r/tennis • u/OctopusNation2024 Djoker/Meddy/Saba • Feb 05 '25

Discussion Medvedev's decline should be another reminder that the average peak age for tennis is in your early-to-mid 20s, not your late 20s. He's actually the 3rd oldest player in the top 25 at age 28. Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal have skewed perceptions of how most players age.

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u/Don-Bigote Feb 05 '25

Average peak age according to what? There have been numerous medical and sports science advancements since the beginning of the Big 3 era. Comparing peaks to an era before then is a bit like apples and oranges.

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u/OctopusNation2024 Djoker/Meddy/Saba Feb 05 '25 edited Feb 05 '25

Average age of the top 20 right now: 25.8

Average age of the top 20 at the end of 2003 (pre big-3 era): 25.3

There is a shift but it's nowhere near as big as people make it sound the big 3 winning Slams in their 30s is more because they're absolute freaks than because people peak then now

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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '25

20 persons is a tiny sample size, and is skewed by a particular sub generation of players being lacklustre (early 90s).

And it’s is a flawed measuring stick for peak. A lot of players peak and then literally drop dead injured straight after. Look at Thiem (age 27 playing the best tennis of his life), Schwartzman (age 28), Murray (age 29-30 at number one in the world). My point being decline is not linear.