The ‘Big Four’, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray, were all close to their best in 2012.
14 years on, only Djokovic remains, and he hasn’t won a Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open. So, with that being said, is the sport weaker now than it was back in 2012?
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist John Isner, who finished 2012 ranked 14th in the world, believes so. He has now explained why he thinks tennis was tougher then than it is now.
John Isner argues the depth of men’s tennis in 2012 was ‘ridiculous’ compared to 2026
“You have the Big Four; let’s throw [Andy] Murray in there, obviously. We took year-end rankings 2012, when all of those guys were pretty much in their prime, close to their prime. It’s after the top four players – it’s the [David] Ferrer, [Tomas] Berdych, Delpo [Juan Martin del Potro], and [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga; it’s ridiculous how tough that was,” said Isner during the latest episode of ‘Nothing Major‘.
“What makes it that tough is that five to eight range of those guys, especially the five to seven, with Delpo, Berdych, and Ferrer – those three players. So when you talk about making the World Tour Finals, the top eight – [Roger] Federer, [Novak] Djokovic, [Rafael] Nadal – they’re not taking that off; [Andy] Murray is not taking that off. You would always pencil Berdych in; Ferrer was never going anywhere. For everyone else, it seemed like there were just two spots available at the beginning of the year. Whereas now, it seems like there are five spots available.”
2012 ATP Finals qualifiers
| Rank | Player | Country | Points | Status |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 11,420 | Qualified – Champion |
| 2 | Roger Federer | Switzerland | 9,465 | Qualified – Runner-up |
| 3 | Andy Murray | Great Britain | 7,600 | Qualified – Semi-finalist |
| 4 | Rafael Nadal | Spain | 6,795 | Qualified – Did not play |
| 5 | David Ferrer | Spain | 6,030 | Qualified – Group Stage |
| 6 | Tomas Berdych | Czechia | 4,405 | Qualified – Group Stage |
| 7 | Juan Martin del Potro | Argentina | 4,080 | Qualified – Semi-finalist |
| 8 | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | France | 3,490 | Qualified – Group Stage |
| 9 | Janko Tipsarevic | Serbia | 2,990 | Alternate – Group Stage |
“Agreed, [Jannik] Sinner, [Carlos] Alcaraz, [Alexander] Zverev, then five spots basically,” added Sam Querrey, Isner’s podcast co-host and former world number 11.
2026 Live ATP Race to Turin
| Rank | Player | Country | Points | Status |
| 1 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 8,790 | Qualified |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 7,950 | Qualified – Will not play |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 4,560 | Qualified |
| 4 | Ben Shelton | USA | 4,470 | Qualified |
| 5 | Flavio Cobolli | Italy | 3,540 | Currently qualifying |
| 6 | Frances Tiafoe | USA | 3,380 | Currently qualifying |
| 7 | Arthur Fils | France | 3,285 | Currently qualifying |
| 8 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 3,060 | Currently qualifying |
| 9 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 2,840 | Currently qualifying |
Isner continued, highlighting how difficult it was to qualify for the ATP Finals during his best years. The American only qualified for the year-end finals once, in 2018.
“Back then, it felt like there were two spots. You would go into the year feeling good about my game, but there are only two spots for me to get in there. If these guys are healthy, they’re going to be in the top six,” he said.
“If you look at the totality, especially the top 10, it’s just ridiculously tough, absurdly tough. Any time you went up against a Ferrer or Berdych, man, you had to hope they would have a bad day or something. Crazy underrated guys, specifically Berdych; it just gets lost how good he was.”
The argument over which era was better is, of course, subjective, but Isner does have a point. The players who qualified for the 2012 year-end finals were top-10 mainstays, perhaps with the exception of Janko Tipsarevic, who made his second and last appearance at the event 14 years ago.
However, as things stand, three players will make their ATP Finals debuts in 2026: Flavio Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe, and Arthur Fils. Other potential debutants, including Rafael Jodar and Jakub Mensik, also remain within touching distance of the qualification places.
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Heading into 2027, far more players will fancy their chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals than Isner and co did back in 2012, when the Big Four and others locked up many of the top-eight spots.
Comparing Grand Slam winners in 2012 and 2026
In 2012, each member of the Big Four won a Grand Slam title, the only time that has happened in tennis history. Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal won Roland Garros, Roger Federer won Wimbledon, and Andy Murray won the US Open.
2012 Men’s singles Grand Slam winners
- Australian Open – Novak Djokovic
- French Open – Rafael Nadal
- Wimbledon – Roger Federer
- US Open – Andy Murray
This year, Carlos Alcaraz won the Australian Open, Alexander Zverev won the French Open and the US Open, and Jannik Sinner won Wimbledon.
2026 Men’s singles Grand Slam winners
- Australian Open – Carlos Alcaraz
- French Open – Alexander Zverev
- Wimbledon – Jannik Sinner
- US Open – Alexander Zverev
Only time will tell who will win the four majors in 2027. The 2027 Australian Open begins on January 17, but there is plenty of tennis to be played before then. Alcaraz, Zverev, and others are competing at the Shanghai Masters this week. The final will be played on October 18.
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