It is a credit to their astounding longevity that Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer started the decade as the top three and they will end it in exactly the same position. In some sports, constant dominance from one team or individual can become boring and cause fans to lose interest.
However, that cannot be said of tennis, especially with the power the ‘Big Three’ have held in the men’s game.
Federer started the decade on top but unsurprisingly at the age of 38 has dropped to third by the end of 2019.
As Federer’s form has fluctuated through the years, Nadal and Djokovic have been models of consistency with only injuries slowing them down.
In fact, they have taken tennis to a completely different level, with their exploits defying belief at times.
In 2010, Nadal won three consecutive majors to surpass Federer as the best player in the world and complete the Golden Slam by capturing a maiden US Open.
And although doubters have questioned his hard court credentials over the years, he has gone on to win three more titles in New York.
But what really sets Nadal apart is his performances on clay, where he owns an astonishing 92 per cent win-loss record.
The challenge of beating Nadal on clay is the most difficult in all of sports with ’The King of Clay’ boasting 12 titles at the French Open, 11 in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona and nine trophies in Rome.
He also became the first male player to win the French Open and the US Open in the same year on four occasions (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019).
And he ends this decade with 19 Grand Slams to his name, over $119million in prize money and back on top of the world rankings for the fifth time in his career.
While for Djokovic, his 2011 season stands out as one of the best individual campaigns ever produced by a tennis player.
Three Grand Slams, a record of 70-6, $12.6m in prize money, six wins over Nadal all in finals, five Masters 1000 titles, 41 match wins in a row and the world No 1 ranking for the first time.
Despite their illustrious careers, even Nadal and Federer will admit Djokovic’s dominance that year was unprecedented.
15 of Djokovic’s 16 majors have come over the last 10 years, he holds the record for the most Australian Open titles and he became the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors at the same time by winning the French Open in 2016.
He also has the unique title of being the only man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles.
In total, Nadal and Djokovic would meet each other 33 times between 2010 and 2019. Djokovic dominated their contests, winning on 21 occasions, including seven wins in a row between 2011-12 and 2015-16.
While his win in the Australian Open final this year was arguably the finest of their rivalry.
Matches against Federer have been equally notable but the battle of wills between Nadal and Djokovic seemed to hold more weight when they went toe-to-toe. And at the end of it all, the respect they had for each other was mutual and genuine.
Their shared history has created countless achievements which will likely never be matched and the next decade could be even more significant as they both aim to surpass Federer in the all-time Grand Slams list.
They also have the added pressure of a young and hungry chasing pack of players, who are all eager to beat their idols before they hang up their racket.
But make no mistake, as we come to the end of this decade, the sight of Nadal and Djokovic winning and lifting titles is the enduring image bar none.
