No Roger Federer and no Serena Williams at this year’s 2023 Australian Open. The famous quartet, including Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, is very well known and also greatly treasured by tennis enthusiasts. It will be hard to let go of these legendary players, but the time is coming, if not already here.
For two decades, the golden era of tennis has prevailed, resulting in a feeling of comfort and security in the tennis community. Multiple players with distinctive styles and personalities helped define the game in the 21st century. Silas Montana, 25’ said, “I think that I speak for many people inside the tennis community when I say that we have been blessed with an era containing players like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams. All four of these players, each with more than twenty grand slam titles, have proven themselves to be the greatest of all time” But when the coronavirus hit, everything changed. The days of the game relying on the show-stopping power of its rockstar quartet to entice fans and add excitement are over.
Remember when Naomi Osaka won her first grand slam in the 2018 U.S. Open and everyone thought she was supposed to be the next big thing? Currently, her most recent major win was the Australian Open last winter, which was about a year ago but feels like over a century ago. She left last year’s French Open due to anxiety and depression. She then skipped Wimbledon and lost early in the U.S. Open and the Tokyo Olympics. Gabriella Feldman (WFS Girls Tennis Coach) said, “Osaka pulled out of a tournament and really has not done much over the past couple of years. Also, Ashleigh Barty retired at 25 because she wanted to live a ‘normal life’.”
Remember the legendary match in last summer’s U.S. Open between the two teenage finalists, Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez? The match that got everyone thinking that they would be future champions? Neither of the two has accomplished much since then. In the 2023 Australian Open, Fernandez lost in the first round, and Raducanu in the second.
Despite this instability, these new players are on a whole different level of fitness, agility, and power. For example, watching Carlos Alacraz sprint, strech, and slide to keep a point alive before hitting the game-winning shot, or watching Aryna Sabalenka crush her opponent with 17 aces in the recent Australian Open.
This uncertainty causes lots of controversy within the tennis community. Gabriella Feldman said, “When I think about the “new era” of tennis, I have mixed emotions. On one hand, it is exciting to see this new crop of young, talented power hitters getting so far in the major tournaments and making it harder for the older players to sail to the finals. On the other hand, the players are getting younger and younger when they turn professional, and I don’t think they have the maturity and mental mindset to handle the pressures that go along with a professional career. The next generation of players are big power hitters and big servers and seem to be a bit more inconsistent when compared to the older players like Nadal, Federer, and Serena…. The days of finesse and strategy are gone, and power is the name of the game.”
Many young stars are now interacting with the crowd more, not always in a good way. During the close match between Nick Krygios and Danill Medvedev, the typically rowdy Australian crowd had been using Cristiano Ronaldo’s famed “Siuuu!” celebration shout during matches. That has angered several players, Medvedev included, who thought the chants were boos during his victory over Nick Kyrgios. During the on-court interview after the match, Medvedev grew impatient with the crowd and scolded them for the chant. In a later interview with Eurosport, Medvedev said the Ronaldo impersonators “probably have a low IQ.” Serena or Federer have never had an experience like this with their fans.
It is difficult to say goodbye to a generation. A new era has begun. We can only accept it, wait patiently, and hope for the best.
