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Here's a chart for y'all. It includes every Open Era big title by the birth year of the player.
As with many such charts, the details are less important than the overall visual impression. As you can see, it runs from 1928 (Pancho Gonzales) to 2003 (Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune). Players with multiple big titles have their own color, while single big title winners are in gray - but it is hard to tell unless you zoom in. I've also included spaces on the lower half of the chart, so you can better see distinct winners.
When I create such charts, part of my motivation is to look for patterns. Really, there aren't any - or at least, they're pretty general. This charts shows us the "waves" of great players, which are pretty regular though without a clear pattern. About all you could say is that great players come around every few years, but in a very general sort of way. Sometimes they're clustered, sometimes not.
Perhaps the most notable conclusion that one can take from the above chart is nothing new: there was a long dry spell without a new great player emerging after Novak and Andy. For Slam winners, you had Cilic and Del Potro in 1988, then a big gap until Thiem in 93, a small gap to Medvedev in 96, then a moderate gap until Sinner in 2001 and Alcaraz in 2003. Those gaps might be filled in a bit, if Next Genners and younger players win their maiden Slams. But it isn't guaranteed - it is quite possible that Sinner marks the start of a new era, with all future Slams won by him and younger players. But there's still time for a Zverev or even a Tsitsipas, Fritz, or Rublev to add some color in there.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz have now won more Slams than all players born between 1989-2000 (2 total, Thiem and Medvedev). Kind of crazy, in terms of Open Era history; I suppose the closest eqivalent is Roger winning more Slams (20) than all players born between 1972-80 (15). Obviously this is the Big Three's fault, with a bit of help from Murray and Wawrinka. In a way it makes the Del Potro and Cilic Slams all the more impressive: Del Potro won his during the Fedal reign, and Cilic when all of the Big Four were within their prime years.
As with many such charts, the details are less important than the overall visual impression. As you can see, it runs from 1928 (Pancho Gonzales) to 2003 (Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune). Players with multiple big titles have their own color, while single big title winners are in gray - but it is hard to tell unless you zoom in. I've also included spaces on the lower half of the chart, so you can better see distinct winners.
When I create such charts, part of my motivation is to look for patterns. Really, there aren't any - or at least, they're pretty general. This charts shows us the "waves" of great players, which are pretty regular though without a clear pattern. About all you could say is that great players come around every few years, but in a very general sort of way. Sometimes they're clustered, sometimes not.
Perhaps the most notable conclusion that one can take from the above chart is nothing new: there was a long dry spell without a new great player emerging after Novak and Andy. For Slam winners, you had Cilic and Del Potro in 1988, then a big gap until Thiem in 93, a small gap to Medvedev in 96, then a moderate gap until Sinner in 2001 and Alcaraz in 2003. Those gaps might be filled in a bit, if Next Genners and younger players win their maiden Slams. But it isn't guaranteed - it is quite possible that Sinner marks the start of a new era, with all future Slams won by him and younger players. But there's still time for a Zverev or even a Tsitsipas, Fritz, or Rublev to add some color in there.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz have now won more Slams than all players born between 1989-2000 (2 total, Thiem and Medvedev). Kind of crazy, in terms of Open Era history; I suppose the closest eqivalent is Roger winning more Slams (20) than all players born between 1972-80 (15). Obviously this is the Big Three's fault, with a bit of help from Murray and Wawrinka. In a way it makes the Del Potro and Cilic Slams all the more impressive: Del Potro won his during the Fedal reign, and Cilic when all of the Big Four were within their prime years.
