Djokovic’s drop in rankings marks 1st time since 2002 no member of the Big 3 in top 10

In a surprising development, Novak Djokovic's drop in rankings marks the first time since 2002 that none of the Big Three — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic — are in the top 10 of the men's tennis rankings. With Djokovic's current ranking at No. 12, it's the first occurrence since October 2002 when Federer and Nadal, both retired, were no longer in the top 10.

Federer exited the rankings in 2022 at the age of 41 and Nadal in 2024 at 38. The last notable player from the trio to appear in the top 10 was Lleyton Hewitt, who held the No. 1 spot in October 2002. Djokovic's early exit from the U.S. Open, losing his first round match to Mariano Navone, marked his earliest Grand Slam loss in over two decades and his first loss as an opener at the U.S. Open.

Despite having 24 major titles, Djokovic acknowledged that this is not the time for self-congratulation and expressed a need to refocus on his future goals.