Rafael Nadal will end the year as the world’s top-ranked player and the “big three” retained their stranglehold on the Grand Slam titles, but when Stefanos Tsitsipas was crowned ATP Finals champion it felt like a watershed moment.
“I believe I’m really close on being crowned a Grand Slam champion. I know these are strong words that I say, but I do feel like I belong to be there,” the 21-year-old Greek boldly claimed after beating Austria’s Dominic Thiem.
There have been false dawns before of course. Germany’s Alexander Zverev, like Tsitsipas, was also 21 last year when he beat Novak Djokovic to win the season-ender in London.
Zverev could not back it up in this year’s Slams, two of which were won by the 33-year-old Nadal and two by the 32-year-old Djokovic. They have 19 and 16 majors each while Roger Federer, at 38, will still believe he can add to the record 20 he has accumulated during his extraordinary career.
But for the first time, that golden trio will be having an anxious glance over their shoulders.
26-year-old Thiem got the ball rolling when he beat Federer on the opening day of the ATP’s exclusive year-ender.
The following day Germany’s Zverev beat Nadal for the first time in his career and Tsitsipas marked his tournament debut by beating 23-year-old Russian Daniil Medvedev, who reached this year’s US Open final.
Thiem then beat Djokovic and Tsitsipas silenced the Federer fan club to eclipse the six-time champion in straight sets to reach the final.
With Nadal and Djokovic bumped out in the group, the Swiss maestro’s semi-final defeat meant it was only the third time since 2002 that at least one of that trio had not reached the decider.
That may have disappointed some, but the quality and intensity of Sunday’s final in which Tsitsipas beat Thiem 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to become the youngest champion at the season-ending tournament since 20-year-old Australian Lleyton Hewitt in 2001, had the O2 Arena audience enthralled.
Thiem, beaten in successive French Open finals by Nadal, believes next year could herald a new Grand Slam champion.
“I think that for sure we can do it next year. We are all playing great tennis,” Thiem said.
“Sascha (Zverev), Stefanos, me, some other guys. I’m pretty sure that we’re going to see a new and young Grand Slam champion next year.”
On the evidence of the past seven days the waiting game may be about to come to an end.