Tennis great Jim Courier has discussed how Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all discovered a “hack” that was vitally important to their longevity.
The Big Three’s remarkable ability to remain at the top of the sport into their mid to late 30s has set them apart from previous generations.
Federer‘s career spanned from 1998 to 2022, with the Swiss retiring at the age of 41 at the Laver Cup.
Nadal, 38, called time on his 23 years as a professional at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in November.
Djokovic, who will turn 38 next month, is still competing at the highest level as he is ranked fifth in the world.
In an interview on the Questions for Cancer Research YouTube channel, Courier highlighted the approach to tournament scheduling that Federer pioneered.
“I know Pete [Sampras] was really mentally fatigued at the end of his career, as was I,” said the former world No 1.
“It was a grind. It’s a good grind, but it’s a grind, with the never-ending calendar and tennis events, and it’s hard to know if Pete would have been able to extend his career.
“Federer, in particular, set the bar for how to schedule for longevity. We didn’t do that. [Ivan] Lendl didn’t do that, [John] McEnroe didn’t do that. [Jimmy] Connors didn’t do that.
“We all pushed and pushed and pushed as hard as we could, and eventually either your body hits a breaking point or your mind hits a breaking point.
“Federer figured out a hack which was, even though I’m required to play these tournaments, I’m not going to. And they’ll just have to deal with my absence because I want to have a long run here, and he did.
“And I think that’s what Nadal and then Djokovic learned to do as well — to manage their careers for longevity in a way that prior generations didn’t.
“I think if Pete would have scheduled the way that Federer did, where Federer would take gaps in the season and take a month off, just decompress and then come back ready to go.”
Sampras retired at the age of 31 after winning his 14th Grand Slam title at the 2002 US Open.
Courier, a four-time major winner, was just 29 when he played his final singles match at the Miami Open in 2000.
