2015 - What Can We Expect?

[mrzz]

Somebody else finally wins Roland Garros. (this is not "want", by the way).

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

djokovic. the grand slam..as in all 4 majors in a row in one year.

clearly this is unlikely, but he is looking as capable as anyone since Federer in the mid 2000s of actually achieving it.

 

[tented]

Somebody else finally wins Roland Garros. (this is not "want", by the way).

I was the Rafa fan most convinced he wouldn't win this year ... and then he did. But it's clearly getting harder each year. He can no longer win it with what appeared to be almost minimal effort, without even dropping a set, such as '08 and '10.

The last three have been noticeably more difficult, and he's only getting older (especially his body in "tennis years" since he started so young). But short of retiring, he will lose again at RG, and the likelihood increases each year.

It wouldn't surprise me if Djokovic finally wins RG in 2015 (and I'm convinced it's a matter of "when" not "if"), yet after this year, I'm not counting Rafa out again, either.

 

[Kieran]

I'm not seeing this unbeatable Djokovic that a few people have mentioned. He's definitely been more solid since the USO than before - or during - it, but not compared to last year, where he went on an outrageous tear and battered Rafa twice, to show great intent and recovery after the USO final. And even this didn't lead to victory in Oz.

I definitely see Nole as one of the slam contenders next year - because if he isn't, then who is? - but I don't see him as being unassailable. If anything, this year he's looked more vulnerable, and with a screaming wife and baby in tow, who knows what next year will bring?

 

[DarthFed]

I don't see Nole as a legit threat to win all 4 in the same year. He isn't anywhere near as strong on fast surfaces. He played an amazing final (perhaps his best match ever outside of AO?) to barely edge Roger on grass this year but on most occasions he is the underdog in that situation. Pair them up again in 2015 and I'd be surprised to see the same result. And he clearly is not the same on fast hards as he is on slow hards. I think he will win USO again but on a year to year basis I wouldn't pick him given his record there.

 

[Fiero425]

I don't see Nole as a legit threat to win all 4 in the same year. He isn't anywhere near as strong on fast surfaces. He played an amazing final (perhaps his best match ever outside of AO?) to barely edge Roger on grass this year but on most occasions he is the underdog in that situation. Pair them up again in 2015 and I'd be surprised to see the same result. And he clearly is not the same on fast hards as he is on slow hards. I think he will win USO again but on a year to year basis I wouldn't pick him given his record there.

Well Nole has a better chance at it than the other top players; that's for sure! Federer's best days are behind him and his last major chance was at Wimbledon! Rafa is the last one I'd think could do it! Without Rafa playing on a surface that bounces the ball as high as he'd like, he will continue to struggle; least of all win all 4 majors! At his best he's been fortunate to take a FO title yearly, but then to go to an extreme notion of absolute perfection isn't realistic! uzzled :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Billie]

I don't see Nole as a legit threat to win all 4 in the same year. He isn't anywhere near as strong on fast surfaces. He played an amazing final (perhaps his best match ever outside of AO?) to barely edge Roger on grass this year but on most occasions he is the underdog in that situation. Pair them up again in 2015 and I'd be surprised to see the same result. And he clearly is not the same on fast hards as he is on slow hards. I think he will win USO again but on a year to year basis I wouldn't pick him given his record there.

What a shock!

It's the same old, same old....7 majors later, 20 Masters 1000 later, 4 WTFs later, 3 out of last 4 clear #1 at the end of the year....at 27 years old, he is not favorite anywhere. So who gets to most major finals and semi-finals in the last 4 years? Maybe somebody who won 1 major and made another final in more than 4 years is an overwhelming favorite? :nono

This is before his WTF win, so you can add another title to the stats from the article:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2014/11/15/novak-djokovic-era-analysis/19092657/

I could understand that in 2011 you couldn't see that Nole is here to stay as the most dominant player, but now, at the end of 2014??? Give me a person who won more in this period of time, please! And somebody who can even compete for the whole year!

It is hard to do, almost impossible, to win 4 majors in one year, but if there is anybody who could do it, it is Nole.

 

[Fiero425]

I don't see Nole as a legit threat to win all 4 in the same year. He isn't anywhere near as strong on fast surfaces. He played an amazing final (perhaps his best match ever outside of AO?) to barely edge Roger on grass this year but on most occasions he is the underdog in that situation. Pair them up again in 2015 and I'd be surprised to see the same result. And he clearly is not the same on fast hards as he is on slow hards. I think he will win USO again but on a year to year basis I wouldn't pick him given his record there.

What a shock!

It's the same old, same old....7 majors later, 20 Masters 1000 later, 4 WTFs later, 3 out of last 4 clear #1 at the end of the year....at 27 years old, he is not favorite anywhere. So who gets to most major finals and semi-finals in the last 4 years? Maybe somebody who won 1 major and made another final in more than 4 years is an overwhelming favorite? :nono

This is before his WTF win, so you can add another title to the stats from the article:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2014/11/15/novak-djokovic-era-analysis/19092657/

I could understand that in 2011 you couldn't see that Nole is here to stay as the most dominant player, but now, at the end of 2014??? Give me a person who won more in this period of time, please! And somebody who can even compete for the whole year!

It is hard to do, almost impossible, to win 4 majors in one year, but if there is anybody who could do it, it is Nole.

What else is new? Nole never seems to get his due! When Roger was swirling the drain last year, you couldn't get away from him; the endorsements, the accolades, magazine covers, and non-stop fawning by the media! Djokovic had a truly memorable 2011, even surpassing the near perfect years of Federer and Nadal, but it just hasn't been enough to change thoughts; it's all about them! Nole just sweeps up the crumbs no matter what he does and for how long! :clap :ras:

 

[mrzz]

^I do not think DarthFed disputes that, the point is that even for the guy with the best shot at it (that is, Djokovic) is still a very long shot. He only showed why this would be hard for him. We all know that it would be even harder to the rest.

 

[mrzz]

Somebody else finally wins Roland Garros. (this is not "want", by the way).

I was the Rafa fan most convinced he wouldn't win this year ... and then he did. But it's clearly getting harder each year. He can no longer win it with what appeared to be almost minimal effort, without even dropping a set, such as '08 and '10.

The last three have been noticeably more difficult, and he's only getting older (especially his body in "tennis years" since he started so young). But short of retiring, he will lose again at RG, and the likelihood increases each year.

It wouldn't surprise me if Djokovic finally gets it in 2015 (and I'm convinced it's a matter of "when" not "if"), yet after this year, I'm not counting Rafa out again, either.

I am "counting" more on an early shocking loss than on a final (or semi) against Djokovic.

(perfect, now 2/3 of the forum hate me.)

 

[Billie]

I don't see Nole as a legit threat to win all 4 in the same year. He isn't anywhere near as strong on fast surfaces. He played an amazing final (perhaps his best match ever outside of AO?) to barely edge Roger on grass this year but on most occasions he is the underdog in that situation. Pair them up again in 2015 and I'd be surprised to see the same result. And he clearly is not the same on fast hards as he is on slow hards. I think he will win USO again but on a year to year basis I wouldn't pick him given his record there.

What a shock!

It's the same old, same old....7 majors later, 20 Masters 1000 later, 4 WTFs later, 3 out of last 4 clear #1 at the end of the year....at 27 years old, he is not favorite anywhere. So who gets to most major finals and semi-finals in the last 4 years? Maybe somebody who won 1 major and made another final in more than 4 years is an overwhelming favorite? :nono

This is before his WTF win, so you can add another title to the stats from the article:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2014/11/15/novak-djokovic-era-analysis/19092657/

I could understand that in 2011 you couldn't see that Nole is here to stay as the most dominant player, but now, at the end of 2014??? Give me a person who won more in this period of time, please! And somebody who can even compete for the whole year!

It is hard to do, almost impossible, to win 4 majors in one year, but if there is anybody who could do it, it is Nole.

What else is new? Nole never seems to get his due! When Roger was swirling the drain last year, you couldn't get away from him; the endorsements, the accolades, magazine covers, and non-stop fawning by the media! Djokovic had a truly memorable 2011, even surpassing the near perfect years of Federer and Nadal, but it just hasn't been enough to change thoughts; it's all about them! Nole just sweeps up the crumbs no matter what he does and for how long! :clap :ras:

Yeah, every year it is the same narrative. But as long as Nole is healthy and motivated enough (he sometimes lacks in that department) I am sure that Nole will win more and come close to the other two goats.

Just read an interview with Vajda with Slovak media and he is very hopeful about Nole's next year. Everything is now functioning perfectly between the coaches and other team members. Nole is a hard worker so when he gets motivated, wants and needs something, he will do anything to achieve it. That's why I wasn't so worried about his #1 ranking this year, as it was only on his racquet. Besides he is so motivated to do well for his baby, Vajda says he talks about him all the time and bombards them with photos. I really hope he can put a perfect season where he is at his best when it counts the most, at majors. He sometimes relaxes too much thinking his lead is safe, hopefully that is not the case next year.

 

[El Dude]

Novak never gets his due? I think he's recognized as one of the two top players in the game and the most consistent overall. I certainly think he's the most likely to win all four in a year and the top seed at any given tournament other than Roland Garros.

They are intertwined, you can't really seperate them, cause it is all speculation anyways.

I mean seriously, we all want our guy to win all four GS.

Hmm...not quite. If I had my druthers for a perfect 2015 it could include Roger winning two (including beating Rafa in RG and probably another Wimbledon), as well as Kei and Grigor taking one each. See, I'm not greedy for Roger!

Is that what I think will happen? Not a chance. What I think will happen is that the Big Three win three Slams between them and someone else wins the fourth. That's vague, but tennis is a volatile sport. Who would have guessed Wawrinka and Cilic would have Slam trophies at the end of 2014? A year from now we could be talking about Monfils and Gulbis.

Uh, probably not. But you get the point.

 

[shawnbm]

I wonder if there is any way for someone to post what us posters indicated at end of last year about this year to see who was close to spot on and who was way off? I'm not tech savvy enough to do this; hell, I can't even find all if my own!

 

[Fiero425]

I wonder if there is any way for someone to post what us posters indicated at end of last year about this year to see who was close to spot on and who was way off? I'm not tech savvy enough to do this; hell, I can't even find all if my own!

Luckily I post a lot of that kind of dialogue on a blog! I'll go check now! :angel: :dodgy:

I got it; start at comment date of Nov 23rd, 2013:

- http://fiero4251.blogspot.com/2013/07/whats-up-topics-11-entries-from-813-on.html#comment-form

 

[DarthFed]

I don't see Nole as a legit threat to win all 4 in the same year. He isn't anywhere near as strong on fast surfaces. He played an amazing final (perhaps his best match ever outside of AO?) to barely edge Roger on grass this year but on most occasions he is the underdog in that situation. Pair them up again in 2015 and I'd be surprised to see the same result. And he clearly is not the same on fast hards as he is on slow hards. I think he will win USO again but on a year to year basis I wouldn't pick him given his record there.

What a shock!

It's the same old, same old....7 majors later, 20 Masters 1000 later, 4 WTFs later, 3 out of last 4 clear #1 at the end of the year....at 27 years old, he is not favorite anywhere. So who gets to most major finals and semi-finals in the last 4 years? Maybe somebody who won 1 major and made another final in more than 4 years is an overwhelming favorite? :nono

This is before his WTF win, so you can add another title to the stats from the article:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2014/11/15/novak-djokovic-era-analysis/19092657/

I could understand that in 2011 you couldn't see that Nole is here to stay as the most dominant player, but now, at the end of 2014??? Give me a person who won more in this period of time, please! And somebody who can even compete for the whole year!

It is hard to do, almost impossible, to win 4 majors in one year, but if there is anybody who could do it, it is Nole.

I like that fire Billie and you should know by now I'm not one to hate on your boy :hug

That said, we are talking about his chances of winning all 4, and I don't think it is a diss to him to say that his chances are very very slim and I was just pointing out why. I think Nole is clearly the best player in the world and for the most part he has been the past 4 years but as of now I think he is only clear favorite at AO and at the other 3 he is just one of the favorites, but at worst top 2 at each. It's hard to know where to place him at USO, he almost always seems to be in a place where you might expect him to win it but yet he has only won 1 there.

The last one to have legit calendar year slam chances was Roger, he was clear favorite at AO, a near slam dunk at Wimbledon and USO, and 2nd favorite at RG.

 

[tented]

Somebody else finally wins Roland Garros. (this is not "want", by the way).

I was the Rafa fan most convinced he wouldn't win this year ... and then he did. But it's clearly getting harder each year. He can no longer win it with what appeared to be almost minimal effort, without even dropping a set, such as '08 and '10.

The last three have been noticeably more difficult, and he's only getting older (especially his body in "tennis years" since he started so young). But short of retiring, he will lose again at RG, and the likelihood increases each year.

It wouldn't surprise me if Djokovic finally gets it in 2015 (and I'm convinced it's a matter of "when" not "if"), yet after this year, I'm not counting Rafa out again, either.

I am "counting" more on an early shocking loss than on a final (or semi) against Djokovic.

Since that's how he lost his one and only match there, it's quite possible that's how it will happen again (whenever that may be).

If it were to happen next year, and if I had to bet, I would put money on Novak finally getting him. Seventh time lucky? Against a 29-year-old Rafa? Now or never?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Rafa's Goal should be a Calendar Grand Slam in 2015 (I mean playing in all four of them in the same year :snigger)

 

[brokenshoelace]

It's the same old, same old....7 majors later

There you go, you pretty much killed your own complaint. He's had 7 majors in his entire career (which is impressive, don't get me wrong), but you somehow think it's ludicrous to suggest he won't have 11 by the end of 2015?

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

Rafa's Goal should be a Calendar Grand Slam in 2015 (I mean playing in all four of them in the same year :snigger)

:snigger

What else is new? Nole never seems to get his due! When Roger was swirling the drain last year, you couldn't get away from him; the endorsements, the accolades, magazine covers, and non-stop fawning by the media! Djokovic had a truly memorable 2011, even surpassing the near perfect years of Federer and Nadal, but it just hasn't been enough to change thoughts; it's all about them! Nole just sweeps up the crumbs no matter what he does and for how long! :clap :ras:

um.... nope.


i think people seem to (try and) forget what happened after the USO.

 

[Kieran]

What a shock!

It's the same old, same old....7 majors later, 20 Masters 1000 later, 4 WTFs later, 3 out of last 4 clear #1 at the end of the year....at 27 years old, he is not favorite anywhere. So who gets to most major finals and semi-finals in the last 4 years? Maybe somebody who won 1 major and made another final in more than 4 years is an overwhelming favorite? :nono


It is hard to do, almost impossible, to win 4 majors in one year, but if there is anybody who could do it, it is Nole.

In fairness, Billie, there's nothing to suggest he can. Or, by the same measure, we could say "if there's anybody can do it, a fully fit Nadal can."

It's not a viable proposition, to think in terms of winning all four in one season. It would be just so ridiculously extraordinary a set of events that nobody could - or should - predict it in November of the previous year.

Novak's rate of winning majors is to win one out of every two finals he plays. Next season he's definitely favourite to win Oz, but in Paris, Rafa is an even stronger favourite. At Wimbledon and the USO there's nobody favourite at this stage because neither of those titles have been defended in over five seasons. So nobody is dissing Nole here, but we're expressing the reality. Next season, the safest is to say that Nole wins one major, and if he wins two or more, he's having a huge season.

In each of the last 3 seasons, Rafa has only played 3 majors, and yet he's won more slams in that period than Nole, who's spent a lot of time at #1. Like I say, he's certainly favourite in Oz, but there's nowhere else I'd see him in that role - and even there, he's going to have to reassert himself...