For all the talk of a changing of the guard in tennis, the 'big dogs' still rule

For all the talk of breakout tournaments from tennis' generation next, two absolutely brutal semi-finals have proven that the world order of tennis is still firmly locked in place according to one legend of the game.

For how long have we been waiting for the changing of the guard and the end of the great period of dominance by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and, to a lesser extent, Andy Murray?

It feels like we've seen waves of new stars roll through, challenge briefly, and fall away without upsetting the natural order of grand slam winners.

We’ve seen Kei Nishikori (now 29 years old) reach the US Open final as a 24 year old, where he lost to Marin Cilic – one of only three players to have broken the Big Four’s dominance dating back Marat Safin's triumph at the 2005 Australian Open.

14 years. 54 possible titles. Of which just four - two to Stan Wawrinka, Juan Martin del Potro's Flushing Meadows triumph in 2009 and Cilic's effort - have been lifted by someone outside the Big Four.

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Rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas was crestfallen following his defeat to Rafael Nadal.

It has been an extraordinary level of dominance the likes of which we will surely never see again.

But as much as it sings the praises of Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray, it also calls out the generations which have followed them and been unable to usher in the natural changing of the guard.

In recent years we’ve seen Germany’s Alexander Zverev threaten to break out, as well as other rising stars like Canada's former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, his countryman Denis Shapovalov and Australia’s own Nick Kyrgios.

Grigor Dimitrov threatened, then faltered. Dominic Thiem reached a French Open final and seems a genuine claycourt successor to Nadal, should he ever fall away.

As the opening grand slam tournament of the calendar year, the Australian Open always feels like an opportunity for the new breed to lay their markers for the coming season.

Milos Raonic is another who has threatened to crack the top tier.

And so it was as Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas and French rising star Lucas Pouille forced their way into surprise semi-final appearances, while Francis Tiafoe enjoyed a big Australian Open this summer

Was the changing of the guard here?

The answer has been an emphatic ‘no’, with Tsitsipas left rattled, dazed and near speechless after his one hour, 46 minute demolition at the hands of the Spanish bulldozer Nadal – who dropped just six games after earlier crushing Tiafoe in straight sets.

Incredibly, 24 hours later, Djokovic was even more ruthless in destroying 24-year-old Pouille in just 83 minutes 6-0 6-2 6-2.

“Tsitsipas, 20 years of age, Lucas Pouille is 24 and also quite young in his career. So, there is a discussion, and we will continue to have it. When is the changing of the guard coming?” asks veteran tennis commentator and two-time grand slam champion Jim Courier.

“I think it is pretty clear it is not here yet. And it is still the big dogs on top at the moment.

“It sure looks like Novak and Rafa and Roger played here pretty well too.

“Tsitsipas played a fire of a match to beat him. They look like they will still be running the show for a little bit.”

Novak Djokovic put on an exhibition on Rod Laver Arena.

While certainly owning too many grey hairs to be considered ‘next gen’, the likable Juan Martin del Potro’s comeback story almost felt like he was a new player – and he came close to upsetting Djokovic in last year’s US Open final.

But the biggest problem for the game’s rising talents, according to two-time slam winner Lleyton Hewitt, is that whilever Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are around – the road to a grand slam final is a rocky and treacherous one.

“I don't know if there is going to be a time when all three will play a bad match,” Hewitt explained.

“One of them may play an average match and you can step up and take it to them and play a career match on your side of the net and beat one of them.”

Originally published as For all the talk of a changing of the guard in tennis, the 'big dogs' still rule

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