Novak Djokovic following Roger Federer trend that Alcaraz could also join in on

Gabriela Sabatini has credited Roger Federer for showing his rivals that they can continue to play tennis at an older age. The former world No 3 said Novak Djokovic has also been able to follow the trend by dominating into his late-30s. And it seems Sabatini believes Carlos Alcaraz could do the same after hailing his Wimbledon victory.

The Big Three have continued to dominate men’s tennis, with Djokovic winning two of this year’s three Grand Slam titles in his mid-30s. And former US Open champion Sabatini praised all three men for defying belief and making it commonplace to retire at a later stage than professionals used to.

Federer was 41 years old when he ended his career at last year’s Laver Cup though he played his last official match as a 39-year-old, losing in the 2021 Wimbledon quarter-final. His final Grand Slam title came when he was 36 and the Swiss star has been hailed for setting an example that has been continued by Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

“This situation is difficult. Let players of that level come out and stay for so long,” Sabatini told EFE via AS when she was asked whether time was running out for the Big Three’s dominance. “What Roger Federer meant. I have seen few players with the mentality of these three and sustain it for so long.”

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But the 1990 US Open winner thinks that it is no longer just a select few who are playing later into their careers, with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic showing that the “unthinkable” was possible. She continued: “That is changing a lot too. The fact that the life of a tennis player is extended so much.

“Roger demonstrated it and Rafa and Novak demonstrate it, they are at the same high level for a long time and that was unthinkable. Much progress has been made in that [playing later] as well.”

Each member of the Big Three has now won a Major title at the age of 36 – with Nadal doing so at the 2022 French Open while Djokovic replicated the feat in Paris earlier this year. And Sabatini has backed current world No 1 Alcaraz to stick around for a long time too.

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“I have seen him play. I saw him in Buenos Aires that he was this year. Everything he is doing is amazing,” she said. And it was Alcaraz’s triumph over Djokovic at SW19 that really made Sabatini think that he could also dominate for years.

She explained: “At Wimbledon, he showed something else still. The maturity with which he led the game. We already know what he is as a tennis player and an athlete and how he moves on the court and his mentality. But there, at Wimbledon, he showed something else and it was the maturity with which he handled that match with Djokovic.”

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