Being a World No. 1 for the 311th week of his career, Novak Djokovic has been in that position longer than any other player. Roger Federer held the previous record, 310 weeks, after surpassing Pete Sampras ’sum of 286 weeks back in 2012.
Between the two, Djokovic and Federer have been at World No 1 for just under 12 years, and when you put Rafael Nadal’s full 209 weeks – or four years – at the top, the Big 3 of tennis has been at the game for the last 16. year. It is a testament to the patience and leadership they have seen that 58 titles have been brought together over the last 70 Grand Slams.
And with Federer, 39, now returning to the tour after a year of absence due to multiple knee surgeries, to join Djokovic (33) and Nadal (34), it seems unlikely there is no sign that the Big 3 is planning to leave.
But such a longevity cannot be based solely on the incredible talent of the three undoubtedly. Advances in sports science, reduced game times and the release of tournaments have helped extend the peak at the top of the game.
“There are so many things happening now that could help you expand your career, especially for the key people,” said Vijay Amritraj, a former World No 18.
“You play shorter games, you’re more financially secure so you don’t have to play both singles and doubles. So you get a chance to extend your career as far as you can manage. ”
Has the ATP made any rules to help older players?
In 2009, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) – the governing body of men’s tennis – added a regulation to the official rulebook under Section 1.08, entitled ‘Reducing the Commitment of 1000 ATP ATP.’
Novak Djokovic will carry the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup on Brighton Beach after beating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men’s singles final of the Australian Open tennis tournament. (Photo AP / Hamish Blair)
In calendar year, there are nine Masters 1000 events – which are just run under the Grand Slams. These events are mandatory for top-level players to compete unless there is an injury concern.
However, according to the ATP rule, players who have played 600 tour games, have been on tour for 12 years or older than 30 will be allowed to team one of the nine Masters.
But if a player fulfills all three conditions – just like Federer, Djokovic and Nadal – that player is fully exempt from competing at Masters events.
This rule helps the top players take a break from the round to get over it – something Federer has done consistently for the past few years.
“As you get older, it takes longer for the body to recover so it will be difficult for a player to hit four peaks in a year,” explained Dr Nikhil Latey, a physiotherapist and sports scientist.
“Federer will not be taking part in the four Slams, and as the French Open and Wimbledon are very close, he prefers one to the other. That ensures he can perform at a high level for the few Grand Slams he plays, and that his body can handle the workload. ”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion jumped through the entire clay season – including the French Open – for three consecutive years, 2016 to 2018.
How have sports sciences helped players?
“The whole science behind achieving and overcoming improvement is largely – that is in terms of cryotherapy (ice baths), massages and rest, diet and nutrition,” says Latey. “There is a lot more knowledge about handling all this that will allow them to recover well. ”
Those experiences and techniques, former Davis Cup captain Anand Amritraj, began to enter the game in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, there were exceptions as players from the older generations ran running according to age.
Ken Rosewall of legendary Australia was the oldest player to win the Grand Slam at the 1972 Australian Open – aged 37; and Jimmy Connors was 39 when he reached the U.S. Open semi-finals in 1991.
But as the game began to become more physical – courts slowed down and so the average rally time increased – so did important medical advances in helping players overcome it.
“It slowly began as a more scientific approach in the late 80s and early 90s, with Andre Agassi joining Gil Reyes (his trainer) on board. These players, their approach was much more focused on program and science, ”says Anand.
Agassi, a former Federer, the oldest male player to reach the World No. 1 spot at the age of 33 in 2003, won the last two of his eight Grand Slam titles when he was in his 30s. He was only able to stay in court for as long as he could because of the Cortisone injection he would take on his back near the end of his career.
He would retire after the 2006 U.S. Open, at the age of 36, 20 years after turning pro. But by then the wheels for sports science support players had already started turning.
At the 2019 U.S. Open, Djokovic famously hired a trailer to transport his private Hyperbaric Chamber – an oxygen pod that would help him recover physically after a match. The trailer was parked inside the Flushing Meadows building in New York – which was taken off for the room.
The focus has now been much more on fitness, with an extensive list of pre-game warm-up exercises lasting at least 30 minutes. Laboratory has also been explained in detail and each muscle has a specific program.
Is tennis more physical now compared to decades before?
Yes, but matches are much shorter now than they used to be. In the men’s game, only the Grand Slams are the best set of five, and each set has breakers. By 2007, the final round of Masters events had changed to the best set format of three.
The Davis Cup – the last major tournament to accept the break – in 1989 – made its way into the decision-making set by 2016. And by 2019, the Davis Cup had also become the finalists. best set tournament of three.
But the older generation of players had to compete in a longer format. And since the prize money back then was not as high as it is now, players also had to play doubles to make a living.
“When I won the national title for the first time in 1972, I played a five-set singles match in Saturday’s semi-final and another five-set doubles match with Anand on the same day,” says Vijay.
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“The next day I defeated Ramanathan Krishnan in the singles final in four sets and Anand and I won the double final in five sets. So in two days I played 19 sets. That would not be the case today. “
Vijay said: “A single shot of 32 with the same players would play the 16-team doubles event. ”
Today, however, a singles player rarely competes in the doubles tournament.
Is medical science technology available to all players?
Yes, but it is expensive. Top players will be eligible to play at larger events that will award higher prize money. More prize money allows players to invest in a travel coach, physiotherapist and trainer. This will draw special attention to that player from medical experts.
Players are usually at a lower level, not earning a lot of prize money with a smaller ‘team’ traveling with them – most of the time they travel alone.
The Big 3 is able to travel with full supporters and family. Djokovic has earned a total prize money of USD 147,744,252, Federer has earned USD 129,946,683 and Nadal has earned USD 123,843,596 – none of which include money they would have earned through sponsorship and support.