Crossroads at the top of tennis

Roger Federer/ Wikimedia Commons

The three top ranked players in tennis Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have had a stranglehold on the sport for the last six years. Combined they have won a remarkable 25 of the last 27 majors. However, there seems to be a potential shift in power among the top three tennis players.

Roger Federer, who has dominated the sports in ways few others have in any sport, appears to have lost a bit of his past magic. Although he remains a very competitive player, he has been more error prone and has come up short in matches against Nadal And Djokovic. It’s not only that he has lost these matches, but he has been disposed of rather easily by his fellow elite players. Many critics believe Federer's days as the best player have come to an end, but it would be foolish to count him out based on his incredible career. Federer remains confident in his abilities saying “I don’t feel like I’m 35, like you guys make me sound I am. I’m still only 29, and I have many more years left."

Rafael Nadal/ Wikimedia Commons

Rafeal Nadal currently holds the number one ranking, which he earned by winning three straight majors, each on a different surface. Attempting to win his fourth straight major at the Austrailian Open, he suffered a leg injury which kept him out of action for several weeks. Upon return he has played well, but twice came up short against Djokovic in the finals of both Indian Wells and the Sony Ericson Open.

Although still playing at an elite level, Nadal may now have a psychological hurdle to clear to defeat Djokovic. In both matches against Djokovic, Nadal won the first set but failed to close out the match. When the stakes are higher it could cost Nadal severely if doubts creep into the back of his mind. Despite his failure to put away Djokovic, Nadal has a major advantage with the clay court season coming up, where his speed and heavy top-spin ground strokes make him almost unbeatable.

Novak Djokovic, who has been the third wheel to Federer and Nadal for so long may be finally proving himself to be their equal and potentially their superior. Djokovic’s emergence began with a run to the U.S Open final that included a five set thriller in which he defeated Federer. Relying on an improved serve and crushing ground strokes from both sides, Djokovic has continued his high level of play by starting the 2011 season on a historic run. After winning the Australian Open, he has gone on to win 26 straight matches, the longest winning streak ever to start a season.

Novak Djokovic/ Wikimedia Commons

Djokovic has overcome many of his past demons including fitness and temperament. Spectators claimed that Djokovic was the fitter man in the third set of the Sony Ericson Final against Nadal, extremely high praise considering Nadal is a player renowned for his conditioning. Endurance will be crucial for Djokovic in taking the next step in his career, which would include defeating Nadal in a major, something he has never accomplished. The knock on Djokovic remains that he is unproven on surfaces other than hard courts. Djokovic appears to have a greater chance than ever to win Wimbledon or the French Open. His serve will win him easy points on grass and his advanced conditioning will help him survive the long points of clay court tennis. Winning either of these majors will give Djokovic a legitimate claim as tennis's top player.

Each of these men have the opportunity to be the best player in tennis; however, each of these players have challenges in front of them to take hold of, or maintain the top spot in in the sport.