Djokovic announces at the end of the tennis era: What does that mean for fans?

Djokovic announces at the end of the tennis era: What does that mean for fans?

Madrid, Spanien - Novak Djokovic recently talked about a significant change in tennis. In Madrid, where he is preparing for his upcoming game against Matteo Arnaldi, Djokovic describes the end of the Big Four era. This generation, which also included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, is gradually leaving the professional sport, and the fans begin to accept their absence. This reports Kosmo .

Djokovic, who has the chance to win his 100th career title on the ATP tour, not only sees the decline of the older generation crucial. He emphasizes the responsibility of the active players to promote sport away from the course and to inspire children for tennis in particular. "Sport is more important than individual players," he clarified, while he also found that despite the retreat of enormous stars, the number of spectators at Grand Slam tournaments remained stable.

new stars and challenges

with the rise of young talents such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have already won Grand Slam titles, Djokovic sees great potential in rivalry between them and Alexander Zverev. Experts believe that this new generation can maintain interest in the ATP tour. Nevertheless, slight declines in the ratings in the European TV market have recently been recorded, which underlines the responsibility of top players for the future of tennis.

The current tennis boom is not only limited to the professional game. According to the ITF Global Tennis Report 2024, around 106 million people in 199 countries play tennis - an increase of over 25 % since 2019. This development shows that tennis gains popularity worldwide, even if Germany follows more slowly than other countries. In the United States, for example, there are already 23.8 million tennis players, despite the growing competition through pickleball, a sport that has 36 million players in the USA.

tennis in Germany and international trend

In Germany, 6.3 million people currently play tennis, which is a slight increase compared to 2019. Nevertheless, the number of tennis courts has dropped from 50,000 to 45,000. The German Tennis BUND (DTB) reports of 1.49 million members, with 120,000 new members having won since 2021. It is still the largest tennis association in the world, but the organization differs from other countries.

The tennis boom is particularly noticeable in the major German cities, where many clubs are forced to set up recording. 45 % of the tennis active in industrialized countries emphasize the health and social aspects of the game, which were reinforced by pandemic. Since tennis was spared from exercise bans, it was perceived as an ideal sport that not only supports health benefits, but also a lifestyle that is increasingly pushed by fashion and the media.

Overall, it can be seen that both professionalism in tennis and the amateur play have arrived at a turning point. The upcoming generation of players could not only conquer the hearts of fans, but also fuel the global tennis boom. This is confirmed in the report by tennis magazin