Novak Djokovic’s effort closes a 22-year-old chapter of Big 3 dominance

Novak Djokovic enjoyed a notable run at Majors in 2025, scoring 20 victories at 38 and reaching four semi-finals! However, the legend lost all the matches against the top-3 rivals, wrapping up his season without a Major final for the first time since 2017.Novak’s defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-final marked the closing of one of tennis’ most remarkable eras. For the first time since 2002, none of the Big 3 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – managed to reach a Major final in a season.

The greatest players of the Open era started their journey at Wimbledon 2003 when the Swiss Maestro lifted a trophy in his first Major final. Twenty-two years later, they are the proud owners of 66 notable trophies!

The extraordinary run had been alive for over two decades, with the three great rivals pushing each other to the limits and leaving everyone behind. Men’s tennis lived under the shadow of their dominance until 2023, and it’s unlikely that we will witness anything similar in the future.

Novak Djokovic's effort closes a 22-year-old chapter of Big 3 dominance

Year after year, one of the three giants was a fixture in the latter stages of the sport’s greatest stages, the ones that inspired them to compete at their best and chase tennis history.

Between Wimbledon 2003 and the US Open 2023, Roger, Rafa and Novak missed only seven Major finals collectively, maintaining an unmatched standard of excellence for over two decades and “ruining” many careers.Federer left the party in 2019, but Nadal and Djokovic extended the legacy in the upcoming years. The Spaniard faded in 2022 and the Serb stood strong for two more years, especially in 2023 when he claimed three titles from four finals at 36!

Novak Djokovic, US Open 2025
Novak reached another Wimbledon final last year, marking the 21st consecutive season with at least one Major final for Big 3! However, the veteran started to lose ground against much younger rivals in demanding best-of-five scenarios.

As we already said, Djokovic bested 20 rivals at Majors this season, including Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. However, a blend of injuries and the freshness of the young guns halted his plans and kept him away from the title matches.

Thus, the 2025 season brought a turning point, signaling the close of a chapter that defined golden tennis era. While the Big 3 may no longer be reaching Major finals, their legacy of consistency, resilience and brilliance remains woven into the very fabric of tennis history.

Related articles

Fifty years after winning her first US Open, Chris Evert says her legacy won’t be contained in a trophy case

The Chairperson of the USTA Foundation writes about the importance of family, and of giving back. In the summer of 1975, the stars aligned for a perfect…

PHOTOS: All the celebrities at Aryna Sabalenka’s US Open final victory

Naomi Watts, Chelsea Handler, Wayne Gretzky and other stars filled the luxury suites at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Celebrities—they’re just like you… sort of. The US Open women’s…

Aryna Sabalenka has been No. 1 all year — after winning US Open, now she’s back on top, too

Learning from previous Grand Slam heartbreak, Sabalenka stayed in control of her emotions, and her shots, and defended her Open title. ,” Aryna Sabalenka said after winning…

Blinding Lights: Amanda Anisimova rues missed opportunities, serve woes after US Open final

The American was broken five times by Aryna Sabalenka, and said the closed roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium made it impossible to see her serve. NEW YORK…

PHOTOS: The Boss, the President and the stars at Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s US Open final

The VIP suites and luxury seats are always packed with celebs, but it was at another level on Sunday. © AFP or licensors NEW YORK — The VIP…

Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest man ever to win multiple Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces

He has two Wimbledon titles on grass, two Roland Garros titles on clay and now two US Open titles on hard courts. With his triumph at Roland…