legions of tennis fans who may be watching to simply scout the competition.

Some great stuff from @steftsitsipas about men’s tennis getting ready for a “change of thrones” as he told me last night after his @NBOtoronto victory.

Could be the @atptour tag line to get trending after the Big 3 retire!#NBO21 #Tsitsipas #ChangeOfThrones pic.twitter.com/fVL7x7LK21

— Mike McIntyre (@McIntyreTennis) August 11, 2021

“I think there is room for new stars,” he said. “You know, it's been a lot about them in recent years, and I think now it's showing that, you know, things are changing. Things are kind of — we see kind of different generation of players stepping up and showing what they are capable of. So it's interesting to have this kind of variation and change of thrones, let's call it. It's interesting for our game.”

Tsitsipas says that he and other players of the ATP’s generation next have already made strides.

“We, ourselves, we have generated our own team of people and fans that support us, give us love, and are there for us in each single match following us. We want to do as good as they have done so far. We obviously have a lot of respect, and that's not only coming from me but also from, I'm pretty sure, from other younger players in that category. We do have a lot of respect. We grew up watching them, and I think we are thrilled to be competing against them and against them now in this kind of period of time.”

Tiafoe: The Guard is Going to Change Soon

Frances Tiafoe, who was topped by Gael Monfils in the round of 16 on Thursday in Toronto, sees it the same way as Tsitsipas. It’s a bummer that the Big 3 won’t be in action over the next two weeks, but it’s also a chance for him to make a move.

“Obviously you never want to see that, but, I mean, the guard is going to change soon,” he said. “Obviously these guys, time is of essence now obviously.”

Tiafoe says that the change has been happening for a while now, and it’s bound to continue.

“You already see Tsitsipas playing great, Medvedev obviously been doing his thing, Zverev winning the Olympics,” he said. “The guard is definitely changing. It's a matter of who's going to take it. It's going to be an open field a little bit.”

Tiafoe himself has made some waves recently. He has defeated Tsitsipas and Shapovalov this summer, showing that he may be ready to make a push for elite status.

“There are a lot of good players but nobody who is so great that can't be beaten, right, out of this crop,” he said. “Me beating Stefanos at Wimbledon, depth of tennis, a lot of guys can play well on any given day. I think it's good for the sport. See some new faces, kind of have the game, you know, new personalities, new changing of the guard. We'll see who takes it. I think it's an open field. Anybody can put it together, honestly.”