It cannot be sooner than 2020 now. The 2010s are closed, and Nadal, Djokovic and Federer finished them off by sweeping the singles titles at the last 12 Grand Slam tournaments.

But there were signs of mortality: more back pain for Federer, who was reeled in and beaten by Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals at the Open, and increased shoulder pain for Djokovic, who retired against Wawrinka in the fourth round and may not play again for an extended period if he requires surgery or extended rest.

The race to see who will end his career with the record for most majors is certainly a motivator. Federer is at 20, Nadal now at 19 and Djokovic at 16.

Djokovic has been the most open lately about his desire to win the race. Federer and Nadal have fluctuated in their desire to get caught up in it publicly through the years.

Nadal, though he has never been closer to the 38-year-old Federer’s lead than he is today, has been particularly reticent of late, perhaps because he has never been closer to Federer on a personal level than he is today.

They are back on the ATP Player Council after jointly deciding they wanted to re-engage in an attempt to calm the choppy political waters on the men’s tour. If healthy, they will be teammates and likely doubles partners for Team Europe in the Laver Cup this month in Geneva. They are also scheduled to play an exhibition match in Cape Town in February in a soccer stadium.