“The game is open. Even with [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner and these other guys, it’s not what it used to be,” Frances Tiafoe said after his U.S. Open semifinal loss to fellow American Taylor Fritz.
When Tiafoe made that comment, the previous 77 of 78 major titles had been won by European men, save for the 2009 U.S. Open title captured by Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro.
That’s how starved non-European men are for grand slam glory.
Entering Sunday’s final against Italy’s Sinner, Fritz was on the clock.
Within 45 minutes of tennis, it was evident he was not in a fair fight. Fritz — who played in his first major semifinal and final within a few nights — was outclassed on skill, lateral quickness (Sinner covered 6.5 more feet per point) and temperament (34 to 21 unforced errors) in his straight-sets loss.
But Fritz’s loss was quickly shelved to the backburner when a realization dawned.
The realization that another European man had won a major. The 78th of the last 79.
The new Big 3?
Non-European players have to be thinking “not again” as it dawns on them that Alcaraz and Sinner — who bagged the four majors of the year — might, in fact, be the Big 2 who’ve taken the torch from the Big 3.
Or have they?
The sport of tennis is at a critical juncture. If Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 21, continue to achieve so much success at a tender age, would anyone stand a chance when they hit their prime? Lest we forget, Novak Djokovic didn’t peak until 25 and Rafael Nadal didn’t start dominating on non-clay surfaces until 24.
If the year 2025 ends with Sinner and Alcaraz splitting slams again, we could be on the cusp of history repeating itself. Then again, it might be too early to crown the Italian-Spaniard duo.
Perhaps 18-year-old Brazilian prodigy Joao Fonseca will take the next step in his development. There’s also 16-year-old American sensation Darwin Blanch’s career path to look forward to. Even Chinese teenager Jerry Shang is said to have a lot of potential.
Those three, among other hopefuls, could be the answer to save tennis from another European barrage.
