Tennis – The end of an era, but Alcaraz and Swiatek are ready to keep the torch burning

LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) – The men’s “big four” may be history, but its two remaining members, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, provided consistently stiff opposition to the next generation in tennis’ seismic year.

Swiss Maestro Roger Federer hadn’t played since the summer of 2021, so while his retirement in September at the age of 41 wasn’t unexpected, it still came as a shock.

Notably, a few weeks earlier, Serena Williams, like Federer, an icon whose influence extended far beyond the tennis court, bid an emotional farewell at the US Open at the age of 40.

Williams, whose 23 Grand Slam titles make her the greatest women’s player of all time in most people’s eyes – although she was one behind Margaret Court’s record – lost her third-round match to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.

It prompted an outpouring of tributes for the American, whose journey, along with sister Venus, from the public courts of Compton in Los Angeles to more than two decades of dazzling dominance was the stuff of Hollywood fairy tales.

“Congratulations, Serena, for your heart, your skills, your intelligence, your dedication and your grace,” former US President Barack Obama.

“Few athletes have inspired more people both in and outside of their sport!”

Federer certainly did that in a career that included 20 Grand Slam titles, achieved with the kind of panache we may never see again. He took the effortless shot to new heights during a 24-year professional career that laid the foundation for arguably the greatest era in men’s tennis.

Fittingly, he bowed out in London, where his record eight Wimbledon titles came in singles with Nadal, the Spaniard with whom his career has been brilliantly intertwined.

Both cried and even held hands after their singles encounter against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the Laver Cup, and there were few dry eyes in the house.

So tennis has two openings to fill in 2023, but Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek seem primed for the job.

LASTING BRILLIANCE

Nadal began the year by fighting back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final to claim a men’s record 21st Grand Slam title, then made it 22 by dispatching Norway’s Casper Ruud for a 14th French Open.

Djokovic, who was kicked out before the Australian Open when he became embroiled in political controversy over the lack of a COVID-19 vaccine, bounced back brilliantly to beat Nick Kyrgios for the Wimbledon title, making his Grand Slam streak 21st.

But for all his enduring brilliance, ​​the year ended with Alcaraz quickly advancing to the post-Federer era.

He won the Miami Open in April at the age of 18, then returned across the Atlantic in August to win the US Open while becoming the youngest ATP world No. 1.

The prospect of Alcaraz going toe-to-toe with history-chasing Djokovic and veteran Nadal in 2023 is mouth-watering.

Poland’s Swiatek seems poised for the kind of sustained dominance that Serena enjoyed in her prime.

The 21-year-old won eight titles this year, including his second and third Grand Slams at the French Open and US Open, and enjoyed a record 37-match winning streak.

It would have been fascinating to watch her battle it out for the mercury with Australia’s Ash Barty, who in January ended a 44-year wait for a singles title at her home Grand Slam by beating American Danielle Collins in Melbourne.

But less than two months later, world number one Barty announced he was “passed away” and would retire at the age of 25.

Swiatek beat rising American Coco Gauff in the French Open final and Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the US Open final.

Jabeur, whose mesmerizing racket skills and bubbly personality endeared her to fans around the world, came tantalizingly close to becoming the first African woman and the first Arab to win a Grand Slam singles title.

The stage looked set for her on Wimbledon’s center court, but she ran into Kazakhstan’s big-serving Elena Rybakina, whose powerful hitting turned Jabeur’s dream into ruins.

Born and raised in Moscow, Rybakina’s championship sat awkwardly with Wimbledon organizers who tried to ban Russian players in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

With no sign of the war ending, the tournament’s one-sided stance, which led to an £820,000 fine from the ATP, is likely to be tested again next year.

Reported by Martyn Herman; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne

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