I will have my predictions for tomorrow up by 12 AM EST.  I just want to make a quick point that Stan Wawrinka winning his first Grand Slam title, first Masters Series title, and a 250 level title in 2014 along with his US Open and WTF semifinal showings in 2013 prove he is among the best players on the planet.  Still, Stan has been hit or miss.  In 2014, he’s typically either won the tournament he’s entered or flamed out earlier than expected.

Kei Nishikori won a 250 level event in Memphis, a 500 level event in Barcelona, nearly beat Rafael Nadal in the final of Masters 1000 Madrid, beat Federer in a come from behind battle at Masters 1000 Miami and played solid tennis in a round of 16 loss at the Australian Open.  Nishikori has rightfully entered the top  10, but his retirement in Madrid, withdrawal in Miami and first round loss at Roland Garros prove that Nishikori still has a climb ahead of him to reach Wawrinka’s heights let alone those of David Ferrer and the Big 4.

Grigor Dimitrov has two 250 level titles in 2014 and solid showings at the Australian Open and Masters 1000 Rome.  He’s on the cusp of the top 10 and just lost in the first round of the French Open.  Maybe like Federer in 2003 this Paris loss will lead to bigger things, but I would not hold my breath.

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray have raised the bar of what a player must to to be considered elite.  Winning frequently is not enough to be in tier one if those wins are separated by bad losses.  Strings, racquets and more uniform surfaces undoubtedly contribute to this new standard of top level excellence, but so too do the talent and fight demonstrated by the Big 4.