Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have achieved everything from tennis. They've squeezed every record imaginable, leaving an indelible mark both before and after their glorious Era, but there's one milestone the Big 3 failed to achieve. And Jannik Sinner can really write history at the upcoming Wimbledon Championships, trying to conquer a record that only two tennis players have achieved in the Open Era.
As I said at the beginning of the article, among these there are not the Big 3 but not even players who have been protagonists on the ATP Tour in the last 30 years. The Italian has the opportunity -after having won the first Major of his career -totry to win another one in the same calendar year: for almost all athletes in history, it has been a real taboo.
There were therefore only two players who accomplished this feat in the Open Era: the American Jimmy Connors - who won three in 1974 (Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open) - and the Argentine Guillermo Vilas, able of breaking free in 1977 at Roland Garros and then to also impose himself at the US Open the same year.
In the history of tennis, however, there have been other tennis players who have achieved this milestone. But of course it was a completely different era:Bill Tiden (1920), Ren Lacoste (1925), Fred Perry (1934), Ken Rosewall (1953), Roy Emerson (1961) and John Newcombe (1967).
It may seem strange, but Djokovic, Nadal and Federer were unable to reach this goal. Roger Federer won his first Slam at Wimbledon 2003, only returning to win the following year (he did it on three occasions, in Melbourne, again in London and at the 2004 US Open). The same goes for Rafael Nadal, who triumphed at Roland Garros in 2005. The Spaniard's first double was recorded only in 2008 with the French Open and Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic instead won his first Major at the Australian Open in 2008, but returned to win another just three years later in Melbourne, at Wimbledon and at the 2011 US Open.
Not even Carlos Alcaraz achieved this record, given that his first Slam victory came towards the end of the 2022 season at the US Open (he could only score the first double of his career).
