Serena Williams moved another step closer to a record-tying 24th career Grand Slam title with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over Czech Karolina Muchova on Friday to reach the last 16 at the US Open.
On Saturday, the young guns showed no signs of breaking the stranglehold of the three men who collectively own 50 Grand Slam titles and also split the season's first three majors.
It was a repeat of the 34-year-old's straight sets victory over Andy Murray in the second round of the US Open in August.
It ended a woeful few days for reigning champions Croatia. They left with two losses.
Rafael Nadal kept the flag flying for the old guard at the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals, where he will meet another next generation player in Stefanos Tsitsipas.
But for the first time, that golden trio will be having an anxious glance over their shoulders. The past week in London has revealed a new fearlessness in the generation of 20 somethings expected to fill the void when they call it a day.
Twice Shanghai Masters champion Roger Federer was far from his best against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut but did enough to reach the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win on Thursday.
It was Novak Djokovic's first match this year after his Australian Open hopes were dashed when he was deported following an 11-day saga revolving around his decision not to have a COVID-19 vaccination.
Former world number one Andy Murray won his first ATP tour singles match in nearly nine months with a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-1 victory over American Tennys Sandgren in the opening round of the Zhuhai Championships.
On the 10th anniversary of the 2008 Wimbledon men's final that is widely considered the 'greatest ever tennis match' it seems like the stars may be aligning for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to meet in another mesmerising epic.
A look at the records of Spain's Rafael Nadal and Serbia's Novak Djokovic before their title clash at the Australian Open on Sunday (prefix number denotes seeding):
IMAGES from Day 4 of the Wimbledon Champions at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Thursday
Rafael Nadal was kept on Centre Court longer than he would have liked but that did not stop him from putting baby-faced Alex de Minaur firmly in his place with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win in the third round of Wimbledon on Saturday.
Images from the action on Day 2 at the Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal will skip the Miami Open that begins later this month in a bid to recover from a back injury in time for the clay court swing
World number one Rafael Nadal won a battle of attrition against fellow left-hander Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 7-6(4), 6-4 to seal Spain's spot in the final eight of the inaugural ATP Cup in Perth on Wednesday. Meanwhile his long-time rival, world number two Novak Djokovic, had an easier outing in Brisbane, strolling past Chile's Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-3 to stay undefeated in the new year.
Images from Day 3 of the French Open in Paris on Tuesday
Images from Day 7 at the US Open.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
The 16-times Grand Slam champion, who has been slightly ill lately, was kept on his toes before racing to victory to set up a meeting with seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Images from Day 3 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Tuesday
Images from Day 5 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
After a brief interruption when the players were locked at 5-5 in the opening set, Federer saved two set points in the tiebreak and held firm to gain the upper hand in the contest.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Wednesday
Big-serving Isner reaches Montreal second round
Australian great Rod Laver is as impressed as anyone while watching Rafael Nadal tear into the fourth round of Wimbledon on Saturday to stay on track for a third title.
Venus Williams staged a spirited comeback to down third seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 and reach the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Saturday.
It was Kristyna's first win over a top-five ranked player and she will go on to play fellow Czech Barbora Strycova in the quarter-finals.
Unseeded Australian Daria Gavrilova upset fifth seed Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the China Open on Saturday as Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic showed stunning powers of recovery to pull off her own shock win over sixth seed Elina Svitolina.
American qualifier Sachia Vickery completed an astonishing comeback to stun third seed Garbine Muguruza 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in a second-round win at the BNP Paribas Open in California on Friday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the US Open in New York on Wednesday.
Czech defending champion Katerina Siniakova fended off Maria Sharapova in a fiercely contested match at the Shenzhen Open on Friday to set up a final with world number one Simona Halep.
IMAGES from the matches played during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, at Wimbledon in London on Thursday
Thursday's match was just Venus Williams's seventh of the year and first since January's Australian Open, where she fell to Simona Halep in the round of 32.
Images from the third day at the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, in New York, on Wednesday:
IMAGES from matches played at the Miami Masters in Key Biscayne, Florida
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Images from Day 2 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday
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