US Open the perfect place to overthrow tennis’ newest kings

“It has been 86 Grand Slam tournaments,” the elderly Rose DeWitt Bukater said wistfully, “since an American man has won a major singles championship.”

There were the decades through which the Yankees owned Major League Baseball. There has been NFL domination by the Patriots and Chiefs over much of the past two decades. The Canadiens, Islanders and Oilers had deeds to the Stanley Cup for the better part of 20 years. First, the Celtics, then the Bulls and Lakers were lords of the NBA.

But there has never been a sport ruled by hegemony like the men’s side of tennis since the 2003 U.S. Open, when Andy Roddick became the last American man to win a Grand Slam. A pro sport or pro sport league has never been more dynastic.

For while there have been 86 majors since Roddick’s triumph, just 13 different champions have emerged, The Big Three of Novak Djokovic (24), Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (19) combining for 65 of them with Carlos Alcaraz (5) and Jannik Sinner combining for nine tiles and indeed all seven Slams over the past two calendar years.