Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic each have iconic status when it comes to the game of tennis.
Nadal recently had a tribute paid to him at the French Open, and in the future, Federer and Djokovic might have similar situations at Wimbledon.
Over the years, the three have had a number of brilliant matches which are often re-run these days and the game of tennis might never see another three players in the same era quite like them.
Djokovic has claimed in the past that he’s not friends with Federer and the three of them had their moments over the years out on the court and away from it.
Despite the dominance on the ATP Tour from the game’s three greatest ever players, there was one tournament that provided an absolute rarity.
It came in 2009 during the Rogers Cup in Montreal and when you sit and think about it, the whole thing just defies any real logic.
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty ImagesWhen Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal lost on the same day
The tennis world looked on course for all three players to reach the semifinal of the Rogers Cup in 2009, but what actually happened couldn’t be foreseen by anyone.
All three legendary players of tennis were beaten in successive games on the same court to send shockwaves across the world of sport.
First, Federer was beaten two sets to one by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with Djokovic then getting thrashed by Andy Roddick in straight sets.
Finally, Nadal must have been rubbing his hands together with those two players out, but went down in straight sets too, with Juan Martin del Potro playing a stunning match.
Who won the Rogers Cup in 2009?
So often considered as the player to make up the big four, should it change from a three, it was Andy Murray who prevailed to claim this title.
Murray beat Del Potro two sets to one in the final after overcoming Federer’s conqueror, Tsonga, in the semifinal and Nikolay Davydenko in the last eight.
It’s quite remarkable that he managed to win the tournament without playing any of the big three players at that time but nonetheless, it’s one he grasped with both hands.
This tournament in 2009 might never be topped for three huge players of that era crashing out not only on the same day but on the same court.
It’s one that will live long in the memory but for all the wrong reasons for the game’s big three players!