Suman Chakravorty: The super trio’s inexorable run continues in the Grand Slam events, as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have amassed 59 Grand Slam titles among them and are looking resolved to continue with many more.
For many years it has been predicted that the next generation stars would rise up and dethrone the tennis heavyweights. But he trio have dominated almost every major tournament for well over a decade. XtraTime.in spoke to the stalwarts of Indian tennis Akhtar Ali and Zeeshan Ali to know the mystery behind it and the future players who can replace them.
Akhtar Ali: Well, you cannot make players like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic – they just born. Their care for the body is simply the reason why they are so special. They work hard behind their fitness, their skills and mental strength for hours. All the players are legends and they come once after a long time. The present generation is lucky to witness them. My son Zeeshan was Federer’s hitting partner for a while. He once told me about the genius of that man, his perseverance. He hits five hundred forehands, five hundred backhands everyday, continuously. Just imagine the hunger, after achieving almost everything in the career, he does that regularly. I’m sure Nadal and Djokovic too do the same. They don’t play the game for money, but for passion unlike players of this generation. Of the present generation Dominic Thiem has the potential to win Grand Slams.
Zeeshan Ali: The three superstars Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won 59 Grand Slams in total. That tells you the story. They are out of the world. Different class, different pedigree. Among the present generation Dominic Thiem has the potential to win a few Grand Slams. I still believe that all three legends would be winning a few more Grand Slams. Specially Djokovic, who is just 32 and still have three-four years left in his career. Along with their God-gifted standards, a huge credit should go to their trainers as well, they understand their bodies really well and keep them fit throughout. They don’t give up because they body is so well conditioned with less number of injuries. There will be hard to find players like them in the years to come.