Sporting dominance, though acknowledged
as it happens, is usually only truly appreciated through the lens of
history. Once fans are freed from the throes of week-in, week-out
competition; once the hysterical tweets have long faded from the
timeline; once the cries of “Not him again!” have long since
drifted on the wind.
For the last decade, since February
2005 to be exact, every single final played at a major tennis
tournament featured either Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Rafael
Nadal. Let me put this in perspective, for 38 consecutive majors 128
men were in the draw, the best tennis players on the planet right
now. Every single time, either Federer, Djokovic or Nadal's name was
on the scoreboard during the final. There are third graders who have
never in their lives witnessed a major where one of these men didn't
at least play in the final. Moreover, of the 38 consecutive times the sport's ruling triumvirate took a place in the final, 34 times flashbulbs
popped as one of the those three men kissed (or bit) the champion's trophy.
Often there wasn't even an alternative, on a solid number of those
occasions, 16 to be exact, two of them faced each other for the most
coveted prizes on offer.
That unprecedented run ends Monday.
