By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday December 3, 2019
2019 doesn’t simply mark the end of the tennis year. It also marks the end of a TENNIS DECADE!
Wow, where does the time go? So much has happened since we rung in the tens with Roger Federer as the World No.1, ahead of No.2 Rafael Nadal and No.3 Novak Djokovic. On that day in late 2009, who would have guessed that the same three players would finish as the ATP’s top three in 2019? Crazy, right?
You’ll find that the list to follow, Tennis Now's Top 10 pivotal moments of the decade, has plenty of seminal – and crazy – Big Three moments and a few other special selections sprinkled in. When you read this piece please keep in mind that there were so many epic moments in the last 10 years—we couldn’t possibly come close to including them all (maybe we need to do a Top 100 list?). We did our best to narrow it down, and, it’s more than okay if you disagree (tweet us your add-ons).
And now on to the list…
Andy Murray’s (first) Gold Medal
There were so many defining Andy Murray moments this decade but we’re starting with the one that really supercharged Andy’s push to tennis infamy. The gold medal in 2012 – at Wimbledon. It was proof that Murray could win the big one (he absolutely crushed Roger Federer in a match the Swiss wanted badly for his legacy) and it was also was one of the rare moments when the typically buttoned-up Scot felt comfortable in sharing his joie de vivre with the world.
Serbia’s Davis Cup Crown in 2010
This was a formative moment if there ever was one. Team Serbia kicked off the Davis Cup decade in style with a thrilling win for the country in 2010. It wasn’t just the magic of the moment that mattered (or the crew cuts), it was the purity of emotion and what it represented for Serbia as a tennis nation. With the Davis Cup title, the Serbs had well and truly arrived on the international tennis scene. Many believe this was the formative moment that truly put Novak Djokovic over the top and enabled him to become the player of the decade.
Isner Mahut Marathon:
It was long. It was crazy. It was RIDICULOUS. 11:05 AND 70-68 IN THE THIRD? What can we say? It’d be hard to leave the longest tennis match ever, won by John Isner over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, off the list. Was every minute of the eleven-plus hours of tennis compelling? Hell, no! But this was one of those remarkable stories that will stand the test of time (and alter the future of fifth-set tennis at Wimbledon--another story for another time).
When everything that is strange and eclectic about tennis conspired to make one of the most remarkable spectacles and improbable moments that the sport will ever see, the tennis world was fixated for three days on this car crash turned nail biter turned epic for the ages. The minute it ended, history was kind to his match, and if you walk by Court 18 each year at Wimbledon, you will see the bronze plaque and be pleasantly reminded of what a remarkable occurrence this contest was.
Federer’s 15th Major Title
Roger Federer’s Grand Slam decade kicked off down under in 2010—in style. The Swiss won his record 15th major title, passing Pete Sampras to take over the all-time men’s singles major title lead. Federer has not looked back since and he still leads the pack with 20 major titles. It’s not so much about the final or even Federer’s performance in the final (he dismantled Andy Murray) that puts this moment on the list, but rather the importance of Federer reaching the pinnacle of Grand Slam glory at the tender age of 28.
Nadal's Career Golden Slam
Speaking of major feats, how about Rafael Nadal locking up the Career Golden Slam at the 2010 US Open? Nadal’s four-set victory over Novak Djokovic marked his ninth major title, but it represented a lot more than that for the Spaniard's legacy. At the time, many were still clamoring that Nadal could only consistently win on clay. Not true, and not even close. This was an important victory for Nadal and made him just one of two male players to have achieved the feat in the history of our sport.
Murray’s first Wimbledon Title in 2013
Andy Murray had already won his first major by the time he hoisted his maiden Wimbledon trophy in 2013, but it was this moment that meant the most to the Great Scot as he became the first British man to win a Wimbledon singles titles in 77 years. We try to comprehend the pressure of playing for tennis-mad Britain with the specter of the Fred Perry curse forever looming large, but Murray didn’t just try to comprehend it—he tackled it head on and became the savior for British tennis.
Djokovic Holds all 4 Majors
Winning all four majors is one thing, but holding them all at the same time, what modern ATP player has done that? Just one, and his name is Novak. The Nole Slam is the kind of Herculean tasks that Djokovic regularly achieved during his brilliant decade of tennis. Djokovic became the only player to hold all four major titles on three different surfaces at the same time in 2016, and he is the first to simply hold all four major titles since Rod Laver in 1969. If there is anything that properly demonstrates how dominant Novak Djokovic has been in these past ten years, it is this magnificent achievement.
Nadal’s 12th RG Crown
12 Roland Garros titles. 12 Roland Garros titles? 12 Roland Garros titles!!!! We can say it all we want but it is still difficult to believe that Rafael Nadal’s domination in Paris runs so deep. Tennis never will see anything like what Nadal has achieved in Paris -- ever again.
Federer´s 8th Wimbledon Crown
Wimbledon infamy for Roger Federer? You better believe it! In 2017 the Swiss claimed his 8th title at the championships to take over the all-time lead for gentlemen’s singles titles at SW19. In 2019 Federer became the first male player to notch 100 wins at the championships. King of Grass? We think so.
There were quite a few Federer milestones that we could have mentioned on this list. His 100th title, breaking Sampras' all-time record for weeks at No.1, his 100th win, but when it comes to Federer, the Grand Slam titles--and especially those earned at Wimbledon--always shine a bit brighter and captivate a touch more.
Stan Wawrinka’s Roland Garros title
In the forty majors played this decade, only seven were won by players outside the Big Three. Remarkably, the man they call the Stanimal claimed three of those seven, and put forth his most stunning display at Roland Garros in 2015 when he upset Novak Djokovic in the final. When the decade started not many would have guessed that Stan Wawrinka would emerge as a three-time major champion and sure-thing Hall of Famer but here he is.