5 Players who would have more Grand Slams if not for the Big Three 

One of the most common terms in tennis used to describe Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic is the "Big Three." It's a validation of the sheer dominance and longevity that these three men have had on the game for nearly two decades.

They have won 56 of the last 67 Grand Slams, with Federer leading the way with 20 wins, while Nadal and Djokovic follow suit with 19 and 17 wins respectively. If not for injuries, there is no doubt that they would have added to the tally.

Regardless of the surface, these three have dominated in all courts and in all conditions and have only enhanced their legacy in the sport. There have been players few and far in between who have managed to shock the world by beating them but eventually, even they have crumbled to the sheer strength and will of the trio.

That being said, we look at the five players who could have won more Grand Slams if not for these three individuals.

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#1 Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick retired after the 2012 US Open

One of the greatest servers of all time, Andy Roddick had a career that will always be regarded as what could have been. His only Grand Slam victory came at home turf at the Flushing Meadows where he captured the US Open title in 2003. It was supposed to be the first of many for the American but that wasn't to be the case.

After winning the last Slam of the year in 2003, he was world number 1. Roddick became the youngest American to hold the top spot since computer rankings were introduced in 1973. He also became the first American to finish world number 1 since Andre Agassi in 1999.

Roddick won 32 singles titles during his career and reached the Wimbledon final thrice - in 2004, 2005 and 2009 - losing to Roger Federer each and every time. He also lost the 2007 and 2009 Australian Open semifinals to the Swiss maestro. The American eventually retired in 2012 before trying his hand in doubles but didn't fare that well.

#2 Lleyton Hewitt

Lleyton Hewitt retired in 2016 from singles

Known for his rough-rider, never say die mentality, Lleyton Hewitt was one of a kind on the men's tour. Hewitt burst on to the scene at a very young age and caught the world's attention after beating Andre Agassi at the Next Generation Adelaide International in 1998.

In November 2001, Hewitt became the youngest male player to be ranked world number 1 at the age of 20 years and 8 months. He captured two Grand Slams, the US Open in 2001 and the Australian Open in 2002. He also won the World Tour Finals in 2001 and 2002. Injuries took a toll and Hewitt never really returned to his peak since.

Hewitt had a 9-18 H2H record against Federer and 4-7 record against Rafael Nadal. Notable losses against Federer include losing at the 2005 Wimbledon semifinals and 2004 quarterfinals.

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#3 Juan Martin del Potro

Juan Martin del Potro's career has been hampered by wrist and knee injuries

At 6 feet 6 inches, Juan Martin del Potro possesses all the weapons you need as a tennis player to go down as one of the best ever. Unfortunately, a mixture of bad luck and consistent injuries has hampered the career of the Argentine.

One of the greatest servers the game has ever seen, del Potro has all the attributes to pick apart his opponents. His lone Grand Slam success came in the 2009 US Open where he beat five-time defending champion Roger Federer in five sets. It was to be the start of something special for the South American but that wasn't to the case.

Earlier that year, he lost the 2009 Australian Open quarterfinals to Federer in straight sets and succumed to defeat against the Swede in 2012 as well. He again lost in five sets against Federer at the Roland Garros earlier that year. In 2013, he lost the semifinals of the Wimbledon to Novak Djokovic and also lost the 2018 French Open semifinals to Rafa Nadal.

#4 Stanislas Wawrinka

Stan Wawrinka reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open

The most decorated player on this list, Stan Wawrinka has had a brilliant career thus far. His rise from being a home-schooled boy to superstardom has been nothing short of spectacular. The Swiss spent most of his career under the shadow of his compatriot Roger Federer but finally broke out after winning his first Grand Slam in 2014 at the Australian Open by beating Rafael Nadal in four sets.

Wawrinka reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon that year only to lose to Federer in four sets. Next season, he beat Novak Djokovic at the French Open final in four sets after dropping the first. He won his third Slam after beating Djokovic at the US Open in 2016. Stan had started to disrupt the power dynamics on tour and was a contender whenever he stepped on the court.

Possessing arguably the best single-hand backhand on tour, Wawrinka reached the semifinals of the World Tour Finals in 2013, losing to Djokovic and in 2014 and 2015 only losing to Federer on both the occasions.

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#5 Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic turned pro in 2005

Marin Cilic caught the world's attention when he won the 2014 US Open. It was a huge surprise as the entire tennis fraternity was eagerly anticipating a Federer-Djokovic clash in the final. However, that wasn't to be as Kei Nishikori beat Djokovic in the semifinals and Cilic knocked out Federer at the same stage in straight sets. Cilic won the tournament having dropped only three sets through the course of the competition.

Cilic didn't really kick on from there but eventually reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2017 and 2018 only to lose to Wawrinka and del Potro respectively. He reached the final of the Wimbledon in 2017 but lost to Federer in straight sets.

Cilic followed up a fine 2017 season by reaching the 2018 Australian Open final after beating Nadal in the quarterfinals. He set up the showpiece clash with Federer in the final. Despite being injured, Cilic forced the match to the fifth set but eventually lost to the Swiss maestro. His terrific 12 months saw him climb up the rankings to world number 3 at the end of January 2018. He has also featured in the World Tour Finals four times - in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018.