Daniil Medvedev breaks 'Big 4' stranglehold in tennis for first time since July 2005

15 years or 793 weeks or 5712 days is what took an ATP player to break the Big Four's stranglehold in tennis. Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev became the first player outside the 'Big Four' to be ranked in the top two of ATP rankings since July 2005. The 'Big Four' includes Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Daniil Medvedev breaks Big Four's stranglehold in tennis for first time since July 2005

After reaching world number two, Daniil Medvedev acknowledged the dominance that the 'Big Four' have had in men's tennis as he said that reaching the finals was just the beginning to threaten their dominance. Medvedev said, "It is incredible to realise that it took 15 years for anyone else than the big four to be in this spot. At the US Open in 2019 I said, when they made the video of Rafa winning moments, it's incredible and also shows how this next generation is only at the beginning. I have such big respect for those guys winning all these Slams; I have now played two finals and can see, feel, and realise how tough it is to win Grand Slams."

Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer rivalry

Although Medvedev is now ranked world number two, he has only appeared in two Grand Slam finals while the 'Big Four' have won 61 Grand Slams. Amongst the 'Big Four,' Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer is perhaps one of the greatest rivalries in men's tennis as the two not only top the charts for Grand Slams but also top the charts for the world number one ranking. Federer has won the most number (20) of Grand Slams alongside Rafael Nadal while Djokovic has won 18. Federer and Djokovic have also competed seventeen times in Grand Slam matches with five of those matches being finals. Djokovic leads Federer 11-6 in Grand Slam matches and 4-1 in Grand Slam finals.

Moreover, Djokovic also surpassed Federer's record of 310 weeks as world number one after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Djokovic achieved this feat over five stints with his longest stint at world number one being 122 weeks. Meanwhile, Federer's longest stint at world number one is way ahead of the rest at a staggering 237 weeks. Hence, considering the records of the 'Big Four,' the young generation have a long way to go before they can threaten the Big Four's stranglehold in tennis.