Federer, Nadal and I are the Next Gen: Djokovic takes swipe at talks about youthful era of tennis stars

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has taken a swipe at talks about Next Gen in tennis, saying it is the trio of himself, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal which is reinventing itself and competing with the youthful era of star gamers on the circuit.Novak Djokovic, talking after his Italian Open 2021 ultimate, stated he does not focus an excessive amount of on the talks of Next Gen, saying Nadal, Federer and himself are nonetheless dominating the key tournaments and Grand Slams. The trio, which is famously known as the Big Three, has 58 Grand Slam titles. Federer is in his late thirties whereas Djokovic and Nadal are 34 and 33, respectively. The three stars have 58 Grand Slam titles between them, making their period the golden interval of tennis.Since the beginning of 2010, solely Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka have managed to win greater than 1 Grand Slam aside from the Big Three. Only final 12 months, Dominic Thiem grew to become the primary man born within the Nineties to win a Grand Slam when he lifted the US Open trophy.Both Nadal and Djokovic had ousted the final two ‘Next Gen’ trophy winners in Rome this week — Italian Jannik Sinner, 19, and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, 22 respectively.We are reinventing the Next Gen: Djokovic”The Next Gen young people? Me, Rafa (Nadal) and Roger (Federer) are reinventing the Next Gen. We are the Next Gen,” Djokovic stated.”Rafa (Nadal) is one of the biggest rivals I’ve had in my career, every time it’s a struggle, today almost three hours,” stated Djokovic, an 18-time Grand Slam title winner. I imply, I stated it thousand instances. I do not know what number of instances individuals need me to repeat it,” the Serb later expanded in the post-match press conference.”Of course the Next Gen is there, is coming, no matter. But right here we’re nonetheless successful the largest tournaments and Slams. I do not know what to let you know aside from that. I’m not centered on the Next Gen though I do know individuals, you recognize, it creates a narrative.”People like to talk about it. Fine. The guys are there. They are already establishing themselves in the top 5, top 10 of the world. Nothing new. But we are still there,” he added.Nadal will head into the French Open because the favorite. The Spanish nice is bidding to develop into essentially the most profitable males’s singles participant in Grand Slams as he wants 1 extra main to overhaul Roger Federer on the elite record. Both Nadal and Federer have 20 majors every.Nadal, on Sunday, had equalled Djokovic’s file for essentially the most variety of Masters 1000 titles — 36. Djokovic, alternatively, will likely be bidding to win his nineteenth Grand Slam title in Paris and inch nearer to his largest on-court rivals’ tally.