2019 Men's US Open Final: Rafael Nadal vs. Daniil Medvedev

[Moxie]

Normally, I would agree that Novak's B game is good enough against most players on hards but I'm in agreement that the big 3 can no longer auto-pilot their way through some matches. Medvedev's game isn't intimidating and he rarely looks unplayable, but he's an extremely solid player with a good mentality who's really smart on the court. I wouldn't be so sure to claim that any of the big 3's B games makes for a straightforward win over him. And while Nadal's performance in the final wasn't his A game by any means, that's a very particular set of circumstances whereby it's a GS final where the result hinged more than on just the quality of tennis produced.

I think this follows on with what @mrzz is saying that the Big 3 are no longer unplayable, not what they once were, etc., which is just true, to varying degrees and varying by surface. They aren't a monolith, it bears remembering. But individually and collectively, they are waning, and the younger players do smell blood in the water. And some are good enough, and smart enough to hang in there against them.