Djokovic’s ranking drop ends big 3 top-10 era

Dubai: For the first time in almost 24 years, the men’s tennis rankings no longer feature a member of the legendary Big Three inside the top 10.

Novak Djokovic’s latest ranking drop has brought an end to an era that has defined men’s tennis for more than two decades, with the Serbian falling from fifth to 12th in the latest standings released on Monday.

Djokovic, 39, was the final active member of the trio that also included Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. With Federer retiring in 2022 and Nadal calling time on his career in 2024, Djokovic had remained the last link to one of the most dominant periods in the sport’s history.

But his latest fall means that, for the first time since October 2002, none of the three players occupy a place among the top 10.

The significance of the moment is underlined by just how long ago the previous occurrence came. Lleyton Hewitt was ranked world No. 1 in October 2002, while the Australian’s 17-year-old son, Cruz Hewitt, is now emerging as a professional player himself.

In the years since, Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have collectively transformed the sport, winning an extraordinary 66 Grand Slam singles titles between them.

Djokovic leads the way with 24 major championships, two more than Nadal’s 22 and four ahead of Federer’s 20. Their rivalry dominated the biggest tournaments on the calendar, with the trio repeatedly battling one another for Grand Slam titles and the world No. 1 ranking.

However, Djokovic’s recent results have highlighted the challenge of competing at the highest level late in an extraordinary career.

His latest setback came at the US Open, where he suffered a shock first-round defeat to Mariano Navone 15 days ago. It was Djokovic’s earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years, since his opening-round loss at the 2006 Australian Open.

The defeat also marked another unwanted first for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, as it was the first time in his career that he had lost his opening match at the US Open.

Djokovic acknowledged the changing circumstances of his career following the loss in New York, insisting that his focus must now be on the present rather than his remarkable achievements of the past.

“I’ve been very proud of all the achievements in the past, but now is now,” Djokovic said after his defeat.

Despite the latest ranking setback, Djokovic’s place in tennis history is already firmly established. His 24 Grand Slam titles are a record in the men’s game, while his career has spanned generations of opponents and helped define an era of unprecedented success.

Now, though, the rankings offer another indication that the Big Three era has finally reached its conclusion.