Who could ever forget the ‘Big Four’ that dominated tennis for decades? Before Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner entered the scene with their iconic matches, there was the indomitable quartet of Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer.

Their might transcended tennis and transformed them into household names, regardless of whether people were tennis fans or not.

From the 2003 Australian Open to the 2026 French Open, the four have won a combined total of 69 Grand Slam titles out of 93.

‘Big Four’ Have Dominated Modern Tennis

Djokovic leads the way with a record 24 titles, including a triple Career Grand Slam. Nadal is close behind with 22, including a double Career Grand Slam and a record 14 French Open titles, notably favouring the clay courts of Roland Garros, which earned him the nickname ‘The King of Clay.’

Federer has 20 Grand Slam wins, including a record eight men’s singles Wimbledon titles and holds the record for winning five consecutive titles in two different tournaments, winning from 2003-2007 at Wimbledon and 2004-2008 at the US Open.

Murray’s Grand Slam victories pale in comparison to the other three, who are acclaimed as the greatest tennis players ever. The Scot only won three Slams in his career, the 2012 US Open, the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2016 Wimbledon Championships.

However, he is more than deserving of his spot alongside the three, with more victories against them than anyone in history. He defeated Federer to take a gold medal on home soil at the 2012 London Olympics and defeated Djokovic for both his US Open victory, where he became the first British major singles champion since Virginia Wade in 1977, and his 2013 Wimbledon victory, becoming the first Brit to take the win since Fred Perry in 1936.

He also defended his gold medal in Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics to become the only player, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals in singles.

Now, Murray has had his say on which of his fellow ‘Big Four’ members he felt the most comfortable playing against.

Andy Murray’s Preferred Opponent Out of ‘Big Four’

Speaking on former cricketer Kevin Pietersen’s YouTube channel, the Glaswegian highlighted Federer as the opponent he felt more at ease sharing a court with.

Though he has an 11-14 record against the Swiss powerhouse, Murray enjoyed clashes with him more than his battles with Nadal and Djokovic.

Speaking on The Switch, he said: “He [Federer] was the guy that was comfortably number one in the world at the time. The first time [I played him] was in 2005.

“I played against him in the final of a tournament in Bangkok. It was my first final on the main tour. I actually played a good match [but] I lost.

He has the same number of wins against Federer as he does against Djokovic, though, the Serb has defeated him 25 times and eight times in Slams. They are one of two male pairs to have contended the finals of each of the four Grand Slams, with Djokovic and Nadal being the other.

Murray admitted that before joining the ATP Tour, he already admired Federer, stating: “I loved watching [Federer]. I had an injury when I was 16 where I couldn’t play for like six months and I used to sit and take notes on him and watch a lot of the top players.

While the Scotsman has a lot of praise for Federer, it was Nadal who famously once said: “In terms of level of tennis, in terms of mentality, winning spirit, Andy was the only one at the level of myself, Roger [Federer] and Novak [Djokovic].”

The Spaniard may have beaten Murray on 17 occasions, with the Brit only felling the icon seven times, but he showed considerable strength, resilience, and fortitude. Despite ultimately losing in their five-set thriller at the 2011 Australian Open, Murray is remembered for his tenacity and ability to handle the intense playing style of Nadal.

The ultimate debate about the best tennis player ever is multi-faceted and contentious, but Murray deserves to be remembered and respected for his determination and strong work ethic.

Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic will be immortalised in the sport’s history, but don’t forget about Murray the next time that you are ranking tennis players, despite the plaudits the other three deservedly receive.

Tottenham Hotspur are now ‘very close’ to agreeing terms to sign West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, according to Matteo Moretto, as they look to land the Portugal international and Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.

Tottenham have been making some hugely ambitious moves in the summer transfer window having narrowly avoided dropping into the Championship.

Now, under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs are making a huge splash in the summer transfer window with moves for Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi already completed and announced.

The north London outfit are now concentrating on strengthening the team further forward, with midfield becoming a key area in recent days.

Firstly, it was confirmed by Fabrizio Romano that they are pushing to sign Tonali from Newcastle, in what would be a huge statement of intent given the Italy international has been targeted by Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United as well.

Then, it emerged from David Ornstein that the club wanted to sign Fernandes alongside the Italian, after the Irons suffered relegation.

Tottenham are also looking at the forward positions as they look to complete seven summer signings for their Italian manager.

Mateus Fernandes Open to Signing for Tottenham

via Reuters

Fernandes is Manchester United’s top midfield target as things stand after finding deals to sign Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni too difficult to do, but they now face stiff competition from Tottenham.

According to Moretto, posting on X on Saturday afternoon, Spurs are now ‘very close’ to reaching an agreement with the 21-year-old ‘superstar’ on personal terms to make the move across the capital.

The Portugal international is open to signing for Tottenham as he looks to avoid playing in England’s second tier, although there has been no club-to-club contact between them and West Ham yet.

Getting the buy-in from the player is important, but they will also be aware that it has been widely reported that the youngster is keen on a move to Old Trafford to link up with compatriot Bruno.

Another Tottenham source claimed earlier this week that the club also has an agreement on personal terms to sign Tonali.

West Ham Want £80m to Sell Fernandes

via Reuters

The big issue facing both Tottenham and Man United is West Ham’s demands for Fernandes.

Recognising both his talent now and the huge potential he has for the future, the Irons are ready to demand £80-85m for their prized asset this summer, even though they are now a Championship club.

United will already be trying to negotiate that fee down, and then Spurs can do the same if they get confirmation that the player is willing to join them.

Despite the latest breakthrough, it feels like the Fernandes transfer saga still has a long way to go this summer.

After retiring two seasons ago, former England and Manchester City goalkeeper, Joe Hart, immediately set to work as a pundit for the BBC for Euro 2024.

He remains with them covering the World Cup and it appears that he’s clocked something that could prove decisive as the tournament unfolds.

The World Cup is a slightly sore subject for Hart. He only ever played at one World Cup himself, in 2014, when Roy Hodgson’s side finished bottom of their group. He also travelled to South Africa in 2010, though Fabio Capello chose Rob Green and David James ahead of him. That tournament put the chaos of the Jabulani on full display, and Hart believes this summer’s competition has thrown up an eerily similar problem.

What Joe Hart Spotted With the World Cup Ball

Speaking on the BBC after analysing Martin Baturina’s equaliser for Croatia against England, Hart seemed to think the ball, the Trianda, which is supplied by Adidas, could be catching goalkeepers out: “I honestly feel like this ball is coming onto the goalkeepers a lot faster than they feel it is off the foot. Now, what you notice with this is Jordan Pickford flies at this ball, and he just doesn’t. You’ll ask, ‘Why has he gone with his thumb rather than his hand? It just feels like it is on him.”

Hart went through more examples from the tournament, including Lionel Messi’s opener against Algeria, pointing out that goalkeepers are consistently misjudging their timing on shots from distance, suggesting that in normal circumstances, some shots would have a higher chance of being saved.

Unlike anything used before it, the Trianda is fitted with live sensors that feed data straight to VAR, helping officials judge touches and track movement, and it even requires charging before a match. It’s also built with just four panels rather than 32, a design change that alters how the ball moves through the air.

See what Hart had to say in full below:

Fans Buy Into Joe Hart’s Theory

Hart’s breakdown went down well online, with multiple fans praising the fresh insight he’s brought to the punditry desk, and the representation provides for goalkeepers.

With Hart’s explanation now out there, backed up by what looks like visual evidence to support it, don’t be surprised if outfield players start sensing an opportunity, and long-range efforts could become a lot more common for the rest of the tournament.