US Open Tennis 2014 Men's Final: Kei Nishikori vs. Marin Cilic Ends Big 4 Era

You might think it's a bit hyperbolic to suggest that the U.S. Open final between Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic is the end of an era in men's tennis. Perhaps in a few years with a few more titles shared between the Big Four in men's tennis, it will prove to be. 

But for now, this Grand Slam final feels like the end of the Big Four's reign of terror over the men's game. Here are a few reasons why.

In 2005, Marat Safin defeated Lleyton Hewitt in the Australian Open. Normally, this might appear to be a random piece of history, but until this year's U.S. Open, that represented the last time that a Grand Slam final was played without one of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.

And hey, that Andy Murray guy has made quite a few appearances in those matches, too.

Oh, it gets better. Since that match, just two players outside of the Big Four have actually won a Grand Slam title (Juan Martin del Potro won the 2009 U.S. Open while Stan Wawrinka won this year's Australian Open). 

So yes, the final between Nishikori and Cilic feels like the end of something. And maybe, for a young crop of potential stars in men's tennis, the beginning of something, too. 

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Think about what we've seen of late.

More and more, Nadal has struggled with his health. Murray has been a shell of himself for much of the year after being so good between 2012-13, when he won two Slams, reached the final of two more and snagged a gold medal. Even Djokovic, who has less red flags than the three aforementioned players, has significantly cooled.

Between the 2011 and 2012 Australian Opens, Djokovic won four of the five available Grand Slam titles. Since then, he's won two of 10. That's hardly shabby, of course, but the "Era of Djokovic" hasn't exactly been as dominant as we were perhaps expecting. 

And then there's Federer, who really had a golden chance in New York and couldn't capitalize. That left plenty of folks, including Dave Sheinin of The Washington Post, wondering if we'd ever see him win a Slam again:

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If he couldn’t win here—with Nadal sidelined by injury and Murray and Djokovic, on the other side of the draw, both bowing out before the final—it is fair to wonder whether he ever can again. Perhaps not wise to wonder—he always will be a threat to win Wimbledon, after all, where this year he lost in five gripping sets to Djokovic—but fair.

'I’ll give it a go again in Australia,' Federer said of the calendar’s next Grand Slam. 'I hope to, you know, get another chance at it. I can’t do more than try really hard, which I’m doing.'

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One would expect Nadal, Djokovic and even Murray aren't done winning Grand Slams. But the once inevitability that a player from the Big Four would win these titles has greatly diminished.

Paul Hayward of The Telegraph isn't quite so quick to put a fork in the Big Four era as perhaps I am, but if it is indeed over, he seems quite glad he got to experience it:

Nishikori is one of the players who could be leading the charge for the new guns. He's won two titles thus far this year, could end up being the U.S. Open champion and was incredibly poised and composed in his victory over Djokovic. 

Then there's Marin Cilic, who is just 25 and has been brilliant in New York. Could these be two of the new stars to emerge?

That's hard to say. Perhaps for now, we should just enjoy the match. Matt Wilansky of ESPN thinks it should be pretty brilliant stuff:

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It's kind of like East meets West, and I'm not talking about their countries of origin. Cilic has made a sweet living so far firing aces, while his opponent in Monday's final, Nishikori, is more or less a firecracker. When was the last time we had this kind of yin-yang Grand Slam finale? Hard to say for sure, but I will pick Marat Safin-Lleyton Hewitt in the 2005 Aussie finale or maybe Andy Roddick-Juan Carlos Ferrero here at the Open in 2003. Anyway, I can't speak to the heart of Nishikori enough, but the way Cilic is playing, he has to be the favorite.

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Still, it's hard not to wonder if we've witnessed the end of a brilliant age of tennis. An age of tennis that gave us the game's most dominant player (Federer) and one of its most interesting rivalries (Federer vs. Nadal, often dominated by the latter).

It has given us Nadal's dominance in France. Djokovic bursting onto the scene for good in 2011. Murray's two-year run of brilliance. So many amazing Grand Slam finals contested between these four players.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Before we look forward, it's nice to look behind. It's nice to remember all of the good times the Big Four left us with. 

But at the U.S. Open next year, it's also time to embrace the new. It's up to Nishikori and Cilic to usher in the beginning of a new era in men's tennis.