#1 Ranking

[brokenshoelace]

Tennis will become a more popular sport when Nadal regains #1. The TV commercials and magazine ads promoting the masters events won't have Djokovic in the middle. After Nadal regains #1, people will see Nadal in the middle and they'll recognize the familiar face and remain interested. Before they probably saw Djokovic and thought "whatever....". Tennis is about to make a comeback, thanks to the mother of all comebacks.

It's funny because the most marketable guy is Federer.

not so fast......there is a large Spanish speaking audience, the world doesn't revolve around English or French. People who are no fan of tennis recognize Rafa...hate him or like him, he is more "noisy"

Nadal is easily second behind Fed. Worldwide though, I believe Federer is significantly more popular, based on stats and everything. And I'm not talking about who gets rooted for during the matches. I just mean a player that transcends the sport. Roger still does that more than anyone else. Followed by Nadal.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

I bet Federer has a massive lead in fans that are aged over 50. When those people were age 10, the year was 1973. People traditionally enjoy reliving the modern day version of their childhood favorites. It would be hard to pass up the opportunity to support a single-handed backhand player ranked near top of the world in a 2-handed backhand era. Whereas the young people of today don't crave to see a single-handed backhand. Additionally, the young people of today appreciate hustle more than grace. And, young people of today are more open to the textbook being buried, as sports are improved by revolutionary players with unorthodox techniques.

 

[Jelenafan]

Novak has tons of points to defend through the AO, something like 5000? Nadal has 0. It doesn't look like it now but the delayed # 1 for Rafa will be a delayed slip down from it next year if he falters a bit. Murray would have to major improve his clay results to stand a shot in 2014.

 

[Moxie]

I bet Federer has a massive lead in fans that are aged over 50. When those people were age 10, the year was 1973. People traditionally enjoy reliving the modern day version of their childhood favorites. It would be hard to pass up the opportunity to support a single-handed backhand player ranked near top of the world in a 2-handed backhand era. Whereas the young people of today don't crave to see a single-handed backhand. Additionally, the young people of today appreciate hustle more than grace. And, young people of today are more open to the textbook being buried, as sports are improved by revolutionary players with unorthodox techniques.

It's an interesting theory, but I'd personally be surprised if it's true. Myself, and most of the Rafa fans that I know are much more in the age group you describe. You'd really have to dig into demographics. (Of course, I was a Borg fan, and he had a 2HBH. I do prefer relentless and athletic over aesthetic.)

Roger is almost certainly the most popular and marketable man in tennis, followed by Nadal. Part of that is years on tour and at the top, though, as you say, I suspect some prefer their tennis more conventional. However, I don't think that Rafa getting back to #1 matters much, as he's popular at #2 and #5, the same as Roger is popular at #1-7. And their images get used to promote the sport/events, no matter the ranking. I have pointed out in the past that, even when he was ranked around the mid-30s, Marat Safin appeared on the signage/ads for the USO (my local) and other tournaments, just because he was so popular. Tournaments will exploit the popular players, the ones who attract bottoms in the seats and eyeballs on the screen, regardless of ranking.

To that point, Djokovic hasn't had the time to gain the massive fan bases of Rog and Rafa, but I'm assuming he'll eventually be nearer them.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

^ Maybe, but for Djokovic's fan base to increase, he'll either have to increase his winning rate (win more than just the AO each year - 2008, 2012, 2013), or he'll have to do something different with his personality. Djokovic doesn't have the likeability of Safin, so maybe Djokovic's only hope would be to win over the public by winning every slam in sight. Although if Djokovic did that, I'd go from disliking him majorly to literally hating him. But the non-Nadal fans would probably like Djokovic a lot more if Djokovic won all the slams each year. I don't think his personality alone is good enough to win over the public.

 

[Moxie]

^ His ability or potentiality to beat Rafa ALONE is enough to win over more than a few Federer fans. :snigger

Djokovic has plenty enough likability, (unless you're a blinkered Rafa fan.) What Safin had was not likability, but charisma. There is a difference.

 

[tented]

Tennis will become a more popular sport when Nadal regains #1. The TV commercials and magazine ads promoting the masters events won't have Djokovic in the middle. After Nadal regains #1, people will see Nadal in the middle and they'll recognize the familiar face and remain interested. Before they probably saw Djokovic and thought "whatever....". Tennis is about to make a comeback, thanks to the mother of all comebacks.

It's funny because the most marketable guy is Federer.

not so fast......there is a large Spanish speaking audience, the world doesn't revolve around English or French. People who are no fan of tennis recognize Rafa...hate him or like him, he is more "noisy"

Nadal is easily second behind Fed. Worldwide though, I believe Federer is significantly more popular, based on stats and everything. And I'm not talking about who gets rooted for during the matches. I just mean a player that transcends the sport. Roger still does that more than anyone else. Followed by Nadal.

I agree. Federer is huge worldwide, and not just within tennis circles. A couple of years ago he was voted the second most trusted man in the world. No, I'm not joking.

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/blog/busted_racquet/post/roger-federer-is-the-second-%20%20most-respected-man-in-the-world?urn=ten,wp3426

Nadal didn't even make the list.

 

[Jelenafan]

I agree. Federer is huge worldwide, and not just within tennis circles. A couple of years ago he was voted the second most trusted man in the world. No, I'm not joking.

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/blog/busted_racquet/post/roger-federer-is-the-second-%20%20most-respected-man-in-the-world?urn=ten,wp3426

Nadal didn't even make the list.

Not to dispute such a subjective opinion of popularity , Roger vs. Rafa, but the website, Yahoo sport you posted said about the organization who made this list of most trusted people.

"In other words, it's precisely as meaningless as you first imagined".

Just to put things in perspective about any such poll.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

That's the funniest poll I've ever seen :laydownlaughing

You got to luuuuuuuv the internet :snigger

 

[Kieran]

Any poll that has David Beckham as an answer is suspect, unless it's a poll asking who do you wish never happened...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

With Murray out for the rest of the season and Fed in a slump, there are not that
many people to split the available points. Hence, the year end number 1 might
become a more serious fight between Nadal and Djokovic than before.

With Murray also in the mix, YE #1 is guaranteed to be Nadal's. Even now,
it is almost sure that Nadal will finish YE #1. With the new turn of events,
Djokovic might want to fight even more heavily.

 

[Moxie]

Yo, GSM, what happened to your math skills? The YE#1 is only between Nadal and Djokovic, anyway, with Nadal a near-lock. Murray's back issues and Federer's slump affect possibly the year-end-championships (YEC)...is that what you mean? In any case, I'm sure that Djokovic will be fighting to retain/regain his #1, and will need no extra motivation.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Did Djokovic have motivation to win Roland Garros and the US Open? Maybe motivation is not enough.