Wimbledon looks set to become the first Grand Slam in more than two decades not to feature a member of the Big Three in the main draw.
At least one of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic has been ever-present at Grand Slams since the year 2000, but that run will likely come to an end at Wimbledon this year.
It means it will also be the first time since 1998 that none of the Big Three – who have won 17 Wimbledon titles between them – has played at the grass-court Grand Slam.
The end of the run comes on the back of Nadal’s announcement that he will most likely not play at Wimbledon this year as he wants to focus on the 2024 Paris Games.
Although he hasn’t officially announced his withdrawal from SW19 he admitted “it looks difficult”.
“I don’t think it’s going to be smart after all the things that happened to my body to make a big transition to a completely different surface and then come back immediately to clay. Today, I feel that’s not a good idea,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said.
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Djokovic also hasn’t officially been ruled out of the grass-court Grand Slam, but the seven-time Wimbledon champion is currently on the mend after undergoing surgery just over a week ago to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee.
Recovery time is usually anywhere between three and six weeks and many believe he is unlikely to risk playing at Wimbledon as he is expected to prioritise the Olympics at Roland Garros in July.
Federer, of course, retired in 2022 although his last Grand Slam was at Wimbledon in 2021.
The Big Three’s Grand Slam Run Started In 2000
If Nadal and Djokovic both skip Wimbledon then it will be the first time since the 1999 US Open that no member of the Big Three has featured in the main draw at a major.
Federer made his Grand Slam debut at the 1999 French Open and also played at Wimbledon that year, but he then lost in qualifying at the US Open.
The run of consecutive Grand Slam appearances for the Big Three started at the 2000 Australian Open.
Federer ended up playing in 81 Grand Slam main draws, missing the French Open from 2016 to 2018, but Nadal and Djokovic were present at those events. He also missed the 2016 US Open and a few tournaments during the final few years of his career, but again at least one of the other two were in the main draw.
Nadal made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon in 2003 and he missed several majors over the years due to injury, but either Federer or Djokovic was present.
Djokovic, meanwhile, got his first taste of major action at the 2005 Australian Open and has made 74 main draw appearances.
The US Open has come close a couple of times to not having a member of the Big Three as Federer and Nadal both missed the 2020 edition, but Djokovic played. Federer and Djokovic were absent in 2022, but Nadal came to the rescue as he was in the main draw.
