It has been at least a year since either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal last won a Grand Slam. Add Roger Federer to the mix and 2024 becomes the first year since 2002 that none of the ‘Big 3’ were among the Slam winners.

While Nadal only played one Slam given his struggle with a prolonged injury, similar issues have also hindered Djokovic’s performances on the big stage every now and then.

The Serb’s former trainer Marco Panichi, in a recent interview with Tennis Italiano, pinpointed the issues plaguing the duo. While he noted that Nadal’s injuries have kept him from being able to train consistently, he felt Djokovic has had his own struggles with staying motivated.

Panichi, however, was quick to add that if the duo were to unite their skillsets, it would make for a super champion even amid the rise of the next generation of players.

“Rafael Nadal has a physical problem, he can’t train consistently. He’s a machine that has traveled many kilometers. Novak Djokovic is healthy, but his motivation is low. If we could unite them, we would still have a super champion,” Panichi said (translated from Italian).

Panichi, who recently joined the team of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, further delved into Djokovic’s psyche, saying the Serb likes to stay one step ahead of the others and takes extra care of his nutrition.

Off the court, he said, Djokovic was a “wonderful, intelligent, funny” person but has a “warrior” side that he needs to keep alive with constant results on the court.

“In every detail [Novak Djokovic] wants to constantly stay one step ahead of the others. In the type of preparation, in the search for machines and techniques that can allow him to prepare and recover faster, in the care of nutrition,” Marco Panichi said

“Off the field he is a wonderful, intelligent, funny guy. On the field the Slavic warrior in him comes out, and he needs it to “feed”. If that aspect is missing, he gets a little lost,” he added.

First year in two decades since Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer did not win a Grand Slam

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz split the four Grand Slams between them in 2024, making it the first time since 2002 that none of the ‘Big 3’ —Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer— took home at least one trophy.

While Federer has been out of the picture for a few years now, Djokovic and Nadal have won Slams as recently as 2023 and 2022.

Nadal played only one Slam this year, losing in the opening round of the French Open to eventual finalist Alexander Zverev. Djokovic, meanwhile, came close to keeping the ‘Big 3’ streak alive but lost the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz.