ATP – A New Era : The ATP Without Its Three Biggest Champions

Despite the successful conclusion of the season, the members of the Board of Directors of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) were worried. A statement from Novak Djokovic during a joint interview with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer a few days before the tournament did not get out of their heads: “It’s either all of us stop or none of us stop, that is how it seems”, answered Djokovic with a big smile on his face when asked how much longer the three would keep playing. Although not meant seriously, this scenario could have turned into reality for every die-hard tennis fan, the three players being in their thirties and approaching the end of their careers. In 2019, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic once again showed the tennis world why they were called “The Big Three” by dominating most of the season, just like they had done for more than a decade. With a winning percentage of more than 80 percent each and multiple tournament wins, including the four most prestigious tournaments of the year, they were often the only reason for spectators to visit tennis tournaments, switch on the TV, or buy new sportswear and equipment