The Alcaraz vs Djokovic rivalry: How will it unfold?

[Jelenafan]

^ The lady doth protest too much.

Hey El Dude, then is this whole board of the female gender?

 

[El Dude]

Hey El Dude, then is this whole board of the female gender?

Well, to be fair to the rest of the Nadal fans, it is only Nadalfan2013 that endlessly goes on about Novak and Rafa having a +1 Slam edge. At least the rest show some moderation.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Well, to be fair to the rest of the Nadal fans, it is only Nadalfan2013 that endlessly goes on about Novak and Rafa having a +1 Slam edge. At least the rest show some moderation.

Don’t forget the Gold medal which is even bigger. Nadal has the 2 things that Djokovic wants the most: The slam record and the Olympics.

 

[Fiero425]

Well, to be fair to the rest of the Nadal fans, it is only Nadalfan2013 that endlessly goes on about Novak and Rafa having a +1 Slam edge. At least the rest show some moderation.

I prefer to go w/ hardcore facts & #'s rather than muse about what should have happened if not for an age disparity, a weak era, & physical encumbrement! I've been blogging about this BS for years! This site is mild in its fanaticism considering how delusional some fans can be fawning over Nadal! They don't even see the embarrassment of it all where Novak owns & has smashed the record-books save the "major's race!" It's only a matter of time! My all time faves continue to be Borg, Lendl, Sampras, Federer early on, now Djokovic!

 

[Jelenafan]

I prefer to go w/ hardcore facts & #'s rather than muse about what should have happened if not for an age disparity, a weak era, & physical encumbrement! I've been blogging about this BS for years! This site is mild in its fanaticism considering how delusional some fans can be fawning over Nadal! They don't even see the embarrassment of it all where Novak owns & has smashed the record-books save the "major's race!" It's only a matter of time! My all time faves continue to be Borg, Lendl, Sampras, Federer early on, now Djokovic!

A bit of a contradiction in your statement? Saying you go with hardcore facts and yet making a speculative " It's only a matter of time." It may happen but until it does, then perhaps Djokovic's records are not worthy either because of , as you say, "age disparity, a weak era and physical encumbrement" (whatever the hell that means)

Just as annoying to you as fans of a certain player are, it's just as annoying to see nonfans with a transparent agenda disparage/belittle what a player HAS accomplished, those so called "hard core" facts. Why shouldn't Rafafan2013 enjoy Rafa's Major total? It's a huge accomplishment.

I don't mind opinions, but it's amusing when opinions are couched as if the poster only deals with facts.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

A bit of a contradiction in your statement? Saying you go with hardcore facts and yet making a speculative " It's only a matter of time." It may happen but until it does, then perhaps Djokovic's records are not worthy either because of , as you say, "age disparity, a weak era and physical encumbrement" (whatever the hell that means)

Just as annoying to you as fans of a certain player are, it's just as annoying to see nonfans with a transparent agenda disparage/belittle what a player HAS accomplished, those so called "hard core" facts. Why shouldn't Rafafan2013 enjoy Rafa's Major total? It's a huge accomplishment.

I don't mind opinions, but it's amusing when opinions are couched as if the poster only deals with facts.

Excellent post.
@Fiero425 you just got owned!

 

[nehmeth]

It doesn't matter because Nadal has the slam record and Djokovic is clearly finished.

Nadal is gone. Djoker’s looking pretty good.

 

[TheSicilian]

Nadal is gone. Djoker’s looking pretty good.

Djokovic is looking good at faking his injury I agree 100%

 

[nehmeth]

Djokovic is looking good at faking his injury I agree 100%

Maybe, but he’s also hitting the ball as well as I’ve ever seen him in his 20 years on tour.

 

[Moxie]

Maybe, but he’s also hitting the ball as well as I’ve ever seen him in his 20 years on tour.

If true, and I know you watch him carefully, it does imply that the hamstring injury was a red herring. Or a miraculous recovery brought on by the thought-process.

 

[nehmeth]

If true, and I know you watch him carefully, it does imply that the hamstring injury was a red herring. Or a miraculous recovery brought on by the thought-process.

Similar to Nadal‘s foot yet still winning the slam; could be real, could be imagined. I watched him pull up in Adelaide. I would say, as with everything, he is overly cautious with any niggling injury and babies it more than he has to.

 

[Moxie]

Similar to Nadal foot yet still winning the slam, could be real, could be imagined. I watched him pull up in Adelaide. I would say, as with everything, he is overly cautious with any niggling injury and babies it more than he has to.

Except that Rafa didn't reveal the foot problem until after the tournament, IIRC. Novak likes to play a bit of preemptive possum. Surely they're cautious about their bodies and niggles, at this age. But Novak does kind of tend to sing it out, until it comes to nothing. It's a pattern.

 

[nehmeth]

Except that Rafa didn't reveal the foot problem until after the tournament, IIRC. Novak likes to play a bit of preemptive possum. Surely they're cautious about their bodies and niggles, at this age. But Novak does kind of tend to sing it out, until it comes to nothing. It's a pattern.

As with all things it can be seen more than one way, and depending on one’s predilections the way we see something can be firmly entrenched. That doesn’t make it true though.

 

[Moxie]

As with all things it can be seen more than one way, and depending on one’s predilections the way we see something can be firmly entrenched. That doesn’t make it true though.

Still, it's a false equivalence...one saying he had problems after the fact, and one letting potential problems out, then them coming to nought. Of the two, you surely have to recognize who is the more injury-plagued. Djokovic complains a lot, but doesn't seem to lose much time to injury.

 

[Fiero425]

Still, it's a false equivalence...one saying he had problems after the fact, and one letting potential problems out, then them coming to nought. Of the two, you surely have to recognize who is the more injury-plagued. Djokovic complains a lot, but doesn't seem to lose much time to injury.

Which is worse; someone who has a twinge in an arm or leg & announces it early or the person who can't ever lose a match unless there's evidence of an underlying injury? Nadal can never drop a match unless he had a rib, groin, shoulder, knee, or FOOT injury?? Novak is getting older and I can guarantee there are always underlying injuries when it comes to pushing himself to his elite heights! Around 36 I was taking IBUProfen before and after I played the simplest of matches w/ a neighborhood kid! Stretching has saved Novak a lot of serious injury! I usually roll my eyes when Rafa actually does have a legit problem, but he shouldn't be surprised! He pushes himself above and beyond and his body is paying for it! You don't win 14 FO's w/o saying, "never say never!" He wanted it more or else he would have lost at least a couple more of those SF & Finals to Novak! Djolovic seems to have a distorted mirror of achievement "down under!" He stopped Fedalray many times to claim 9 so far, but he is more likely to WD rather than push it! What else ya got?

 

[nehmeth]

Of the two, you surely have to recognize who is the more injury-plagued. Djokovic complains a lot, but doesn't seem to lose much time to injury.

He’s also had his share of surgeries and recovery. What is odd is that you seem to think that part of Novak’s winning strategy is to cook up a fake injury to throw opponents off their game. Since you see little need to hide your disdain for him, I can see how you could believe that. I don’t know if that’s part of his winning strategy or not. I do know that he’s hyper-vigilant about his health and physical wellbeing… sometimes when he doesn’t need to be.

 

[Moxie]

He’s also had his share of surgeries and recovery.

At 35, I'd say he's not had his "share." He's been pretty lucky/blessed in the health dept. A "procedure" a couple of years back. What else?

What is odd is that you seem to think that part of Novak’s winning strategy is to cook up a fake injury to throw opponents off their game.

Not so odd. As you can see, I'm not the only one.

Since you see little need to hide your disdain for him, I can see how you could believe that.

Why should I, as to bolded above? But, as I said, I'm not alone in my opinion about the feeling he's "cooking up fake injuries."

I don’t know if that’s part of his winning strategy or not.

This is the 2nd time you've kind of copped to the fact that he's kind of faking it, too. So don't call me out for making a point of it.

I do know that he’s hyper-vigilant about his health and physical wellbeing… sometimes when he doesn’t need to be.

It's one thing to be "hyper-vigilant," it's another to pronounce it in public before time, only for it to mean nothing. What would amaze me is if any players still fall for it.

 

[nehmeth]

I think he has taken better care of himself than a lot of other players out there, especially with his preventative measures regarding diet and stretching… and stretching. As a result he has lost less play time due to injury. His shoulder surgery a few years ago took him out of the last quarter of the season. Regarding using ”fake” injuries, I do not think it is a strategy he uses, but you believe it is a fact. This is why I stated earlier; as with all things it can be seen more than one way, and depending on one’s predilections the way we see something can be firmly entrenched. The nice thing about a civil society, is that we have the ability to have differing opinions yet remain cordial.

 

[Moxie]

I think he has taken better care of himself than a lot of other players out there, especially with his preventative measures regarding diet and stretching… and stretching. As a result he has lost less play time due to injury.

Yes, a lesson to us all about stretching.

His shoulder surgery a few years ago took him out of the last quarter of the season.

If you mean 2019, and after the USO, he did win Tokyo and Paris after that, so it's not like he was done for the season.

Regarding using ”fake” injuries, I do not think it is a strategy he uses, but you believe it is a fact.

No, I'm just asking the questions, like a lot of other people. What "fact" did I insist upon?

This is why I stated earlier; as with all things it can be seen more than one way, and depending on one’s predilections the way we see something can be firmly entrenched. The nice thing about a civil society, is that we have the ability to have differing opinions yet remain cordial.

Sure, things can be seen different ways, especially when they are a bit mysterious. Djokovic prompts questions about his fitness, because he complains of injury, then shows no signs of it. I didn't invent this myself. Many inquiring minds want to know. Surely we can absolutely remain cordial as we discuss it, so don't accuse me of confusing opinion with facts. I've only expressed my own opinion, as regards to this current hamstring injury, at the very least.

 

[Jelenafan]

i have no issues about Djokivic being relatively injury free during most of his career, I think Federer has a longer stretch of injury free tennis (along with Feli he has an insane amount of consecutive Majors played). Contrast with Rafa who has actually not defended Major titles because of his injuries. I don't think its all stretching, tough we know flexibility is huge in tennis.

The problem is that Djokovic pointedly talks about injuries as serious/threatening during a Major when he's mowing through fit and conditioned players left and right. So obsessives with his health, no? At the same time someone who doesn't wear a mask around people when contracting COVID back in Dec 2021 and didn't apparently give a flying fig if others around got the COVID from him, of course there are/is going to be speculation about his health/injury laments.