Since 2004, three players have dominated men's tennis, with Roger Feder, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all sharing a fierce rivalry that has seen them claim 20+ Grand Slam titles each.

At Wimbledon, Djokovic was expected to continue that trend and make history as he chased a 24th Grand Slam title, only for Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to crush his dreams and win the second major title of his career.

Djokovic had lifted the famous trophy at SW19 four times in a row prior to that loss, but his hopes of equalling Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles are on hold for another year at least.

The Serbian can still equal Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam titles at the 2023 US Open, but standing in his way will be Alcaraz, the defending champion and likely the future of men's tennis.

What	2023 US Open
Where	New York City, USA
When	Monday 28th August 2023 – Sunday 10th Sept 2023
How to watch	bet365 Sports Live Streaming and Sky Sports
Odds	Mens' Outright: Novak Djokovic 6/5, Carlos Alcaraz 6/4, Daniil Medvedev 7/2, Jannik Sinner 11/1, Holger Rune 14/1

Are we finally seeing the end of an era?

Tennis fans for the last 20 years or so have had it lucky, with three of the greatest players of all time all playing in the same era.

Had Djokovic, Nadal and Federer played in a different era, they could have dominated the game singlehandedly, but for the previous 20 years, three names have monopolised the rankings and every Grand Slam.

There were, of course, some exceptions, with the likes of Marat Safin, Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray all winning Grand Slams during the trio's dominant spell.

All good things must come to an end, though, and Federer's retirement last year was the start of a new chapter.

Nadal and Djokovic are in their late 30s, and the former has continued to battle injuries in recent years.

For so long, fans have wondered who will fly the flag for men's tennis once the star trio depart and could that then lead to a whole host of players winning Grand Slams?

On Sunday, we maybe got our answer, as Djokovic, even at his best on occasions, could not keep up with Spain's young superstar.

Alcaraz learning on the job

Alcaraz described his win over Djokovic as a "dream come true", and he was quick to praise the Serbian in his post-match press conference.

The Spaniard is no stranger to the Grand Slam final arena, winning the US Open last year, but his ability to adapt to grass is something that should send a shockwave through the men's rankings.

Alcaraz is the third youngest man to win the Wimbledon title in the Open era, but yet before the start of 2023, he had only won four professional matches on grass. 

His win at Queens earlier this summer suggested he was making progress, but to then win Wimbledon and beat Djokovic shows he could soon be the man to beat in all Grand Slams.

All eyes on Flushing Meadows

While his loss to Alcaraz was a "tough one to swallow", in Djokovic's own words, he will soon switch his attention to the next Grand Slam, the 2023 US Open.

While Djokovic had hoped to equal Federer's Wimbledon record of eight men's singles titles, he showed he is still at the top of his game.

He had not lost on the All England Club's main court since 2013, but he will get the perfect chance for revenge at the 2023 US Open, where he can dethrone current champion Alcaraz.

The Serbian is the 6/5 favourite to go all the way in New York, although he has only won the event three times. He was last successful in 2018, and Alcaraz will feel he has already got Djokovic's number.

Alcaraz is 6/4 to retain his crown, while Russia's Daniil Medvedev - himself a champion at Flushing Meadows in 2021 - remains the third favourite at 7/2.

Odds of 11/1 for Jannik Sinner and 14/1 for Holger Rune suggest the upcoming event could be a three-way battle at best, but that is perhaps where men's tennis stands at the moment.

Djokovic, even at 36, is still the man to beat, but he is no longer the world number one, and if Alcaraz defends his crown in America, we may soon see a changing of the guard.

The likes of Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are all capable of winning Grand Slams in the future, but it is Alcaraz that has proven he already belongs amongst the elite at the top of the men's standings.