By: Aaron Xiong

Despite the recent surge in competition from the so called “Next Gen” tennis players such as Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev, Tennis’ “Big 3” continues to rack up title after title. The Big 3 consists of tennis legends Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Of all the tennis players both men and women, the three are herald as the greatest tennis players to ever take to the court.

Starting from the 2003 Wimbledon Championships and up to the 2021 Australian Open, the Big 3 have won 58 out of the 70 Grand Slams played throughout that time span. Only a few others have been able to capture a Grand Slam title. Former world number one Andy Murray had captured 3 Grand Slam titles with Swiss phenom Stan Wawrinka also capturing three Slams. Three Grand Slams by those two players is the most captured by another player from 2003-2021 other than the Big 3.

With many regarding the Big 3 as the greatest trio of tennis players, many up and coming players continue to try and make a name for themselves amongst the talented trio. Players such as Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas are some of the other big names outside of the Big 3 who are trying to get a jumpstart on their young careers. However, despite beating the big 3 at certain tournaments, the big 3 are seemingly unbeatable at the Grand Slam level.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lead the charge with 20 Grand Slams each which is a men’s tennis record. Djokovic has covered tons of ground and only trails the others by two slams with 18 total. Rafael Nadal also holds an astonishing 13-0 record in French Open finals with Novak Djokovic also holding an unbeaten record in Australian Open finals at 9-0. Federer also has his own impressive record of most Wimbledon Championships at 8 and most consecutive U.S Open titles from 2004-2008. The Big 3 have seemingly dominated the men’s tennis tour since the dawn of their careers and only time will tell if one of the Next Gen players will beat them in a Grand Slam final.

Much like Roger Federer from 2005-2008 and 2011, Dominic Thiem has run into Rafael Nadal in every final of the French Open he’s played in. Thiem has reached the final twice in Paris and has only managed to win one set off of Rafael Nadal in those finals. Although he’s proven to be a very talented and strong clay court player, Thiem has yet to hold the winner’s trophy in Paris. Other accomplishments of Dominic Thiem include a Grand Slam win at the 2020 U.S Open where he took down Alexander Zverev, and a finals run at the 2020 Australian Open where he met defending champion Novak Djokovic. Despite being up two sets to one against Djokovic, Thiem once again loss in a Grand Slam final to a member of the big 3.

During a breakout year in 2019, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev took the tennis world by storm during the North American swing which leads up to the U.S Open. Medvedev reached the finals of Washington D.C, the Montreal Masters, Cincinnati Masters, and the U.S Open. Medvedev would lose to Nick Kyrgios in D.C but take home his first Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. He loss to Rafael Nadal in both the Montreal Masters and U.S Open where he made a comeback after being down two sets to none. Medvedev would then win his second Masters 1000 title in Shanghai following the U.S Open. He also has a career high of world number 2 which marked the first time since 2005 that someone other than the Big 3 and Andy Murray was ranked number 2 in the world.

Despite the Next Gen players taking out the Big 3 in fourth round through semifinals of Grand Slams, no one has stood a chance against a member of the Big 3 in a Grand Slam final. As a whole, the Next Gen players are 0-5 against members of the Big 3 in Grand Slam finals. Despite the severe age gap between the Next Gen players and the Big 3, it’s the longevity of the Big 3 that has kept them above the others. From someone like Roger Federer whose career has spanned over 4 decades, to Rafael Nadal who has suffered every injury possible, and Novak Djokovic who has continued to show his dominance into 2021, longevity and experience is what’s kept them ahead of the pack.

By: Aaron Xiong

As important as a basketball shoe is to a basketball player, or a facemask design to a football player, a tennis racquet is the main component for a tennis player. It’s what allows the player to even play the game. Despite many tennis racquets looking very similar, the difference in racquets are endless. From the weight, string pattern, balance, and racquet head size, the list goes on and on. Today, I’ll be giving you an insight to the racquets that I currently use.

As a intermediate to club level player, my game revolves around attacking the ball with precision while also generating a lot of spin off my groundstrokes. As an offensive baseline player, I need racquets that are able to control rallies while also giving me enough feel to generate maximum spin. My current racquet rotation revolves around the Wilson 6.1 95 Pro Staff line.

The Wilson 6.1 95 Pro Staff line is an older line of racquets, but one that is still used by many professional tennis players as they can request to still have this racquet made for them. To go more into detail about my racquets, I use the Pro Staff 6.1 Classic, as well as the Wilson 6.1 95 BLX Pro Staff. Both of my racquets are very similar in specs besides the weight distribution and the stringing pattern.

The Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 Classic first debuted in the 90’s and was used by one of the greatest serve and volley players, Stefan Edberg. Although this racquet is old, my dad had kept his two racquets in great condition which has allowed me to play with them even in 2021. This racquet boasts a traditional 16×19 string pattern which bites and grips the ball harder to help generate spin. The 95 in the name indicates that this racquet is a 95 sq. in racquet. A smaller head size than many of today’s racquets, the 95 sq. in allows for more precision and feel off the racquet which is something that I like!

The Wilson 6.1 95 BLX Pro Staff is very similar to the Classic 6.1 95 in many aspects. This iteration of the 6.1 95 that I use came out in 2010 and lasted till the end of 2011 before getting an updated cosmetic look. This racquet retains many of the Classic 6.1’s specs such as the 12.7 oz. weight when strung, the 95 sq. in head size, as well as the same frame design. The only differences this racquet has from the Classic 6.1 is a slightly stiffer beam as well as utilizing a 18×20 string pattern for easier access to spin and more control.

As both racquets are part of the same line of racquets and share identical specs besides the string pattern, they are very effective for my arsenal of choice. Although older than many racquets on the market today, I was lucky enough that my dad was still in possession of his 6.1 Classics and lucky enough to find someone who was selling the 6.1 BLX. Despite specs of racquets appearing and sounding confusing, understanding the way your racquet plays and how it tailors to your playing style is really important.

I also string up my racquets with a hybrid of strings. This hybrid is the same one Roger Federer uses which consists of Wilson Natural Gut on the mains (vertical strings) and Luxilon ALU Power on the crosses (horizontal strings). This is a stringing setup that allows for great feel off the racquet as well as power control and spin. The perfect combination for the best player in the world.

Racquets can make or break your game and it’s important to find one that suits your playing style. Although I prefer a 95 sq. in head size, this does have it’s down sides. Some downsides include less room for error, and generating power has to come from the player due to less racquet head space to work with. No matter, the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion which is why I chose to use these Wilson 6.1 95 Pro Staffs. They are the perfect combination of feel and spin which is exactly what my game is about.

The racquet the most vital part of a tennis player’s game. Without the right racquet, many players can’t play a match without complaining. There are many more things that go into a racquet, but I don’t have enough time to talk about it now. Just keep in mind, even though the racquet is so important, it’s the player that makes the racquet and not the other way around.

By: Aaron Xiong

With the French Open being pushed back a week, this effects the already busy tennis schedule. While the French Open and Wimbledon Championships are only 3 weeks apart, due to COVID-19 the French Open has been pushed back reducing that gap to two weeks. Although every professional player is effected by this change, it is Roger Federer who has been at the center of attention amidst his comeback.

The Swiss Maestro has yet to play a tennis match since his defeat in the quarter finals against Nikoloz Basilashvili at the Qatar Open. Federer has stated that he hopes to return to the courts at the Madrid Masters where he is on the entry list. However, the risk to play matches on the clay with very little time to adjust to grass courts after the French Open is something that poses a challenge for the legend.

After the clay swing, Federer typically heads to Halle, Germany to play the Gerry Weber ATP 500 tournament. Federer, whose a record 10 time champion in Halle, utilizes this tournament as a warm up before the Wimbledon Championships where he seeks his 9th title. With the French Open being postponed, the choice of staying on the clay or skipping it entirely is something that many tennis fans are anxious to hear regarding the 20 time Grand Slam Champion.

However, injuries still have stopped Roger Federer from returning to top form. Many tennis fans had been hoping Federer would have another stellar year coming off an injury as he did in 2017. The 2017 season saw Federer return to the courts after a 6 month break due to a knee injury. He won the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships which were his first slam titles since the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. Federer also went on to win both the Indian Wells and Miami Masters, as well as the Gerry Weber Open and Shanghai Masters. In what many fans had hoped to be another renaissance in 2021 for Federer, the question if he can return to form quickly enough for Wimbledon puzzles tennis fans across the world.

In what may be the twilight years for the tennis legend, tennis fans are hoping to grab tickets wherever the Swiss Maestro plays next. With Federer’s schedule still consisting of big tournaments such as the Olympics in Tokyo, and the U.S Open in New York City, fans will still have the chance to see the legend in his habitat once again.