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By Nick Georgandis Photo by Mark Howard and Tony Chang

Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal - Novak DjokovicNUMBER CRUNCH: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are still re-writing the record books of tennis, with the Swiss bagging the most Slams (in singles), Nadal dominating the Roland Garros clay, and Djokovic impressing the tour with his winning record in 2011. As they go about their own achievements, something to consider about this exciting time in men's tennis: the three of them together might just be the most dominant concurrent trio in Open Era history.

Since the 2005 French Open, Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have combined to win 27 of the 28 (96%) Grand Slam titles, the lone exception being Juan Martin Del Potro's triumph over Federer at the 2009 US Open -- that's 12 titles for Federer, 10 for Nadal and five for Djokovic.

No three men have ever dominated the ATP like these in the Open Era. The closest by comparison came from 1974-1979 when Sweden's Bjorn Borg, ArgeNtina's Guillermo Vilas and the US' Jimmy Connors racked up 17 out of the 25 (68%) Slams during that span (two Australian Opens in one year makes for the odd number). Borg’s haul tallied eight, Connors five, and Vilas four.

Also impressive is the achievement of Aussie trio Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe between 1969-1973. Of the 20 Slams held in that timeframe, Laver and Newcombe each won four and Rosewall notched three for a total of 11 (55%). From 1978-1984, the dominant trio was Borg, Connors and John McEnroe. McEnroe and Borg each won seven Slams, and Connors added four for a total of 18 out of 28 possible - 64%.

From 1984-1990, it was a different posse, but almost as dominant: Ivan Lendl (eight), Mats Wilander (four) and Boris Becker (four) combined for 17 out of 28 - 61%.

In the 1990s, it was an American trio that took control - Pete Sampras (11), Andre Agassi (five) and Jim Courier (three) racked up 19 crowns out of a possible 32 (59%). This is the most dominant performance from any one country on the tour.

What has been a relative statistical anomaly for the men over 40 years of the Open Era has been vastly more commonplace for the women of the WTA.

Beginning with the 1969 Australian Open and stretching through to the same event in 1974, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, and Billie Jean King combined to win 19 of 21 Slams - with only Britain's Anny Haydon Jones (1969 Wimbledon) and Virginia Wade (1972 Australian Open) interrupting the streak. Court was the heavy hitter of the era, with 11 wins, followed by King with five and Cawley with three - totalling 90%.

Beginning midway through 1978, the WTA tour became the near-exclusive home of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. From Wimbledon in 1978 through the US Open in 1987 - a span of 37 Slams - Navratilova and Evert won a combined 28: 17 for the Czech and 11 for the American. Add in the four titles won by Hana Mandilkova, and this trio took 21 of 28 crowns (75%).

From the beginning of 1988 until just after the 1994 Australian Open, it was another two-woman wrecking crew demolishting the ladies' tour. Of the 25 Slams played, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles took 14 and 8 titles respectively - 88% of the Slams.

For a shorter period, and with four players in the mix
, a bloc of American women thoroughly dominated the Slams. Beginning with Lindsay Davenport's triumph at the 1998 US Open and lasting through to Serena Williams' victory at Wimbledon in 2003, Davenport, Serena, Venus, and a resurgent Jennifer Capriati racked up 16 of the 19 possible Slams (84%), including a stunning 11 straight from Serena's 1999 US Open crown (her first Slam) to her win at the Australian Open in 2003.

The current WTA women haven't formed their alliances; in recent years, the winners' list has included
four straight first-time winners beginning with the French Open last spring.

 

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