After 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz won the U.S. Open and became the first teenager to become World No.1, the next generation of tennis looked ready to take over for the Big Three. But 35-year-old Novak Djokovic proved once again that despite his age, he’s the best player in the world. 

For the last two decades, the Big Three — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic — have dominated professional tennis, winning 67 of the last 75 Grand Slams. Now, as they begin to slow down and retire, fans keep looking for young tennis players to be the “next Big Three,” but nobody has lived up to expectations. 

At first, the 2023 Australian Open looked like an opportunity for the next generation to gain momentum. By the quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic was the only man over 30 still in the tournament. The younger players had already eliminated Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, the only players other than Djokovic in the tournament with multiple Grand Slams. 

Only Djokovic remained, and he came into the tournament with a hamstring tear that bothered him in every match. 

In the end, though, nothing could stop Djokovic from winning the tournament for his record 10th Australian Open title and record-tying 22nd Grand Slam, regaining the World No.1 ranking. 

Tennis is not hurting for young stars. Carlos Alcaraz, 24-year-old Casper Ruud, and 26-year-old Daniil Medvedev have all won several titles and reached Grand Slam finals, but none of them can keep up with Djokovic. 

In the last two years alone, Djokovic has a combined 97-14 record with 10 titles, including four Grand Slams in six appearances. Only Daniil Medvedev and long-time rival Rafael Nadal managed to beat him at a Grand Slam, the rest sometimes took a win at lower tournaments but didn’t have the endurance to beat him at the higher level. 

Thanks to Djokovic, fans are left wondering again when the next generation will finally take over for the Big Three. Federer retired, Nadal gets a new injury every week, but Djokovic won’t stop winning and dominating for a long time, even with injuries. 

At this rate, Djokovic will compete for at least another two or three seasons. He may be 35, but he’s at the top of his game. 

As much as tennis fans around the world would love to see Alcaraz and company carve out their own legacies, the old guard stands immovable. The next generation keeps trying, but there is no new Big Three, only cheaper imitations. 

Tennis is getting younger, but Djokovic isn’t getting older.