As a remarkable men’s game rivalry draws to a close, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina could be next trio to dominate the sport
• Read more: today at Wimbledon
For the past 15 or so years, men’s tennis has been dominated by the Big Three: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Their contests were an immaculately curated contrast of styles, personalities, even sartorial choices. Their rivalries drove the sport to unexplored levels of quality and popularity, and their clashes became the narrative that drove every grand slam towards an inevitable finale.
There’s been a buzz about the Big Three at Wimbledon again this week, but not the original trio: Federer watches from the royal box these days, and Nadal, out with injury, may never again bring his wonderful collection of tics to the hallowed turf.