Novak Djokovic arrived in New York with a shoulder injury, then Roger Federer suffered a stiff neck against Grigor Dimitrov. No matter. Rafael Nadal was there to represent the big three and to take his 19th grand slam title, putting him one behind Federer. So much is on the line in these last years of their careers and each final seems to be laced with more historical significance than before. Had Nadal finished off Federer in the 2017 Australian Open final, he would already be the leader. Had Federer won one more point against Djokovic this summer at Wimbledon, he would have fended off his two rivals for just a little longer. In the end, none of this matters. They have faced each other so frequently over the past 14 years that by now, everyone already knows who they consider the best and no outcome will change minds. But it sure makes for a good story.
Continue reading...US Open talking points: big three chase history as Andreescu amazes | Tumaini Carayol
Medvedev is waiting in the wings, but it’s still all to play for between Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, while a new challenger has shown the mentality Serena Williams needs to rediscover