Federer Nadal semifinal tickets may set sport record at Wimbledon

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are set for clash No. 40, 11 years after what most consider the greatest tennis match ever played. Who does the winner play? Most likely a dominant Novak Djokovic. The Big 3 are in full command at the All England Tennis Club, folks.

It’s been 11 years since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have played each other on the venerated grass at Wimbledon. The year was 2008. The Spice Girls had performed their last concert. Miley Cyrus was only known as a cute Hannah Montana, and Jon Stewart hosted the Oscars. It was also the year that “pirate” Rafa Nadal dethroned tennis royalty, Roger Federer, in a grueling five-set nail-biter on Center Court that gave the Spaniard his first of two Wimbledon titles.

A lot’s happened since then. But the dominance of the Big 3 titans of tennis has not changed. Since 2003, only Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray have won the grass slam. Federer began the greatest era there has ever been in men’s tennis with the first of his 20 slam titles, but since then the Big 3 have claimed 83% of all the grand slam trophies.

If the young generation is the next generation, the generation of Federer-Nadal-Djokovic is the Great Generation. The next generation is just that, forever Next, while the Big 3 are eternally Now.

It has to be frustrating for the David Goffins, Kei Nishikoris, and Sam Querreys, the three opponents that the great icons dispatched on Wednesday. They have come close before, but only to come up against one of these legends time and time again, only to see them dismiss all their dreams.

It’s 2019 and Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are holding all the rest at bay. Federer and Nadal are set to play their 40th bout in their storied and fascinating rivalry. Every match the two play could be the very last time the tennis world has to witness their glory. It’s no surprise that ticket prices for Friday’s rematch of the greatest historical contest are starting at $9,000 a pop. That’s higher than Super Bowl tickets and may set the record in sporting events. However, it’s not surprising considering the individuality of the sport, the age of the players, and the rarity of seeing such a spectacle as the two get closer to retirement age (whenever that day comes).

One of the young players, Stefanos Tsitsipas called the Big 3 winning everything “boring.” However, ticket prices and the insane excitement of the Federer-Nadal semi paint a far different picture. And perhaps that’s where the disparity lies. The glorious way each of the Big 3 is playing is anything but boring. Their longevity, dedication to the sport, and mental prowess during the grand slam events have captivated tennis fans for decades, with no chance of waning any time soon. Their dominance has been far from boring, and the failure of the younger generation is more a reflection on them than it is on the brilliance of the tennis triumvirate.

A testament to that longevity was the inspiring stats that Federer locked in without much thought on Wednesday:

• A cool century of Wimbledon match wins (100)
• 186th grass court match wins (beating Jimmy Connors’ 185)
• 352nd grand slam match wins (Djokovic: 274, Nadal: 264)

All were all-time records.

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How tough will the match between Federer and Nadal be? Their 2008 epic occasion went to five tight sets. Federer turned the tide with 2017 Australian Open and then proceeded to win three more straight matches, including the one before the Aussie final (five in total). However, Nadal beat him on his home turf at this year’s French semi. Nadal owns their head-to-head, although Federer has evened things up, surging forward on all surfaces except clay. Nadal has only dropped one set all tournament long and is playing better than he’s ever done at the grass slam. He will try to wear down Fed’s one-handed backhand and through ruthless baseline rallies. The 37-year-old will want to dictate play, move in quickly, and maintain a high serve level. He’s done this all fortnight long.

But once they get through the semi, an eager Novak Djokovic will likely be waiting at the finish line, looking to defend his title and get to slam No. 16. But first, he’ll have to get through 31-year-old Roberto Bautista Agut, looking to crash this tripartite party. He’s beaten the 32-year-old twice already this year.

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The men’s semifinals will take place on Friday. The women’s semis are on Thursday, including Serena Williams. At this point, shouldn’t we be calling her, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic really the Big 4? No one has as many slam titles as them (76!). Ms. Serena, in fact, has the most out of all of them (23), going for a record 24.

Stay tuned here for all your Wimbledon and tennis action.