2020 Predictions and Speculations

[Moxie]

Okay, I am officially a big 3 hater now. I hate them, and I specially hate all their fans. I will have so much fun seeing they win zero majors in 2020. Why? Because they will not be good enough. Slowly repeating:

They - will - not - be - good - enough.

I cannot way to see the excuses given to explain their losses to the likes of Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Zverev and Berretini. They will also fall to unheralded names like, I don't know,Yo Carreno Busta and Mannarino.

And then people will start to look for reasons for the sudden drop in form. They will find a lot of strange explanations for a phenomenon which will not occur, because there will be no sudden drop in form, just one or two more steps down the latter and that will be enough to make them lose around QF's. There will be a sudden spike in audience for some old matches in youtube.

And then someone will cry about the historical injustice of the big three being dethroned by this generation in particular -- their merit merely is to have the right age at the right time. Slowly but steadily people will start paying more attention to those guys than to the big three. And, seeing them lose time and again, at some point someone will question... maybe they were not that good after all. Maybe it was just all weak competition.

So unfair. But I won't care.

It will be so much fun.

Now you're just defending your prediction of last year, which didn't come true. I know you like some "hating," but let's face it...you're a Fed fan, too. I know you're not an agenda-driven guy, but it would be convenient for Federer fans if ALL of the big 3 fell apart at the same time, hmmm? :lulz2:

 

[Moxie]

Why not? He's going to give up the TOP records of Majors & Masters' 1000 events to 2 other players more than likely! He has to devote his remaining time on tour extending his leads in other areas like consecutive Finals, SF, & QF runs, the number of tournaments won, with 20+ years of sustained excellence! :whistle:

Exactly, why not? He's 7 tournament wins away from passing Jimmy. The MS 1000s is probably gone, but I'm not sure Djokovic will pass Roger in Majors. Rafa now looks likely, though. Roger has consecutive weeks at #1, which looks like it won't be passed for some long while, too. Roger's best argument is sustained excellence, as you say, so going for most tournament wins makes sense and seems achievable.

 

[don_fabio]

Do you think he’s purposefully trying to pass Connors?

I am sure he is thinking about it. At this stage in a career it's all about finding a motivation and he seems really motivated to me, so chasing records is still on a table for him. I would love to see him break this record.

Unless he starts losing to nobodies early in the tournaments there is no reason to stop. He is still playing with something to prove and this season is the best example. If he can keep this level of motivation and stay injury free he could have a few good years ahead of him.

 

[mrzz]

Now you're just defending your prediction of last year, which didn't come true. I know you like some "hating," but let's face it...you're a Fed fan, too. I know you're not an agenda-driven guy, but it would be convenient for Federer fans if ALL of the big 3 fell apart at the same time, hmmm? :lulz2:

Off course it would be convenient. But I guess I am more than capable of entertaining an idea which is not convenient for me, and, conversely, not dismissing one just because it happens to be convenient.

Again, as I said in other posts, the fundamentals of that "falling apart" for me are still there. They -- individually - are not that good anymore. Apart from the psychological edge, I simply see no edge at all for them. Recently @brokenshoelace compiled a very long and accurate break down of Nadal's game in an exchange with @atttomole. In that break down, he ranked Nadal in a lot of categories against the field. I don't disagree with him in general, but I surely disagree with those assessments for 2019 specifically. I would move him down on average two or three places in each category at least. Same goes for Djokovic, substantially worst for Federer.

and, joking aside, there is a genuine hatred from my part in this matter. For me it is obvious that the tennis landscape is changing, and that those three are not the ones (at the very least not the only ones) producing the very best tennis. But it seems it will take some hard losses by them for people to finally see that. But, yeah, why should I care? As long as I have good matches to see and one occasional soul to talk about the actual tennis going on -- and not some idiotic religious idealization of it, everything is fine.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Medvedev lost in the first round of RG and the third round of Wimbledon — you think he’s going to improve that much across all surfaces to take down the big 3?

One thing is changing especially at the tennis clubs here in Chicago, the prevailing belief is that Rafa has been and will be the GOAT..Even the local Fed Fans are starting to change their minds.

 

[Moxie]

Off course it would be convenient. But I guess I am more than capable of entertaining an idea which is not convenient for me, and, conversely, not dismissing one just because it happens to be convenient.

Again, as I said in other posts, the fundamentals of that "falling apart" for me are still there. They -- individually - are not that good anymore. Apart from the psychological edge, I simply see no edge at all for them. Recently @brokenshoelace compiled a very long and accurate break down of Nadal's game in an exchange with @atttomole. In that break down, he ranked Nadal in a lot of categories against the field. I don't disagree with him in general, but I surely disagree with those assessments for 2019 specifically. I would move him down on average two or three places in each category at least. Same goes for Djokovic, substantially worst for Federer.

and, joking aside, there is a genuine hatred from my part in this matter. For me it is obvious that the tennis landscape is changing, and that those three are not the ones (at the very least not the only ones) producing the very best tennis. But it seems it will take some hard losses by them for people to finally see that. But, yeah, why should I care? As long as I have good matches to see and one occasional soul to talk about the actual tennis going on -- and not some idiotic religious idealization of it, everything is fine.

Yes, but it's one thing to despise the adulation, which is an understandable position, but you can't deny who's still doing a great deal of the winning, so they haven't sunk that much yet.

 

[mrzz]

Yes, but it's one thing to despise the adulation, which is an understandable position, but you can't deny who's still doing a great deal of the winning, so they haven't sunk that much yet.

I completely agree that, results wise, Djokovic and Nadal have sunk almost nothing (Federer surely sunk more).

Level wise, which is my point, I think they keep sinking, little by little. At some point they water will start flowing inside the boat from all directions. My point is that next tinny bit they sink will be enough, and that will be 2020, as I pointed out in my first post in thread, where the first thing I do is to acknowledge that I said this before, and was wrong.

 

[tented]

One thing is changing especially at the tennis clubs here in Chicago, the prevailing belief is that Rafa has been and will be the GOAT..Even the local Fed Fans are starting to change their minds.

That’s it — I’m moving to Chicago. We can get together and have a drink with @kskate2 & @Fiero425!

 

[Nadalfan2013]

I completely agree that, results wise, Djokovic and Nadal have sunk almost nothing (Federer surely sunk more).

Level wise, which is my point, I think they keep sinking, little by little. At some point they water will start flowing inside the boat from all directions. My point is that next tinny bit they sink will be enough, and that will be 2020, as I pointed out in my first post in thread, where the first thing I do is to acknowledge that I said this before, and was wrong.

I think game wise Nadal is definitely still improving while Djokovic and Federer are sinking little by little. The same goes for their looks, Nadal keeps getting more beautiful while Djokovic and Federer are sinking in that department too. B-)

 

[tented]

I think game wise Nadal is definitely still improving while Djokovic and Federer are sinking little by little.

If that were true, he would have won the US Open final in straight sets.

 

[Fiero425]

If that were true, he would have won the US Open final in straight sets.

The exags, hyperbole, & delusions will continue w/ nothing going on right now on the tour! This dead period w/b excruciating for us all!

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I, Nadal keeps getting more beautiful while Djokovic and Federer are sinking in that department too. B-)

Yes, I agree. Especially, the chia pet hair looks good on Ralph. Before he was bald.

 

[Jelenafan]

The older I get, the more ruggedly handsome I get.

Well maybe I get more “rugged”, so one out of two ain’t bad.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

If that were true, he would have won the US Open final in straight sets.

He just wanted to give the crowd a good show

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Yes, I agree. Especially, the chia pet hair looks good on Ralph. Before he was bald.

Rafa would be a male model even without hair.

 

[the AntiPusher]

That’s it — I’m moving to Chicago. We can get together and have a drink with @kskate2 & @Fiero425!

Plus we can take a road trip to Milwaukee to search for DarthFed. Hahahaha

 

[AnonymousFan]

one more month... can't wait.

tick tock

 

[Nadalfan2013]

2020 will be an amazing year for tennis fans all over the world as they witness countless of history breaking records courtesy of the greatest athlete of all-time and incredible human being Rafael Nadal.

 

[Moxie]

I completely agree that, results wise, Djokovic and Nadal have sunk almost nothing (Federer surely sunk more).

Level wise, which is my point, I think they keep sinking, little by little. At some point they water will start flowing inside the boat from all directions. My point is that next tinny bit they sink will be enough, and that will be 2020, as I pointed out in my first post in thread, where the first thing I do is to acknowledge that I said this before, and was wrong.

I agree that they all lose a bit, as is normal at this stage. Some adjustments have been made and have helped make up something, in each one. Yes, Roger has sunk more, but he's 38, and there's not much for it. Still, even I have acknowledged that, with the right set of circumstances, he might even squeeze out one more Major. I doubt it, personally, but it's not impossible. You still have 3 that know how to win, particularly Majors, far better than anyone else on offer. And I definitely don't think Rafa or Novak have lost enough, technically or in terms of motivation, to think that they're finished winning Majors.

Know that I'm not really trying to give you a hard time. (When I said that you'd made that prediction before, I was following on with what you fully admitted, not calling you out. Sorry if that wasn't clear.) Anyway, in the doldrums of the off-season, you're one of the few making thoughtful posts, so you're more interesting to argue with.

 

[Jelenafan]

I think the hard thing is for any of the nextGen players to be automatically expected to be consistently good. None of the big 3 had back to back Majors wins when they first broke through. Federer was a bit of a head case, talented but erratic, and Novak had the rep of not having enough stamina/endurance. Nadal won very early on and he was dominant on the clay from the getgo but even Rafa needed a couple of years to win a Major on another surface.

So if any of NG nabs a big win, I expect more of a 2 steps forward 1 step back type of circuitous path. Having three 10+ Majors winners in one era has skewed expectations unrealistically.