Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic won nearly every Grand Slam up for grabs since Federer won his first in 2003.
The ‘Big Three’ shared 66 Grand Slams, leaving little chance for anyone else to win a major tournament in their generation.
Only nine men managed to claim a major since Federer won Wimbledon in 2003 until Nadal retired in 2024.
However, in 2019 Nadal correctly predicted that another player would claim a major over the ‘big three’ in 2020.
Rafael Nadal said ‘a young player’ would win a Grand Slam in 2020
Speaking to L’Equipe at the end of 2019, Nadal predicted that a rising star could claim Grand Slam glory in 2020.
The star explained: “I don’t think that the Big Three are going to win all four. A young player is going to arrive next year.”
Can you think of a more shocking Rafael Nadal moment in his career?
There were only three Grand Slams in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Wimbledon not taking place that year.
Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open and Nadal himself captured another Roland Garros crown, but the King of Clay was right about the final Grand Slam of the year at the US Open.
Dominic Thiem won his one and only Grand Slam at the US Open after defeating Alexander Zverev in the final.
Who has won a major in the ‘big three’ era?
Of the nine players who won a major during the era of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, only Andy Murray was able to win Wimbledon – and he did so on two occasions.
The US Open proved to be the most unpredictable tournament in the ‘big three’ era, with seven different winners to Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.
| Winner of a Grand Slam in the ‘big three’ era | Tournament | Year |
| Andy Roddick | US Open | 2003 |
| Gaston Claudio | Roland Garros | 2004 |
| Marat Safin | Australian Open | 2005 |
| Juan Martin del Potro | US Open | 2009 |
| Andy Murray | US Open | 2012 |
| Andy Murray | Wimbledon | 2013 |
| Stan Wawrinka | Australian Open | 2014 |
| Marin Cilic | US Open | 2014 |
| Stan Wawrinka | Roland Garros | 2015 |
| Stan Wawrinka | US Open | 2016 |
| Dominic Thiem | US Open | 2020 |
| Daniil Medvedev | US Open | 2021 |
Two other players became Roland Garros champion in that time, with Gaston Gaudio and Stan Wawrinka lifting the trophy.
However, Nadal did not play the 2004 Roland Garros as he withdrew from the competition due to an ankle injury.
Marat Safin and Wawrinka became the only other winners of the Australian Open in two decades thanks to their victories in 2005 and 2016, respectively.
