A Next Generation, A New Champion, and No Excuses

With Djokovic’s shocking exit from the US Open, a new grand slam champion will be crowned for the first time since 2014. Only one will take advantage.

September 6, 2020, is the day that guaranteed a new men’s grand slam champion would be crowned for the first time in six years when Marin Cilic won the 2014 US Open title. Nobody could have predicted the pandemic, and, again, nobody could have predicted that Novak Djokovic would be disqualified for accidentally hitting and injuring a linesperson.

It has been a long and arduous road back to professional tennis play. The pandemic stopped the tour. Covid-19 cast a shadow over the Adria Tour. On top of this, many top players decided to stay home and not play in the 2020 US Open, only the second tournament on the men’s side since play resumed in August.

Now, the craziness and unpredictability of both the tour and 2020 have, perhaps, reached its zenith. The heavy favorite and world’s best, Novak Djokovic, has exited Flushing Meadows, leaving twelve players remaining to claim the US Open title. For the NextGen, the time is now.

Hyped beyond belief by the ATP in order to get ready for an era of tennis after the Big 3 retire, the Next Gen has been kept in a tennis purgatory over the last few years. With Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic continuing to dominate the majors well into their 30s, players like Thiem, Medvedev, and Zverev have had to find their successes at Masters 1000s or the ATP Finals.

There is no Big 3 in their way. There is not even a grand slam champion remaining in the draw. A few players of a bygone era remain, such as Pablo Carreño Busta and Vasek Pospisil. All other players are under the age of 25, with the exception of Dominic Thiem.

To the victor will go the spoils. The biggest payday of their career and a victory that will cement them as a champion of the sport. Even without Djokovic in the quarterfinals, their victory will be legitimate and momentous. They will have earned it, and they will bask in glory and confetti next Sunday.

For all of those who fail, there will be no excuse. Yes, the pressure to perform is higher than ever now that the Next Gen is expected, possibly for the first time, to hoist a major trophy. However, from Zverev to Coric, Shapovalov to Berrettini, or Thiem to Rublev, those who lose may only look back on this fortnight as the most disappointing grand slam yet.

They will have failed. Failed to win the US Open, failed to take advantage of a golden opportunity, and failed to discard the label of “Next.” They will be doubted more and, possibly, doubt their own futures more if they blow their best chance at a major title. They will, very likely, witness one of their own peers break the mold and, maybe, fear facing them in future draws.

The Big 3 have not retired, and they will more than likely compete and be the favorites many events, not just majors, for at least another year or two. Nadal is basking in the Spanish sun, ready to defend his French Open crown later this month, and the tennis world would not be shocked if Djokovic returns with a vengeance after his early exit at the US Open.

There will not be a better opportunity in the near future. One man will rise above the rest and grab tennis greatness by the horns for himself. The rest will be left with regret, a paycheck, and a ticket back to Europe.