"We knew this would stop" - Serena Williams' ex-coach gives glimpse of tennis' future in absence of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer

Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou recently expressed his views on how Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer spoiled tennis fans with their collective dominance.

While the Next Generation has finally been able to make a major breakthrough on the ATP tour, their resume still remains far inferior to the "Big 3" — who hold a mammoth 66 major titles between them.

The Frenchman, however, staunchly believes that the sport will survive without the famed trio, even if the next generation of players may not live up to the high standards set by their predecessors.

In a special Instagram reel dedicated to Novak Djokovic and his archrivals, Mouratoglou began by expressing his gratitude towards them for playing their role in transforming the game of tennis.

He did concede in the same breath that the tennis community was well aware of the fact that they would ultimately bid the sport goodbye one day. He said:

"We've been lucky to witness the three greatest, playing at the same time in the same era, we're so lucky to have that. But we knew at some point this would stop, even though when it happens of course, we feel it's an important page of our sport that gets turned," Mouratoglou said in a reel on his Instagram handle.

The 53-year-old then spared a word for the younger players that have achieved success in the last few years, while attaching a few pictures of them in his reel. The short video included Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune.

"But I think tennis never stops, and new stars are coming up. We have a lot of young players from the new generation that are super exciting to watch," he asserted.

Mouratoglou also added that the uncertainty surrounding whether men's tennis will ever witness serial winners like the Big 3 could perhaps make for exciting viewing in the future. He said:

"It's gonna be different tennis probably, but I think it's also super exciting to not know who can win. We might have a situation like this in the future, or not! We'll see."

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev recently broke Novak Djokovic & his Big 3 rivals' stranglehold on the Majors

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev pictured at the 2023 Indian Wells Masters

The trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer had won 17 of the last 18 Grand Slam tournaments prior to the 2021 US Open. Back then, the rest of the field on the ATP tour was far from matching the level displayed by the Big 3.

Daniil Medvedev soon paved the way for the younger players, though, as he did the unthinkable by beating Djokovic in the final of the New York Major. Although the Serb was able to regain his vice grip on the top of men's tennis the following year, he soon found a tough rival in Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz, on his part, had announced himself on the big stage during his triumph at last year's US Open. The Spaniard won his second major title at this year's Wimbledon, beating Djokovic himself in a titanic five-set battle that lasted nearly five hours.