The debate shaking the ATP circuit: Is a period of dominance like that of the Big 3 possible?

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It is difficult not to be invaded by nostalgia at some point when remembering those glorious years of the Big 3, or the Big 4 if Murray is to be included, where every week they competed, reaching final rounds. The world's best in recent years are facing physical problems, mental inconsistency, and irregularity, except for the Sinner of 2024. What are the reasons? Will we see something like before again?

These are the questions that emerge as the driving force of an interesting report by the prestigious journalist Reem Abulleil, for Arab News, in which she asks important figures in current tennis about their opinion on this matter. Tennis has changed a lot in a short time, significantly speeding up the pace of play, becoming more physically demanding, changing the string materials and characteristics of the balls, and above all, with a much longer and demanding schedule, due to the expansion of the draw in seven Masters 1000 tournaments.

More and more players seem capable of winning major tournaments, protagonists come and go, they suffer injuries after great performances, experience success hangover after breaking records, and ultimately become inconsistent. This could be attributed to a rise in the average level, which is not untrue, but there are also reasons that favor an unpredictable nature of the world's best in important tournaments. This is how Andy Murray expresses it.

- The two-week Masters 1000 tournaments are seen as an obstacle to a dominant era

"The fact that Masters 1000 tournaments last much longer now leads to these kinds of situations. Before, you played more matches in less time, but had weeks to rest and recover. Right now, you have to do that while in competition mode, which makes it ineffective. Physically and mentally, it is stressful; you train surrounded by people, you have all kinds of events during tournaments, and you cannot work peacefully," the Briton opines.

Grigor Dimitrov shares the same opinion, reaffirming that point of view. "With these two-week tournaments, it is logical that you end up exhausted. It's not a matter of weakness, but it's impossible to maintain your best level for that long. I believe players will have to carefully plan their schedules to avoid burning out because it is exhausting for the body and mind. The intensity of the game has increased, everything has accelerated a lot...," he commented.

A bit less convinced of that idea are Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. The latter is very blunt and states that everything revolves around a "matter of level." "There is tremendous equality among many more players than before. Anyone can win a major tournament; we all step onto the court with the confidence that we can beat the best, even though they win slightly more than the rest. When I faced Rafa, Roger, or Novak in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam or a Masters 1000, I didn't think it was possible to win. Now that has changed," he asserted.

The Californian gives more credit to the Big 3 for what they achieved rather than blaming the current world's best. "What they did and what can't be done now demonstrates their greatness, how good they were. They could play non-stop for years and always reach final rounds; it's insane what they achieved," he explained in an attempt to shed light on one of the most interesting debates currently open in the tennis world, which will continue to be fueled in the near future.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El debate que sacude el circuito ATP: ¿Es posible una era de dominio como la del Big 3?