When doing some US Open tennis betting before the tournament starts at the end of August, a few names are missing from the list – Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. The three legends will not play at the final Grand Slam of 2021, which opens the question, “Is it officially the end of an era in the sport?”
Serena Williams
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is the youngest on this list – having turned 35 in June. However, the “King of Clay” is currently dealing with a rash of injuries that have cut his 2021 season short. While many athletes have performed well after 35 – especially with the advances in sports science, we can never know what to expect.
For one, Nadal’s injury (to his foot) has bothered him in previous years. While it did cost him time in 2016, he returned and continued to play at an elite level. Now, his trainer is saying the issue this time is more severe and why he pulled the plug on the rest of the 2021 season. Will he be able to return in 2022 as the same Nadal? As we said before, we just do not know.
Roger Federer
What these Players Represent to the Sport
For most people – Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal represent three of the most incredible four players of the last twenty years. The combination of their record-setting performances, global marketability and rivalries made them the most influential figures in the sport.
With them nearing the end – and in Roger’s case potentially at it – the sport is about to enter into a new era. Novak Djokovic – who is often clumped with Federer and Nadal – remains in prime form, but who will be his next great rival remains to be seen. There is plenty of intriguing young talent on the men’s side, yet no one has supplanted themselves firmly in the conversation. The women’s side is in better hands with talented young stars such as Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu, and Ashleigh Barty, set to cover the sport into the 2020s.
Still, even if both sides are full of great players for the next decade, it will be hard, if not impossible, to replicate the star power and importance of Williams, Federer, and Nadal.
