The Predictability of Tennis

Djokovic will hold all 4 Grand Slams should he win Roland Garros, although the King of Clay Rafa Nadal will certainly prove stern opposition. What has happened to tennis? It has become an increasingly hard sport to support someone as you know that don't really have a chance of winning, unless it is Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. Gone are the days when Juan Carlos Ferrero would win the French, Andy Roddick the US, Lleyton Hewitt the English and Marat Safin the Australian. And of course Henman would be sniffing around the semi-finals. Federer had just started his rise in the rankings, although back then he was an angry youth, far from his calm exterior he is now known for. It was a good time to be a fan. Now the sport is predictably dominated by the big three. The finals are made up of two of those three, bar the rare appearance from the likes of Del Potro or Murray, although they never go on to win it. The Goran Ivanisavic win at Wimbledon just wouldn't happen any more. Back in the glory days of tennis, some ten years ago, you could have genuine belief in the underdog. Now, it is more just a certainty that one of the big three will destroy them. While Nadal, Fed and Djok have certainly raised the standard of tennis and make great champions, it must be a daunting task to anyone outside the top three trying to win their first major tournament. When Marat Safin made his last Grand Slam final appearance at the US in 2009 he was ranked 58th in the world...