Before Wimbledon 2012 had begun, it was expected by most experts that Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal would contest the title. But in the end, it was Andy Murray and Roger Federer that appeared in the final. And it was Federer that reminded us all of his quality by winning his seventh Wimbledon title.
Rafael Nadal surprising lost in the second round, and Novak Djokovic was below par in his semi-final defeat to Roger Federer. Both players will have been hugely disappointed to have lost these matches, and it's a reminder of how competitive the game has become.
There are also a number of players waiting to pounce currently ranked outside of the top four, these include Juan Martin del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and David Ferrer. Andy Murray will also feel that he is getting closer to winning his first Grand Slam title. Finally, there is the issue of Roger Federer returning to the top of the rankings.
This means that Djokovic and Nadal are now under that little bit of pressure to prove they are still the best two players in the world. Therefore, they both have a big challenge ahead them for the Olympics and the 2012 US Open.
It appears that they will have to fight hard to continue to put themselves in a position to win Grand Slam titles. But it's important to remember that both players have been incredibly consistent, and their quality is highly likely to rise to the top again.
But it can only be seen as healthy for the sport to have that level of intense competition. Juan Martin del Potro has already won a Grand Slam title (2009 US Open), and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray will be looking to make that breakthrough in the near future.
This all means that Djokovic and Nadal will need to get back to their very best to stay on top. However, it is ultimately a good thing to have the top ranked players all being Grand Slam champions.
We love to see great champions like Roger Federer, but we also like to see the titles shared around to a certain extent. So, it is not just one or two individuals that are dominating. Nevertheless, what the top three have achieved over the last few years has been simply incredible.
James Kent has been a follower of tennis for a number of years; he is currently looking forward to the tennis on offer during the Olympics and the 2012 US Open, follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
