Sam Querrey surprised by what’s happened to tennis since Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both retired

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Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were two of the best players to ever grace the ATP Tour.

Combining for 42 Grand Slam titles, Nadal and Federer dominated tennis for several years alongside their rival Novak Djokovic.

Federer retired from tennis upon the conclusion of the 2022 Laver Cup, in an emotional doubles defeat alongside the Spaniard.

It was just a few more years before Nadal retired from tennis, as the 38-year-old called it a day at the end of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

With two of the best to ever do it hanging up the racket, questions were asked as to what would happen to the sport, questions that one former ATP star thinks have now been answered.

Sam Querrey is ‘surprised’ that tennis has become more popular since Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s retirement

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, former world number 11 Sam Querrey admitted that he has been surprised by tennis’ surge in popularity following the retirements of Nadal and Federer.

“I thought it was going to dip but it hasn’t,” he said.

“It almost seems more popular.

“The US Open has more stars than ever, all you hear about Indian Wells and Cincinnati having more fans coming through the gates than ever so I am surprised by that.”

Querrey’s co-host John Isner thinks he may know why tennis has been able to adapt so quickly.

“That’s encouraging because you have Rafa [Nadal] and Roger [Federer] retiring and on the women’s side Serena [Williams] no longer playing,” said the former Miami Open champion.

“I think tennis has been able to withstand that very well and you have the emergence of the two stars on the men’s side [Sinner and Alcaraz] and players on the women’s side, certainly on the American side, Coco Gauff, who are holding up the sport at a high level.

“A lot of people thought the interest and popularity would dip once these big names retired, but it hasn’t.”

Fellow American Jack Sock, also agreed that tennis is more popular than ever, but still maintained that Nadal and Federer’s ‘era’ will never be topped.

“I think tennis is trendier these days, it’s cooler these days for whatever reason,” he said.

“It’s in its prime in that sense.

“The amount of celebrities and big-name people who were at the US Open last year, I would say tennis is cooler and more popular in that sense at the moment.

“But I would say tennis in the greatness of the big three and their entire eras, I don’t think that will ever get capped no matter who is in.”

Can new tennis stars match the popularity of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams?

Isner highlighted the recent retirements of Nadal, Federer, and Williams, claiming that the likes of Alcaraz, Sinner and Gauff, are fighting hard to fill the void that they left.

But in a world dominated by social media, are the younger stars even close to matching their popularity?

The younger trio currently has over 40 million fewer followers than their legendary counterparts, but that’s not to say that their numbers won’t increase over time.

The trio, have won a combined seven Grand Slam titles over the past three years, establishing themselves as the top stars of the next generation.

When Gauff won the US Open back in 2023, she became a household name both in the United States and around the world.

Winning a first Major title as a teenager, the likeable young American quickly grew a large fanbase, that has only become stronger with her performances last year, as Gauff won the WTA Finals.

It remains to be seen if Gauff, Alcaraz, and Sinner can reach the heights on and off the court of Nadal, Federer, and Williams, but they’ll certainly be hoping to do so.

The trio will return to action at the Australian Open which begins on January 12.