Novak's Place Among the All-Time Greats

[Murat B.]

Does Roger respect Novak as a great champion?
Legit question, no snark.

Maybe not early on. But Nole basically forced the respect out of him now. Respect is earned. Nole earned it from Roger and the rest of the field.

 

[Carol]

I don't think that any ardent Rafa's admirer can say that Novak is not the best player at the present because he is without any doubt. But it doesn't mean that he also is going to be in 2016, 17, 18, etc etc or the others players starting with Nadal are not going to play better than these last months.
Same like who knows who will retire before if Novak or Nadal but I'm sure that Nadal won't retire at the same time like Federer, 5 years apart is a big diference
All of them have a lot of miles in their legs and maybe Nadal less than the others due to how many months has been out of the court during his career, so.......we'll see

 

[herios]

I don't think that any ardent Rafa's admirer can say that Novak is not the best player at the present because he is without any doubt. But it doesn't mean that he also is going to be in 2016, 17, 18, etc etc or the others players starting with Nadal are not going to play better than these last months.
Same like who knows who will retire before if Novak or Nadal but I'm sure that Nadal won't retire at the same time like Federer, 5 years apart is a big diference
All of them have a lot of miles in their legs and maybe Nadal less than the others due to how many months has been out of the court during his career, so.......we'll see

The mileage is counted not only by how many matches they play but also how much they are running. Rafa ran a lot more than others when he was a younger player. Plus he has started a year earlier as well his pro career.
And this year he wants to make up for the absences because he clearly enters in many more events than Nole and Roger, who do not bother for the mickey mouse events.

 

[Carol]

I don't think that any ardent Rafa's admirer can say that Novak is not the best player at the present because he is without any doubt. But it doesn't mean that he also is going to be in 2016, 17, 18, etc etc or the others players starting with Nadal are not going to play better than these last months.
Same like who knows who will retire before if Novak or Nadal but I'm sure that Nadal won't retire at the same time like Federer, 5 years apart is a big diference
All of them have a lot of miles in their legs and maybe Nadal less than the others due to how many months has been out of the court during his career, so.......we'll see

The mileage is counted not only by how many matches they play but also how much they are running. Rafa ran a lot more than others when he was a younger player. Plus he has started a year earlier as well his pro career.
And this year he wants to make up for the absences because he clearly enters in many more events than Nole and Roger, who do not bother for the mickey mouse events.

Come on, don't start with the "running" part, watching Novak playing, running and twisting his ankles I also feel pain in my legs and feet too :nono :cover

 

[Kirijax]

Think of those extra miles Nadal ran from the net to the baseline after the coin toss.

 

[Front242]

Think of those extra miles Nadal ran from the net to the baseline after the coin toss.

And the toilet before Roger served for the match in the Indian Wells 2012 semi :nono Timely moment to want to take a dump.

 

[Carol]

Think of those extra miles Nadal ran from the net to the baseline after the coin toss.

Yep, you can count those miles

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I don't think that any ardent Rafa's admirer can say that Novak is not the best player at the present because he is without any doubt. But it doesn't mean that he also is going to be in 2016, 17, 18, etc etc or the others players starting with Nadal are not going to play better than these last months.
Same like who knows who will retire before if Novak or Nadal but I'm sure that Nadal won't retire at the same time like Federer, 5 years apart is a big diference
All of them have a lot of miles in their legs and maybe Nadal less than the others due to how many months has been out of the court during his career, so.......we'll see

The mileage is counted not only by how many matches they play but also how much they are running. Rafa ran a lot more than others when he was a younger player. Plus he has started a year earlier as well his pro career.
And this year he wants to make up for the absences because he clearly enters in many more events than Nole and Roger, who do not bother for the mickey mouse events.

Yep, one needs knee transplant every 5,000 miles or 10 years on tour, whichever is earlier (just like oil change for cars).

 

[BIG3]

I don't want to project far, meanwhile think Nole is in great position to complete Nole's Slam next June. It is unprecedented chance, better than ever. Fed had peak Rafa in RG, who can stop Nole in 2016 AO and RG? Even IF (big if) Rafa comes back in form, it is still 50-50. Though it was not final this year, beating Rafa in straight in RG boosted Nole's confidence tremendously.

Nole can win AO with tough draw, evidenced by 2012 and 2015. Strangely I think RG should be his 2nd best major, in the context of Rafa's decline. Tough draw plus weather interruption shouldn't be repeated next year. Interestingly, he was fully compensated in both Wimbledon and USO with walk-over draw. Even weather helped him in USO final. After bagging Wimbledon and USO, he doesn't need stars aligned to win AO and RG.

And sometime next year he might surpass Rafa to be NO. 1 in Masters titles.

 

[Kirijax]

It certainly does look like the Djokovic Rocket is starting to really ascend into the heavens. But you never know. I thought the same about McEnroe after the 1984 USO.

 

[El Dude]

It certainly does look like the Djokovic Rocket is starting to really ascend into the heavens. But you never know. I thought the same about McEnroe after the 1984 USO.

Yeah but as far as we know, Novak is a family guy, not a party guy like Mac. Plus, no Tatum O'Neal.

 

[nehmeth]

It certainly does look like the Djokovic Rocket is starting to really ascend into the heavens. But you never know. I thought the same about McEnroe after the 1984 USO.

Yeah but as far as we know, Novak is a family guy, not a party guy like Mac. Plus, no Tatum O'Neal.

And no Lendl.

 

[Kirijax]

It certainly does look like the Djokovic Rocket is starting to really ascend into the heavens. But you never know. I thought the same about McEnroe after the 1984 USO.

Yeah but as far as we know, Novak is a family guy, not a party guy like Mac. Plus, no Tatum O'Neal.

LOL I was going to add that the difference was Jelena and Tatum. BIG difference.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I don't want to project far, meanwhile think Nole is in great position to complete Nole's Slam next June. It is unprecedented chance, better than ever. Fed had peak Rafa in RG, who can stop Nole in 2016 AO and RG? Even IF (big if) Rafa comes back in form, it is still 50-50. Though it was not final, it is still a huge breakthrough to beat Rafa in straight in RG .

AO is Nole's personal playground and so he is highly likely to win it. After that, if Nole can win RG and get a Nole Slam that would surely vault Nole to upper echelons. Not only that nobody including Fed has achieved Calendar Grandslam after Laver, nobody has even achieved "their own name slam" either.

But, the chance would only put more pressure on Nole than playing RG without that possibility.

 

[El Dude]

It certainly does look like the Djokovic Rocket is starting to really ascend into the heavens. But you never know. I thought the same about McEnroe after the 1984 USO.

Yeah but as far as we know, Novak is a family guy, not a party guy like Mac. Plus, no Tatum O'Neal.

And no Lendl.

Or Wilander, Becker or Edberg. There's "Jimmy Connors" (Federer) and "Borg-if-he-continued-and-declined" (Nadal), but the rest of the field is more like Yannick Noah, Miroslav Mecir, Anders Jarryd, and Kevin Curren.

 

[BIG3]

I don't want to project far, meanwhile think Nole is in great position to complete Nole's Slam next June. It is unprecedented chance, better than ever. Fed had peak Rafa in RG, who can stop Nole in 2016 AO and RG? Even IF (big if) Rafa comes back in form, it is still 50-50. Though it was not final, it is still a huge breakthrough to beat Rafa in straight in RG .

AO is Nole's personal playground and so he is highly likely to win it. After that, if Nole can win RG and get a Nole Slam that would surely vault Nole to upper echelons. Not only that nobody including Fed has achieved Calendar Grandslam after Laver, nobody has even achieved "their own name slam" either.

But, the chance would only put more pressure on Nole than playing RG without that possibility.

He is presented a second chance, with less competition than 2012. He needs to grab it to write his own history. Again, Fed's lack of calendar slam can be excused, and Nole won't.

 

[Redman]

He can't be considered on par or ahead of Laver until he wins either 12 slams or a Roland Garros title. I'd say he also needs 12 to be on par or ahead of Borg as well. I think now he's into double digits he might just be ahead of Agassi and Lendl, but it's debatable as Lendl has more slam finals, far more titles and more weeks at number 1 while Agassi has career slam and olympic gold.

 

[Mile]

Something is for sure, tennis player careers are geting longer with time.

Because AO was mentioned, where Djoker feels at home. If he win 6th title he would tie record with Roy Emerson. Emerson did that in 6 years gap, Djoker would do that in 8 year gap. And i am sure Djoker Will be great for some more years to come in Australia. Even at careers ending, AO can help him with raising slam No.

 

[Fiero425]

Something is for sure, tennis player careers are geting longer with time.

Because AO was mentioned, where Djoker feels at home. If he win 6th title he would tie record with Roy Emerson. Emerson did that in 6 years gap, Djoker would do that in 8 year gap. And i am sure Djoker Will be great for some more years to come in Australia. Even at careers ending, AO can help him with raising slam No.

Obviously no one comes into a new season more prepared and ready to go! To keep winning this title year in and year out is just as impressive as Federer at Wimbledon and Nadal's FO monopoly! Other players have the same chance to be refreshed and they've come up short again and again! Nole still abuses 2nd tier like Berdych, Ferrer, and Cilic and comes through over Federer, Murray, & Rafa back in 2012! I hope I don't jinx him by "making OZ" his own personal playground! Most if not all records will belong to him pretty soon; I have no doubt regardless if he wins! :dodgy:

 

[Great Hands]

Novak has reached the final of every big event in which he has competed (i.e. all except Madrid) since the Paris Masters last year. i.e.:

Paris - won
WTFs - won
AO - won
IW - won
Miami - won
M-C - won
Rome - won
FO - final
WD - won
Canada - final
Cinci - final
USO - won

So if Novak can reach the final of Shanghai, he will have reached at least the final of every Slam and Masters in which he has competed for a whole year! Has anyone done this before? Fed came very close in 2006, but lost in the second round of Cinci (he also didn't play both Madrid and Paris). In other words, would this be the most consistent 12 months at the top level that anyone has ever achieved? (I wonder how it compares to dominant 12 month periods by players further back in time?) I'm a neutral in this, just wondering what people think!