A New Big Four?

[britbox]

Probably too early to put JMDP in that slot at the moment, but he's like a juggernaught building up momentum and if he avoids injury, then he may end up in the slot... which is vacant IMO at the moment - we have a Big 3 right now.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Ideal scenario is Del Potro goes deep into Paris (semi or final) and then ends up making the final of London where Nadal takes advantage of Del Potro's tiredness. The more Del Potro plays, the better things look for Nadal.

 

[herios]

Probably too early to put JMDP in that slot at the moment, but he's like a juggernaught building up momentum and if he avoids injury, then he may end up in the slot... which is vacant IMO at the moment - we have a Big 3 right now.

Also Murray's position is kinda in limbo right now in that group. His results were marked by inconsistency compared with his previous few years, only 3 deep runs in big events. Nothing close to Nadal or Djokovic.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Also in limbo because he hasn't met Nadal since 2011 (when Nadal beat him at 3 slams). Hard to predict Murray's future success rate until he meets Nadal.

 

[El Dude]

Not quite Big 4, but maybe Big 3+1 or even Big 2+2. Delpo has been on the verge of taking Andy Murray's former place as the "best of the rest." It seems that David Ferrer has taken that spot, so the question is whether Delpo can edge past him. I think he can, but its questionable whether he'll be as consistent or have the stamina.

If Rafa, Novak, and Andy slip at all, Delpo is the player who can take advantage and win a Slam. If I were to guess, I'd say that in the next two years--2014-15--we'll see Rafa win 2-4 Slams, Novak win 2-3, Andy 1-2, Delpo 1-2, and maybe a new Slam winner the mix. I do think he'll win at least one, though.

If Murray ever regains his level, it'll be the strongest top 4 of the 21st Century, now that Del Potro is consistent, Nadal is healthy, Djokovic is the ideal #2.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and disagree with you. The Big Four of 2012 was much stronger, at least until Rafa went down. But dial back to the tour going into Wimbledon - you had Rafa and Djokovic battling it out, you have Federer surging, you have Andy waiting in the wings and then winning at the Olympics. There is no way the current (possible) "Big Four" will equal that, unless you think Delpo can be as good as Roger was last year.

 

[DarthFed]

If Murray ever regains his level, it'll be the strongest top 4 of the 21st Century, now that Del Potro is consistent, Nadal is healthy, Djokovic is the ideal #2.

Rafa has always been the proper #2, it is where he has spent most of his time :clap

 

[NADAL2005RG]

If Murray ever regains his level, it'll be the strongest top 4 of the 21st Century, now that Del Potro is consistent, Nadal is healthy, Djokovic is the ideal #2.

Rafa has always been the proper #2, it is where he has spent most of his time :clap

Nadal has spent more weeks at #1 than Djokovic. And it won't be easy for Djokovic to get the #1 ranking back in 2014, so Nadal will probably end up with more weeks at #1 than at #2. Anyway, bottom line is, Nadal has been at #1 for longer than Djokovic. And Nadal is about to win his THIRD year-ending #1. Federer has done it 5 times, so Nadal could end up equaling that or at least doing it a 4th time.

 

[Denis]

If Murray ever regains his level, it'll be the strongest top 4 of the 21st Century, now that Del Potro is consistent, Nadal is healthy, Djokovic is the ideal #2.

Rafa has always been the proper #2, it is where he has spent most of his time :clap

Back in the day he loved to talk about the Fedster as the greatest ever and so forth with the same degree of honesty and objectivity as NADA2013WTF.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Nadal and Uncle Toni wisely talked up Federer as the GOAT. Because they knew that should Nadal continue to own Federer h2h, it would eventually lead to people questioning whether Nadal is the GOAT due to his dominance over "the GOAT".

Even more specifically, every time a reporter brought up Nadal's big achievements, Nadal would always devalue himself by saying "Yeah but Roger has 17 slams..." And now Nadal is only 4 away from 17 and in his hardcourt prime and Uncle Toni recently pointed out-

“It is not too far way. It is getting very, very close for Rafa to be level with Roger or more.”

It was all part of the plan.

 

[Riotbeard]

Threads about Delpo... not Rafa, novak, or roger. Further evidence, that it will be difficult for Juan to enter the conversation though

 

[DarthFed]

Nadal and Uncle Toni wisely talked up Federer as the GOAT. Because they knew that should Nadal continue to own Federer h2h, it would eventually lead to people questioning whether Nadal is the GOAT due to his dominance over "the GOAT".

Even more specifically, every time a reporter brought up Nadal's big achievements, Nadal would always devalue himself by saying "Yeah but Roger has 17 slams..." And now Nadal is only 4 away from 17 and in his hardcourt prime and Uncle Toni recently pointed out-

“It is not too far way. It is getting very, very close for Rafa to be level with Roger or more.”

It was all part of the plan.

Well I agree with you on one thing, Rafa and his uncle are as fake as they come.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Nadal and Uncle Toni wisely talked up Federer as the GOAT. Because they knew that should Nadal continue to own Federer h2h, it would eventually lead to people questioning whether Nadal is the GOAT due to his dominance over "the GOAT".

Even more specifically, every time a reporter brought up Nadal's big achievements, Nadal would always devalue himself by saying "Yeah but Roger has 17 slams..." And now Nadal is only 4 away from 17 and in his hardcourt prime and Uncle Toni recently pointed out-

“It is not too far way. It is getting very, very close for Rafa to be level with Roger or more.”

It was all part of the plan.

Well I agree with you on one thing, Rafa and his uncle are as fake as they come.

Who are they fake to? They are talking to reporters when they answer these questions. Does anyone really owe a reporter their honest opinion? Its all a game. Plus its not like they are answering important questions. The reporters are asking them trivial stuff like whether or not Nadal considers himself better than Federer etc.... Meaningless stuff like that. And you'd be crazy to call yourself the GOAT anyway, whether you have 15 slams or 20 slams. Very few people would have the nerve to say it. Michael Jordan didn't even say it about himself, even though he was being told it by every man and his dog.

 

[Denis]

^ Embarrassing.

Anyway. OT: For me DP is already part of the new big 4, just because he has the game to beat the other top guys. But in reality he is not really there yet. He'll need a bit more consistent showings at the slams, a couple of semis in a row will clinch it. And Federer would have to show that he really is on his way out, which is still a questionmark I think. I will not be surprised if Federer does quite well next year.

 

[Kieran]

I think sports stars are right to be wary of the press and to use them for their own purposes. I still haven't forgotten Lynn Barber's scandalous article on Rafa in the Sunday Times, which is far from a tabloid. As for Rafa and his uncle praising Roger? I bet they meant every word, to the extent that it answers the question...

 

[Riotbeard]

^ Embarrassing.

Anyway. OT: For me DP is already part of the new big 4, just because he has the game to beat the other top guys. But in reality he is not really there yet. He'll need a bit more consistent showings at the slams, a couple of semis in a row will clinch it. And Federer would have to show that he really is on his way out, which is still a questionmark I think. I will not be surprised if Federer does quite well next year.

I agree, but I also think he has set himself up quite well to capitalize on poor showing in the slams and move into the big 4. He is defending very few points at the Aussie and he didn't even play the F.O.

It's interesting to think what people would be saying had Delpo held serve just two more times and beaten rafa in the IW final uzzled

 

[Denis]

Yup, but Rafa was better that match. It would also be interesting to think what would have happened if Novak had beaten Roger in 2011 at RG...

He'll get there though. Good point about him not defending any points almost at the first two slams of the year.

 

[Fastgrass]

I think big Three , Murray is injured, he is not nadal , that
take 7 months break and win 10 titles .

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

I think big Three , Murray is injured, he is not nadal , that
take 7 months break and win 10 titles .

no its a big 4..just because you have an anti murray vendetta, that's your problem daddio.

 

[Riotbeard]

I think big Three , Murray is injured, he is not nadal , that
take 7 months break and win 10 titles .

Wait in what world is Federer more relevant than Murray to the Current state of tennis at the top?

 

[herios]

I think big Three , Murray is injured, he is not nadal , that
take 7 months break and win 10 titles .

Wait in what world is Federer more relevant than Murray to the Current state of tennis at the top?

Calm down, he meant Ferrer, not Federer:laydownlaughing