In the shadow of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic—collectively known as the Big Three—a group of talented players emerged with high expectations but limited major success. Often referred to as the “lost generation,” this cohort includes names like Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem. Despite flashes of brilliance and deep runs at Grand Slams, they were repeatedly halted by the relentless dominance of the Big Three, who claimed 66 major titles between them.
Injuries and timing derail promising careers
Many players from this generation faced untimely injuries or struggled with consistency at critical moments. Thiem, for instance, won the 2020 US Open but has since battled wrist issues that stalled his progress. Cilic and Nishikori reached Grand Slam finals but couldn’t convert those opportunities into sustained success. Their careers coincided with an era where even reaching a final often meant facing one of the greatest players of all time.
The psychological toll of repeated defeats
Beyond physical setbacks, the mental strain of repeatedly falling short against the same elite opponents took its toll. Stefanos Tsitsipas, part of a slightly younger wave, has admitted to feeling less mentally fresh than in earlier years, despite claiming to be a better player now. The aura of invincibility surrounding Djokovic and Nadal created a self-perpetuating cycle of doubt among challengers, making breakthroughs even harder to achieve.
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Alexander Zverev in 2025
41 – 15win/loss
3
High
2
28 year old
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Ranked no.3, the German played his last match on the 1st of January 1970 when he was defeated by world no.72 Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(3) 6-7(8) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 in the 1st round in Wimbledon (draw).
Currently, during this season the German achieved an overall 35-14 record. Zverev has won 1 title in Munich. Alexander reached the final at the Australian Open and Stuttgart.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2025
20 – 17win/loss
26
High
3
26 year old
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Ranked world no.26, the Greek played his last match on the 1st of January 1970 when he had to retire when playing against world no.113 Valentin Royer in the 1st round and the scoreline was 6-3 6-2 .
This year Tsitsipas owns a compiled 19-13 record. The Greek clinched 1 title in Dubai.
Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas faced off 16 times. Their current head to head is 10-6 for Tsitsipas.
