Is it disappointing to see Nadal and Federer dominate?

Back in February, tennis fans were treated to an epic five-set final with Roger Federer defeating Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open. Both superstars had been recovering from injuries or poor form for most of 2016, so their renaissance was a thrill, and almost felt like a miracle.

Their stellar play continued into the spring. Federer dominated Miami and Indian Wells, while Nadal destroyed the fields in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid. Nadal then dominated the French Open without dropping a set, reducing three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka into just another helpless victim.

Enter Federer’s straight-sets run at Wimbledon including a final win over Marin Cilic that had some people yawning, and Cilic crying.

As much as Federer and Nadal have been revered over the years, and as great as they were in June and July, it’s fair to ask if the lack of competitive flair has dulled the tour. Nadal, at 31, is 46-7 on the season, while 35-year-old Federer is a strong 31-2.

Would it have been better if they had lost more (probably not) or if they had been pushed into a memorable thriller or two? The latter sounds right.

In some regards, it’s the same complaint that many tennis fans had when Novak Djokovic held all four majors, often at the expense of delivering painful losses to Andy Murray, Nadal or Federer. Does tennis really need all of its Big Four healthy and trading epic championship matches all of the time?

More than a decade has passed since their golden rivalry began, and tennis has come full circle trading the most dominant players. What has been the biggest peak: Nadal losing only 35 games at Roland Garros or Federer not dropping a set for the first time at Wimbledon?

Nothing lasts forever, and it was just a year ago that Federer and Nadal might have considered riding off into the sunset toward retirement. The truth is that the Australian Open honeymoon has become reality, and it would be smarter for fans to enjoy it.

A healthy Djokovic and Murray could add a jolt to competitive drama, but an infusion of youthful stars like Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev might be more logical the answer.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JeremyEckstein1