Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will be replaced by this - Wilander
ROGER FEDERER, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will be replaced by fierce rivalries and not carbon copies of their legendary status, says Mats Wilander.
Mats Wilander: There will not be another Roger Federer
It is no secret that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are coming towards the latter end of their careers.
The trio have continued to dominate the top of the world rankings and Grand Slam titles for well over a decade.
There are fears that the quality and entertainment factor may diminished when the current top players decide to hang up their rackets.
However, Wilander reckons the intense battles between the younger players will make up for the quality of the exiting group.
“Federer can’t play for too many more years. Nadal and Novak, they have a few more years,” Wilander told Tennis Legends Vodcast.
“But who is going to replace them? It is not going to be a new Federer. Is it rivalries?
“We don’t need a superstar, we need good rivalries. We don’t need a dominant player like Federer.”
Fellow pundit and former ace Boris Becker does not worry about the future of the sport.
US Open: Rafael Nadal defeats Dominic Thiem
“I think eventually tennis takes care of itself,” he added.
“We have just got to give it time. There isn’t another Federer.”
And John McEnroe issued a rallying call for the NextGen stars to finally fulfil their potential.
“We need these guys to step up and beat these top players before they quit,” McEnroe said.
“Obviously with Novak, you see he has got his game back. You see Rafa still when he is healthy.
“If somehow a guy like [Dominic] Thiem would beat him at Roland Garros that would be something much more interesting.”