The news of Novak Djokovic withdrawing from the 2024 Paris Masters marks the first time in 21 years that none of the Big Three will claim an ATP Masters 1000 title in a single season. Djokovic’s absence from this final Masters 1000 event of the year means that for only the third time since his first ATP 1000 triumph in 2007, he will finish a season without a Masters title. The two previous instances were in 2010, when he failed to reach any finals, and in 2017, when injuries sidelined him for most of the season.

In contrast to Djokovic’s winless Masters year, his Big Three rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, still carried the torch during those earlier seasons, ensuring that the trio collectively held onto at least one ATP 1000 title each year. However, the streak of 21 consecutive years with a Big Three champion will end in 2024. Nadal has not secured any Masters title this year, while Federer retired in 2022.

The extraordinary run of the Big Three began in 2004, when Federer claimed three Masters titles. Since then, either Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic has won at least one Masters title each year. However, in 2024, the ATP Masters 1000 titles have gone to a new generation of champions. The current season’s winners include Carlos Alcaraz (Indian Wells), Jannik Sinner (Miami, Cincinnati, Shanghai), Stefanos Tsitsipas (Monte Carlo), Andrey Rublev (Madrid), Alexander Zverev (Rome), and Alexei Popyrin (Montreal), with the Paris Masters still to be played.

Djokovic’s best result at this year’s Masters events was a runner-up finish in Shanghai, where he lost to Sinner. Nadal only participated in the Madrid and Rome Masters but was eliminated early in both tournaments. Last year, Djokovic captured two ATP Masters 1000 titles, with his last victory coming at the Paris Masters in November. Nadal’s last Masters title was at the 2021 Rome Masters, and Federer’s final triumph came at the 2019 Miami Masters.

Collectively, the Big Three have claimed an incredible 104 ATP Masters 1000 titles: Djokovic leads with 40, followed by Nadal with 36, and Federer with 28. As Djokovic steps back from Paris and both Federer and Nadal no longer dominate, it feels like the curtain is closing on the Big Three’s remarkable reign over the ATP Masters 1000 events.