Andy Murray lately withdrew from the upcoming French Open as he seemed to give attention to the grass season. With Rafael Nadal additionally pulling out and Roger Federer retiring final 12 months, it marks the primary time for the reason that three males turned professional that they've all missed the identical Grand Slam. With Novak Djokovic left to fly the Big Four flag on his personal in Paris, it alerts the tip of an period as new, younger names come to the forefront as title contenders.

The Big Four as soon as dominated the game, holding the world No 1 rating between them from February 2004 to February 2022 and successful a mixed 67 Grand Slam titles within the final 20 years. It was at all times inevitable that their period would finally draw to a detailed, with Federer now 41 whereas the remainder enter their late thirties.

But this 12 months’s French Open is a sign that their collective stronghold on the game is effectively and really ending. It is the primary Grand Slam that Murray, Nadal and Federer have all missed since they first turned professional, with the Swiss star retiring final 12 months. And even Djokovic isn’t the nailed-on favorite that he normally is at a Major.

There are legitimate causes Murray and Nadal’s absences in Paris - the Brit needs to give attention to grass the place he believes he can have a great run, whereas the 14-time French Open champion has been compelled out by an damage and can now take a break with the view of returning for a farewell season in 2024. But in a sport that was as soon as virtually assured to see considered one of 4 males raise the title on the finish of the match, the draw is vast open this 12 months.

Djokovic has been scuffling with an elbow damage and went 5-3 on the clay season, failing to win a title on the floor forward of the French Open for the primary time since 2018. It leaves prime seed Carlos Alcaraz as one of many most important title contenders, with fellow 20-year-old Holger Rune additionally establishing himself as one of many favourites.

The Serb himself has already admitted {that a} new period had arrived, talking after Rune defeated him within the Rome quarter-final. “Obviously, a new generation is here already,” he sid after his second career defeat to the young Dane.