"Roger, Novak & Rafa have broken every record imaginable, but I'm sure after their departure there will be new heroes"- Daniil Medvedev

In a recent interview with Sport-Express, World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev admitted that the departure of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal from tennis will be a "big deal."

The Russian hailed the Big 3 as phenomenal players, but pointed out that there will be "new champions" in the future who will be able to carry forward their legacy.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal have dominated the ATP tour for the last 17 years. They have won a total of 60 Majors among them and have broken a plethora of records on the men's circuit.

In the interview, Medvedev said that despite the Big 3's hegemony, "new heroes" will ultimately take their place in the sport and "make people fall in love with tennis."

He even cited the example of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who replaced tennis legends like Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl after their retirement.

"The departure of the Big 3, when that happens, will be a big deal. They are not getting younger, but they are still playing very strong, winning Grand Slam tournaments. But it seems to me that history is cyclical. When Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl finished, everyone was also worried about the future of tennis. But they were replaced by Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi," said Medvedev.

"That is, new great champions always came, and tennis became more and more popular. Of course, Roger, Novak, and Rafa have broken every record imaginable and unthinkable, but I am sure that after their departure there will be new heroes who will make people fall in love with tennis," added the Russian.

Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal at the US Open 2019

Medvedev currently has a 5-12 win-loss record against the Big 3. He is winless against Federer and managed just one victory against Nadal in three matches. But the Russian has an impressive 40% win rate against Djokovic.

"There were many cool victories, but the meeting with Novak in the US Open final stands out" - Daniil Medvedev on his best win in 2021

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev at the US Open 2021

During the interview, Daniil Medvedev was asked about his best victory on the ATP tour in 2021. The Russian revealed that while there were many "cool victories", the one against Novak Djokovic in the final of the US Open stands out.

Medvedev shattered Djokovic's Calendar Slam hopes in the US Open final by defeating the Serb in straight sets. With the win, the Russian clinched his maiden Grand Slam title.

"There were many cool victories, but the meeting with Novak in the US Open final stands out. First, I played cool. Secondly, it was the most important fight of the year for me. Perhaps there were matches where I acted even stronger, but this did not stick into my memory," said the World No. 2.

After a remarkable 2021 tennis season in which he won four titles, Daniil Medvedev will shift his focus to 2022. The Russian will launch his campaign at the ATP Cup in Sydney following which he will travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open.

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