Sean Calvert: Don't be too quick to write-off the 'big four'

Will this guy be a one slam wonder?

Marin Cilic's shock win at the US Open raised a few eyebrows in the tennis world, but does it mean the end for the so-called 'big four'? Sean Calvert suggests not...

Andy Murray hasn't made a final on tour since beating Novak Djokovic to land the Wimbledon title in 2013, while Rafa Nadal is struggling again with injury, Djokovic has off-court issues on his mind, and Roger Federer is slam-less since Wimbledon 2012.

So is it time to write off the big four? Absolutely not - it would be utterly bizarre to do so.

I've seen a few articles suggesting it since Marin Cilic stormed to the US Open title and some have even predicted that he will go on to 'dominate' the men's game next season. If that happens I'll be happy to perform any forfeit of the readers' choice as punishment for doubting the Croat, but I think he'll be lucky not to become a classic 'one slam wonder'.

I said ahead of the US Open that we had the right circumstances for a big-priced winner in New York, but the conditions were fairly unique in that there was no Nadal, while Djokovic came into the event with his mind seemingly elsewhere and Murray was and is still struggling for consistency.

Indeed, Federer came into the tournament as many people's favourite, but history is against the 33-year-old, who is doing very well to still be competing at the very top of his sport in his mid-30s.

Djokovic's dip in form is understandable when considering his recent marriage and impending fatherhood and everything that entails happening off court and I seem to recall a similar situation occurring with Federer a little while ago.

To suggest that Novak is on the slide and will just step aside for the likes of Cilic to hoover up a plethora of grand slams is laughable and even more bizarre is the suggestion that Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov, Cilic and Kei Nishikori will dominate from now on.

Nadal will be back and no doubt hungrier than ever to claim further major titles after his latest injury setback and it's also a little early to be consigning Murray to the past just yet.

We've seen Rafa return from injury with huge success several times and at 28 he's too young to be settling for his lot yet - as if a player with his mentality ever would in any case.

Murray has undoubtedly not been the same player since his back surgery and I still believe that it's a distinct possibility that Ivan Lendl saw this coming and exited at the right time.

Talk of Lendl being in negotiations with Tomas Berdych to become the Czech player's new coach would appear to back up that theory, although the issue of money was also thought to be a factor in Lendl's decision to quit Camp Murray.

Berdych is confident, as he is quoted as saying it's merely a question of "the right time and timing" before Lendl makes the switch to mentor the world number seven.

It can take a fair while to recover from back problems and there's a chance that Murray could return to his former lofty position in the world rankings and be contending in major finals again, but he is the main reason why the 'big four' moniker is in no longer as accurate.

I hope Andy proves us all wrong and returns to the level we know he can reach, but the jury is out on him right now.

As for Cilic, Dimitrov, Raonic, and Nishikori, are we really suggesting that this group are going to start sharing out majors between them next year?

I've said many times that Raonic simply isn't a good enough player to be anything like a multiple slam winner at the moment and his limitations are fairly clear.

That incredible serve will win him tournaments for sure, but slams? Not for me. Not at the moment anyway and the same can be said of Dimitrov, who has at least improved this season, but far too often he flatters to deceive.

Nishikori for me has always been the most talented of the lot, but the huge question mark has been over his body.

If he answered that to some degree in New York then the 26.025/1 about him winning in his home slam in Australia in January might be decent, but I suspect the cream of the opposition will be fit, fresh and hungry by then.

Cilic is a lamentable 17.016/1 to land back-to-back majors in Melbourne and the 'new brigade' proponents are wide of the mark if they think that the aforementioned Dimi/Nishi/Milos/Cilic quartet will stroll to majors in 2015.

Juan Martin Del Potro could well be back, fit, healthy and ready to challenge and I'm sure that Stan Wawrinka won't settle for one grand slam title either.

Indeed, Wawrinka is a good example of the pitfalls of landing your first major and the mental pressure that goes with it, as the Swiss clearly has struggled to cope with his elevated status ever since winning in Melbourne.

That's a big part of why I expect Cilic to struggle and it will be fascinating to see how he fares if he does qualify for the year end championships in London.

The smart money is surely on Djokovic at 2.89/5 to land another Australian Open crown come January and I would expect the other big contenders to be Messrs Nadal, Federer, Murray and most likely Wawrinka, Del Potro and Nishikori.

The 'new brigade' may or may not have their period of dominance - but it won't be in 2015.