Stefanos Tsitsipas snubs Roger Federer as he makes Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal claim

World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas has made a bold claim that there is no longer a ‘Big three’ but just a ‘Big two’ as he snubbed Roger Federer for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

The ‘Big three’ have all gone through difficult periods in their respective careers over the past 12 months with questions being raised on how long are they going to continue playing.

Swiss maestro Federer has been away from the game for the last 12 months due to knee surgery, whereas Nadal has faced a total of 7 months on the sidelines over the past 12 months with the Spaniard returning this week at the Madrid Open from a 6-week injury lay off.

Djokovic also has faced problems of his own due to his vaccination status, having only been able to participate in three tournaments all season.

As a result he was forced to miss the Australian Open in January as well as the Sunshine Double events in the United States in March.

However, despite their difficult periods, both Nadal and Djokovic seem to be returning to their former selves and competing for silverware.

Nadal has had the best start to a season in his career as he claimed a record 21st Grand Slam title before his injury at the Indian Wells Masters.

Whereas Djokovic reached his first final of 2022 last week in his native city of Belgrade, with both players winning their opening matches in Madrid this week in straight sets.

Reflecting on the current state of the ‘Big three’, Greek number one Stefanos Tsitsipas ignored Federer’s credentials as he backed Djokovic and Nadal to continue dominating the sport in the near future.

In an exclusive interview with Spanish national newspaper ABC, the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters champion declared, “Well, now I’d say it’s more ‘Big Two’ than ‘Big Three.

“And these two, Nadal and Djokovic, are still around, playing very well. In very good shape apparently.

“I don’t think they will go away any time soon, they are playing well. They are a huge hindrance when I have played against them.They make the competition very tough,”

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