Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champ, become the 23rd women to win a grand slam since the start of 2010. Women’s tennis has been thrown wide open in recent years. As Novak Djokovic takes aim at a 20th majors win – not to mention a calendar year grand slam- the contrast in men’s and women’s tennis could not be starker.
Since 2010, men’s tennis has been a duopoly with Novak and Rafael Nadal winning a staggering 33 out of 46 majors. Roger Federer, who dominated from 2004 to 2009 has won five grand slams in this period. Not surprisingly, there have only been 7 men’s grand slam winners since 2010.
The women’s field has had 23 players win a major suggesting an open field. But it wasn’t this open from 2010-2015, when Serena Williams won 10 out of 24 major tournaments with 10 overall players wining grand slams. Since 2016, there have been 14 winners (including Serena) with none winning more than three tournaments.
For the time being, Novak looks unstoppable. After a blip in 2017 and the first half of 2018, he has been in top form. The 2021 French open victory was a testament to his greatness. The smart money is on him as he gears up for a calendar year grand slam and a bid to match Federer’s 20 majors wins.
Novak Djokovic is a player I love to hate; more so since Federer’s heart breaking loss in the 2019 Wimbledon final. But his greatness can no longer be denied.