The tennis trio of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic is known as the “Big Three.”
The label describes the extraordinary dominance these three players exerted over men’s singles tennis for roughly two decades. Federer first established himself as the leading figure in the early 2000s, Nadal rose rapidly soon afterward, and Djokovic joined them as a sustained challenger and champion. Together, they won an unprecedented share of the biggest tournaments.
The phrase is sometimes confused with “Big Four,” a term used especially from about 2008 to 2016 when Andy Murray was regularly competing with them at the highest level. Murray reached major finals, won Grand Slam titles, and became world No. 1, but the enduring trio designation remained “Big Three.”
Their rivalries produced many celebrated matches, including numerous Grand Slam finals. They also completed career Grand Slams, winning all four major tournaments at least once. Collectively, Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer won 66 men’s singles major titles: 24, 22, and 20 respectively.