George W. Bush was president. The Euro currency had just gone into circulation. Tom Brady was coming off the first of his seven Super Bowl titles. And Ronaldo had just led Brazil to the World Cup trophy.
It’s been nearly a quarter century since no member of the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – appeared in the top 10 of the men’s tennis rankings.
With the 39-year-old Djokovic – the last member of the trio still competing – dropping from No. 5 to No. 12 when the latest rankings were released on Monday, it’s the first time since October 2002 that neither him, Federer nor Nadal appear in the first 10 entries of the list.
Federer and Nadal retired in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Federer was 41 when he stopped and Nadal was 38.
Lleyton Hewitt was No. 1 in October 2002 and – in a measure of just how much time has passed – his son, 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt, is now a rising professional.
Djokovic was beaten in the first round of the U.S. Open by Mariano Navone 15
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