The current World No. 1's have never had the privilege of facing Roger Federer and Serena Williams 

Roger Federer announced his retirement from the sport on Thursday, just a couple of weeks after Serena Williams played her farewell match at the US Open.

Even as Federer and Williams make way, the young brigade comprising the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are beginning to make their mark in the world of tennis.

For all those who have been part of the professional tennis scene over the last couple of decades or so, the memory of having shared the court with Federer and Williams will probably remain for a lifetime.

The current World No. 1's on the ATP and WTA tours, Alcaraz and Swiatek, however, will sadly not be part of the group of players who have been privileged enough to play against Federer and Williams.

While both Iga Swiatek and Serena Williams took part in the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Williams was eliminated in the first round by Harmony Tan.

A meeting between the pair was possible at the US Open as well, but while the Pole went on to win the Grand Slam, Williams battled until the third round before she was defeated by Ajla Tomljanovic.

Carlos Alcaraz has been a little more fortunate as the Spanish teenager did have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to practice alongside Roger Federer during Wimbledon in 2019.

Over the course of a chat with Tennis Majors, the teenager described his experience of practicing with the Swiss maestro.

“With Rafa no, but I have practiced with Federer at Wimbledon. It went extremely well, it was a unique experience for me. I was very pleased afterwards and I learnt a lot. At the beginning I was a bit nervous since a lot of people were watching us, but as the practice went on, I started to relax more and ultimately I enjoyed it very much,” Alcaraz, who was then 17, stated when asked if he had practised with Rafael Nadal.

The 2022 US Open champion's dream of taking on Federer will, however, never be realized after the 41-year-old's retirement announcement on Thursday.

As the Roger Federer and Serena Williams era draws to a close, their staggering records and memories of the two great champions gracing the tennis court for over two decades remain.

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek have a mountain to climb if they are to break Roger Federer and Serena Williams' records

Roger Federer and Serena Williams - Wimbledon champions of 2009

While both Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek have age on their side, breaking the records set by Roger Federer and Serena Williams is a monumental task.

Alcaraz, 19, registered his first Grand Slam triumph by winning the US Open while Swiatek, who is 21, has won three Grand Slam titles thus far.

Williams dominated the women's game like never before en route to winning 23 Grand Slam titles, while Federer has won a total of 20 Majors.

Federer, along with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, set new benchmarks as far as the men's game is concerned and it will be interesting to see which players come to the fore as the reign of the Big 3 seems to be nearing its end.

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