The undeniable truth is that even the greatest athletes, like that forgotten jar of pickles at the back of the fridge, are not immune to the inevitable march of time. In the realm of football, the unthinkable has transpired: the 2024 Ballon d’Or longlist remarkably omits the names of Messi and Ronaldo. These two titans of the sport, whose reign spanned longer than many British Prime Ministers, have been fixtures on that prestigious list for the past two decades, amassing 13 of the 19 trophies. But time, it seems, spares no one—not even the greatest of all time (GOATs).
Meanwhile, on the tennis court, Jannik Sinner has etched his name in history by ending an era with his US Open victory. This momentous win marks the first time since 2002 that none of the “Big Three” (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic) will claim a Grand Slam title. To put this into perspective, back in 2002, when Thomas Johansson, Albert Costa, Lleyton Hewitt, and Pete Sampras were the reigning champions, Sinner was just a year old, while Carlos Alcaraz was yet to be born.
The dominance of Federer (20), Nadal (22), and Djokovic (24) in Grand Slam history is staggering—a collective haul of 66 titles. Between Wimbledon 2003 (the year of Federer’s first Grand Slam triumph) and 2024, a member of this trio graced the finals of 75 out of 85 Grand Slam tournaments. The only 10 exceptions were at the 2005 and 2024 Australian Open, the 2004 and 2024 French Open, Wimbledon 2016, and the 2003, 2014, 2020, 2022, and 2024 US Open. Djokovic’s surprising third-round defeat to Alexei Popyrin at this year’s US Open resulted in a Slam-less season for the Serbian, a first since 2017.
Sinner’s second Grand Slam victory at Flushing Meadows holds a special significance. It marks only the third time—and the first since 1993—that all four Major tournaments in a year were won by players under the age of 23 since the Open Era began in 1968.
The 30-man Ballon d’Or list is now spearheaded by a new breed of talent, featuring fresh-faced prodigies like Jude Bellingham (21) and a trio of 24-year-olds—Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Vinicius Jr. And then there’s Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old sensation from Barcelona and Spain, who has become the youngest-ever nominee for France Football magazine’s annual award. “I want to leave a mark in world football,” Yamal stated, reflecting on his historic achievement. “Being among the 30 finalists for the Ballon d’Or and a top candidate for the Kopa Trophy at 17 is a dream. I’m the youngest in history to achieve this, and it motivates me even more.” Yamal’s incredible journey began when he shattered Pele’s 66-year-old record as the youngest player to feature in a major championship final, starring for Spain against England at Euro 2024.
Back in India, another era is drawing to a close as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli—the nation’s batting pillars for years—are nearing the twilight of their illustrious careers. After bidding farewell to T20Is with a triumphant World Cup win in the US and Caribbean, their time with the national team may be dwindling. In matches featuring either Kohli or Rohit, or both, India has secured victories in 61.11% of the 643 matches played. This winning percentage climbs to 63.002% when both players are on the field, but drops to 57.71% when neither is present. Perhaps a last hurrah awaits them at next year’s ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled for February-March in neighboring Pakistan.
As for Ronaldo and Djokovic, while record-breaking goals or Grand Slam titles still seem like inevitable occurrences, the changing landscape of sports suggests that a new era is dawning, fueled by the brilliance of a fresh generation of athletes eager to carve their own path to greatness.
