via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: (L-R) Andy Murray of Great Britain, Novak Djokovic of Siberia, Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain attend a ceremony for Carlos Moya’s retirement during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 21, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: (L-R) Andy Murray of Great Britain, Novak Djokovic of Siberia, Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain attend a ceremony for Carlos Moya’s retirement during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 21, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Probably looking at the now-concluded 2020 season, it looks like there is a certain power shift happening. The big 4 of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray have been fantastic for the sport. But now as age catches up with them, young stars like Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev are slowly taking charge. Although, they know there are some big shoes to fill.
via Reuters
Daniil Medvedev with the trophy after winning the final match against Dominic Thiem. REUTERS/Toby Melville
In a recent press conference, Dominic Thiem is grateful for the fans the big 4 have brought into the sport. He reckons it will be a challenge to retain them once the big 4 retire.
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“I think it’s super important for the sport, because like Roger, Rafa, Nole and also Andy, they did so much for the sport. I think they brought so many people to tennis, so many new fans to tennis.”
Further, he knows Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray will eventually retire, and his generation will have to play quality tennis to keep those fans in the sport.
“And as I said, there is going to be a time when they are not around anymore, and then it’s going to be so important to keep all the tennis fans, to keep them with this great sport.”
via Reuters
Dominic Thiem in action during his final match against Daniil Medvedev. Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Will Dominic Thiem lead tennis after the retirement of the ‘Big 4’?
Thiem has a simple roadmap to keep the fans and excitement in the sport. He wants to continue performing at the big tournaments and become the next star of tennis. Thiem eagerly waits to continue the big 4’s legacy.
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“I think that’s our challenge, that we perform well, that we play great in big tournaments, that we become huge stars ourselves. It’s super important for tennis in general, because, I mean, they gave so much to the sport. Yeah, as I said, that’s our challenge to keep all those people with tennis and to maybe continue their story.”
via Reuters
Dominic Thiem reacts during his final match against Daniil Medvedev. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Speaking of the big tournaments, Thiem has made huge strides this year in that regard. He became a Grand Slam champion, winning the 2020 US Open title.
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But Thiem is not the only one raising his game to form the new era of tennis. Daniil Medvedev is also proving to be one of the most exciting talents on tour. Yesterday, he defeated Thiem to win the ATP Finals 2020, thus staking his claim and being the front runner for tournaments to come.
Read More: Serena Williams’ Coach Compares Daniil Medvedev to a ‘Cat’ After ATP Finals Glory
