Men’s tennis has predominantly been about the big three. The identities may have altered but the premise remains the same.
Of the original triumvirate, one is retired, another heading that way while the third is defying both age and a knee surgery to not just hold on but mark himself out as a Wimbledon contender once more.
Novak Djokovic was quintessentially himself after beating Holger Rune on Monday night, taking on the Centre Court crowd and accusing them of disrespecting him by booing him, albeit that they were actually shouting “Ruuuuune”.
With each passing round, it looks more possible the Serbian could join Roger Federer as an eight-time champion at the All England Club.
But he finds himself in part of a new trio at the top of men’s tennis, the remaining members more than a decade and a half his junior.
From the moment the draw was made, there was an air of predictability that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz would meet in the semi-finals, the only question mark whether Djokovic’s knee could hold together for him to do the same.
Sinner was today trying to book his place in the last four against Daniil Medvedev while Alcaraz was taking on Queen’s champion Tommy Paul.
Of that leading trio, Sinner is the most under the radar despite being the deserving world No1. Since losing to Djokovic in the semi-finals here last year, he has won a first grand slam title, the Davis Cup and a handful of ATP Tour titles.
He is yet to captivate the Wimbledon audience in its entirety, but he helped his cause no end with a tweener drop shot in his last match against Ben Shelton.
Of the prospect of going for more trick shots today, he said simply: “I don’t think so. I’m not the kind of player to have a lot of trick shots. But in this case it was still the easiest shot. I didn’t have space to go right and left. Was a lucky shot.”
Alcaraz, at 21, is already long established as a fan favourite at the All England Club, in part down to last year’s title but in part down to his constant interaction with the crowd.
Arguably the most popular player in the men’s draw, he said: “The crowd is a really important part of me. Having the crowd supporting you every time is really helpful for your best tennis. If there are difficult moments in the match, they help you a lot to push you up, try not to miss a lot of games, let’s say.
“After that third set [which he lost to Ugo Humbert] they didn’t stop supporting me in the fourth one. I thought that I have to fight, I have to give them the good match, the good points.”
Djokovic still likes to play the pantomime villain, using any perceived animosity from the stands – which was essentially misplaced in the Rune match – to further motivate him.
Speaking on the court after the BBC’s Rishi Persad trying to explain the Rune shots, Djokovic said: “I know they were cheering for Rune but that’s an excuse to also boo I have been on the tour for more than 20 years, I know all the tricks.”
And even come his press conference, he was still sticking by his stance. He added: “When I feel a crowd is stepping over the line, I react. I don’t regret my words or actions on the court.”
That he remains at the top of his game and recovered from surgery while fellow 37-year-old Andy Murray’s body clearly failed him at Wimbledon is nothing short of remarkable. And the expectation is this new three take up their place in Friday’s semi-finals.
