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Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have established a stranglehold over the men's tour with their dominance. The trio has won 58 Grand Slam titles among them, and one of them has finished 16 of the last 17 years as World No. 1.
A newer generation of players - including Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev - has been knocking on the doors for a couple of years. But apart from Thiem, none of the others has managed to go all the way at a Grand Slam yet.
In that context, Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou recently talked about whether the 'Next Gen' are ready to take over from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Mouratoglou believes the younger players haven't reached that level yet, especially considering their Slam results.
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"The Next Generation has not taken over yet, despite a lot of comments saying that they have. Every time I am interviewed, I say 'no'," Mouratoglou told Sky Sports.
Patrick Mouratoglou, who has worked with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the past, asserted that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are still playing close to their best. He also claimed that the the pair are "less interested" in non-Slam events at this stage of their careers.
"Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are still at the top of the game," Mouratoglou said. "Very clearly, Novak is less interested in every tournament that is not a Grand Slam and his results show, but when he comes to the Grand Slams he is always there and it's the same with Rafa."
The Frenchman did, however, point out that the younger players are getting "closer and closer". That is evidenced by the fact that none of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer has won an ATP Finals title since 2015. Moreover, only one of the four Masters 1000 events this year has gone to a Big 3 member.
"For the moment, we can't say that the Next Gen are taking over. They're getting closer and closer, that's for sure," Mouratoglou said. "I think that Novak feels that the guys are getting closer and closer and it's probably stressful (for him), but they're at the top of their game. For how long? I don't know."
Since 2016, Dominic Thiem is the only player outside the Big 3 to have won a Slam. But Thiem didn't defeat any of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer during his triumphant US Open 2020 run, something that Mouratoglou highlighted in his interview.
"Is the margin as big as before? Definitely not," Mouratoglou said. "The margin is getting smaller and smaller but I want to see a new generation guy win a Grand Slam, defeating them, which still hasn't happened yet."
"The only thing we don't know is who Rafael Nadal is going to beat in the final" - Patrick Mouratoglou on Roland Garros 2021
Patrick Mouratoglou also talked about Rafael Nadal's prospects at Roland Garros this year. Nadal is the bookmakers' favorite to break win his 21st Slam at the upcoming French Open, and Mouratoglou believes the Spaniard's triumphs at Barcelona and Rome in the lead-up to Paris would have greatly helped his confidence.
"Rafa knows in order to win the Grand Slams he needs to win the other tournaments because he's always been like this," Mouratoglou said.
The Frenchman then reiterated that Rafael Nadal is the overwhelming favorite to lift the crown in Paris this June.
"Every year when I'm asked about Roland Garros, I give the same answer," Mouratoglou said. "I say, 'The only thing we don't know when Roland Garros starts every year is who Rafa is going to beat in the final. Everything else... we know'."
Roger Federer's preparation is more like Wimbledon focussed and then the other Slams and lastly Roland Garros: Patrick Mouratoglou
During the course of his interview, Patrick Mouratoglou also discussed the Grand Slam race between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. While Federer and Nadal are tied at 20 Majors (the all-time record in men's tennis) right now, Djokovic is just behind at 18.
Mouratoglou claimed that Novak Djokovic's motivation to break the Slam record is obvious, and that Roger Federer may struggle due to the knee injury that kept him out of the game for over a year.
"Novak, I think it's obvious and regarding Roger, for sure, he's had a long injury that actually lasted much longer than what he expected himself," Mouratoglou said.
The Frenchman further believes that given Federer's age and fitness levels, his focus going forward will be on the Grand Slams. Mouratoglou made special mention of Wimbledon in this regard, while also surmising that Roland Garros would be last on the priority list of the Swiss.
"He knows that he's going to be 40 this year," Mouratoglou added. "He can do anything else but focus on the Grand Slams, making his preparation completely Grand Slam focussed to give himself the best chance. It's more like Wimbledon focussed and then the other Slams and lastly Roland Garros."
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