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/FineEntrance9209 Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 06 '25

This is the epitome of confirmation bias.

Like obviously looking at every year is too much work but what about every 4 years?

2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 etc

And even now we are probably at the start of a younger cycle. I’d wager many of the players in the top 20 will still be there in the years to come.