How Many Grand Slam Titles Will Djokovic End His Career With?

[Front242]

I have a funny feeling that next year in July, there will be new changed predictions .

I also think - only Rafa can stop Novak (no youngsters, no Murray+Wawrinka+others). We'll see.

So far Wawrinka has already beaten Novak in a huge match this year so I don't see why you don't think he can do it again. Stan's a scary prospect for anyone when he's in the zone.

 

[stray_cat]

I have a funny feeling that next year in July, there will be new changed predictions .

I also think - only Rafa can stop Novak (no youngsters, no Murray+Wawrinka+others). We'll see.

So far Wawrinka has already beaten Novak in a huge match this year so I don't see why you don't think he can do it again. Stan's a scary prospect for anyone when he's in the zone.

Can Stan the man stop Novak from winning more than a half of remaining slams till the end of 2017 (in 2017 Novak will be 30, Wawrinka 32 years old)?
Stan+Murray+others(OK, I'll mention Federer, but he is no long an essential factor in slam disscusion)?

I was very active in watching almost all tournaments in last 12 months, I am sure - they can't.

With Rafa in equation, Nole will win much less slams, that's what i'm trying to say (type).

 

[Carol]

I have a funny feeling that next year in July, there will be new changed predictions .

I also think - only Rafa can stop Novak (no youngsters, no Murray+Wawrinka+others). We'll see.

So far Wawrinka has already beaten Novak in a huge match this year so I don't see why you don't think he can do it again. Stan's a scary prospect for anyone when he's in the zone.

Can Stan the man stop Novak from winning more than a half of remaining slams till the end of 2017 (in 2017 Novak will be 30, Wawrinka 32 years old)?
Stan+Murray+others(OK, I'll mention Federer, but he is no long an essential factor in slam disscusion)?

I was very active in watching almost all tournaments in last 12 months, I am sure - they can't.



With Rafa in equation, Nole will win much less slams, that's what i'm trying to say (type).

We need to see the true Rafa Nadal again and hope as soon as possible and the tennis needs him too

 

[lacatch]

Carol luv--you ARE seeing the real Rafa Nadal. He's suffering (obviously) a crisis of confidence, exacerbated by the fact that he's slower, which hurts his game style big time. Sure he could win another slam if the stars all align (about whom else have we heard that recently lol?), but he's at best likely to be a contender again, but not the one crossing the finish line with the frequency that earned him 14 slams.

 

[Carol]

Carol luv--you ARE seeing the real Rafa Nadal. He's suffering (obviously) a crisis of confidence, exacerbated by the fact that he's slower, which hurts his game style big time. Sure he could win another slam if the stars all align (about whom else have we heard that recently lol?), but he's at best likely to be a contender again, but not the one crossing the finish line with the frequency that earned him 14 slams.

Just three words, we will see

 

[herios]

So far Wawrinka has already beaten Novak in a huge match this year so I don't see why you don't think he can do it again. Stan's a scary prospect for anyone when he's in the zone.

Can Stan the man stop Novak from winning more than a half of remaining slams till the end of 2017 (in 2017 Novak will be 30, Wawrinka 32 years old)?
Stan+Murray+others(OK, I'll mention Federer, but he is no long an essential factor in slam disscusion)?

I was very active in watching almost all tournaments in last 12 months, I am sure - they can't.



With Rafa in equation, Nole will win much less slams, that's what i'm trying to say (type).

We need to see the true Rafa Nadal again and hope as soon as possible and the tennis needs him too

I luv when Rafa fans are coming up with "tennis needs him" :dodgy:

 

[Fiero425]

Can Stan the man stop Novak from winning more than a half of remaining slams till the end of 2017 (in 2017 Novak will be 30, Wawrinka 32 years old)?
Stan+Murray+others(OK, I'll mention Federer, but he is no long an essential factor in slam disscusion)?

I was very active in watching almost all tournaments in last 12 months, I am sure - they can't.



With Rafa in equation, Nole will win much less slams, that's what i'm trying to say (type).

We need to see the true Rafa Nadal again and hope as soon as possible and the tennis needs him too

I luv when Rafa fans are coming up with "tennis needs him" :dodgy:

I never have; each absence is a pleasure! If he retired tomorrow I'd cheer! :celeb: lease: :deadhorse :clap

 

[brokenshoelace]

Carol luv--you ARE seeing the real Rafa Nadal. He's suffering (obviously) a crisis of confidence, exacerbated by the fact that he's slower, which hurts his game style big time. Sure he could win another slam if the stars all align (about whom else have we heard that recently lol?), but he's at best likely to be a contender again, but not the one crossing the finish line with the frequency that earned him 14 slams.

Nadal doesn't need the stars to align. He just needs to rediscover his form/find his confidence. It's not like he'll ne playing like this forever and it's not like there are that many guys he should fear if he's playing anywhere near his level.

I know part of it is wishful thinking but you guys are really going overboard with how much Nadal is supposedly done. And I'll say this, for all his problems lately, movement is not necessarily one of them. Obviously he's slowed down, he's been slowing down since 2009, that didn't stop him from winning a ton.

 

[stray_cat]

Guys, please , I am die hard Novak's fan, let's focus on him.

http://1drv.ms/1HJs5Po

In last 23 slams,
Novak won 8/23=34,8%,
lost to Rafa 5/23=21,7%,
to others 10/23=43,5,1%.
Without Rafa (+Del Potro), percentage for Novak wins rises:
Wins: 8/18=44,4% (pretending matches with Rafa don't count, although I could assume Novak would probably win someone else, especially in RG).
If we assume back in 2010, Novak would lost anyway 2 matches in final against Rafa, percentage rises again: 8/16=50%.
There are other factors, young players will rise (but just to take Federer's place), Novak will eventally decline (but so will Stan & Murray), injuries (even with Novak's training & life regime), mentally Novak is stronger then ever, family, etc, etc, so I think, without Rafa, converting percentage for Novak in next couple of years is 50% (1 of 2), with Rafa in game it's around 33% (1 of 3)
Till the end of 2017: 13 or 14 slams.

We'll see.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Can Stan the man stop Novak from winning more than a half of remaining slams till the end of 2017 (in 2017 Novak will be 30, Wawrinka 32 years old)?
Stan+Murray+others(OK, I'll mention Federer, but he is no long an essential factor in slam disscusion)?

I was very active in watching almost all tournaments in last 12 months, I am sure - they can't.



With Rafa in equation, Nole will win much less slams, that's what i'm trying to say (type).

We need to see the true Rafa Nadal again and hope as soon as possible and the tennis needs him too

I luv when Rafa fans are coming up with "tennis needs him" :dodgy:

I love non Rafa fans thinking tennis doesn't. Of course you don't need Rafa. The same way you don't need Roger, Murray or anyone who can beat your boy. From a selfish perspective, I don't need anyone who threatens my player either.

And you're a guy who roots for underdogs, so you don't mind watching grand slam finals between Nishikori and Cilic (that's not a knock on you. I respect you for that, but you're in the minority). Of course, the place here was filled with crickets when that final happened. Yes, tennis needs drawing power, and drawing power comes from big names, and popular players. Go back to the post Sampras era and tell me tennis didn't sorely need Roger Federer, and the sport was lucky to have him. Now go back to the Federer reign of terror and tell me tennis didn't need Nadal from turning this sport into a Roger Federer hall of fame ceremony.

Now, with Djokovic, Murray and Nadal all pushing 30, Federer pushing 35, and a younger generation that is severely underwhelming, yes, tennis needs to milk every high level match out of these guys while it still can, because guess what, interest won't be as high once they're gone. And I know this might come as a shock to Djokovic fans, but interest won't be as high once Fedal are gone, since they're still far and away the two most popular players.

This place is getting ridiculous with the bias. It's one thing not to like a player, it's another to be willfully obtuse. It's turning into "make an absurd post about Nadal that defies all common sense, get a like from equally biased people, rise, rinse repeat."

Nadal puts asses in seats, believe it or not, that's why the majority of posts around here are about him. And no, it's not because this is a "Nadal board" like it used to be, since the number of non Nadal fans dwarf Nadal fans these days, and they're far more vocal. But the fact that everyone talks about him so much should tell you a thing or two.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

this used to be a djokovic thread.

 

[brokenshoelace]

this used to be a djokovic thread.

...thus proving the point I made in the above post.

 

[DarthFed]

Carol luv--you ARE seeing the real Rafa Nadal. He's suffering (obviously) a crisis of confidence, exacerbated by the fact that he's slower, which hurts his game style big time. Sure he could win another slam if the stars all align (about whom else have we heard that recently lol?), but he's at best likely to be a contender again, but not the one crossing the finish line with the frequency that earned him 14 slams.

Nadal doesn't need the stars to align. He just needs to rediscover his form/find his confidence. It's not like he'll ne playing like this forever and it's not like there are that many guys he should fear if he's playing anywhere near his level.

I know part of it is wishful thinking but you guys are really going overboard with how much Nadal is supposedly done. And I'll say this, for all his problems lately, movement is not necessarily one of them. Obviously he's slowed down, he's been slowing down since 2009, that didn't stop him from winning a ton.

I like the optimism even as someone hoping Rafa will be out of this sport as soon as possible. I remember having the same optimistic feeling about Roger after 2013 despite everyone thinking that was his new level and he was completely done.

The thing is I didn't begrudge those who were posting that he was toast and I didn't just see it as wishful thinking on their part (though many of them were non fans who were glad to see him playing so bad). IMO the problem with Roger in 2013 wasn't just the back problem or aging, the main issue was the lack of motivation. 2012 was a big time year for him and a big effort and there was a lull in his play after Wimbledon 2012 that just snowballed into 2013. I figured 2014 would be tons better because Roger would look at that year as an opportunity to prove himself again.

So do you see Rafa's issues being a lack of motivation right now? If you don't believe motivation is a factor that is a key difference between Rafa 2015 and Roger 2013 IMO. I think for Rafa the next few slams will tell it all. If he does bad at all of them I think/hope he is done.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Carol luv--you ARE seeing the real Rafa Nadal. He's suffering (obviously) a crisis of confidence, exacerbated by the fact that he's slower, which hurts his game style big time. Sure he could win another slam if the stars all align (about whom else have we heard that recently lol?), but he's at best likely to be a contender again, but not the one crossing the finish line with the frequency that earned him 14 slams.

Nadal doesn't need the stars to align. He just needs to rediscover his form/find his confidence. It's not like he'll ne playing like this forever and it's not like there are that many guys he should fear if he's playing anywhere near his level.

I know part of it is wishful thinking but you guys are really going overboard with how much Nadal is supposedly done. And I'll say this, for all his problems lately, movement is not necessarily one of them. Obviously he's slowed down, he's been slowing down since 2009, that didn't stop him from winning a ton.

I like the optimism even as someone hoping Rafa will be out of this sport as soon as possible. I remember having the same optimistic feeling about Roger after 2013 despite everyone thinking that was his new level and he was completely done.

The thing is I didn't begrudge those who were posting that he was toast and I didn't just see it as wishful thinking on their part (though many of them were non fans who were glad to see him playing so bad). IMO the problem with Roger in 2013 wasn't just the back problem or aging, the main issue was the lack of motivation. 2012 was a big time year for him and a big effort and there was a lull in his play after Wimbledon 2012 that just snowballed into 2013. I figured 2014 would be tons better because Roger would look at that year as an opportunity to prove himself again.

So do you see Rafa's issues being a lack of motivation right now? If you don't believe motivation is a factor that is a key difference between Rafa 2015 and Roger 2013 IMO. I think for Rafa the next few slams will tell it all. If he does bad at all of them I think/hope he is done.

I don't think motivation will ever be a long term problem for Nadal (when it is, I feel he'll pull a Henin and retire). I guess it might be a lack of motivation in the sense that he's burned out from having to return from so many injuries and at some point, he doesn't feel the drive to work as hard post injury as he normally does, which is potentially why he never really came close to regaining his level this year (I'm just speculating), especially since the older you get, the more difficult it is to put in the effort required (and it's a huge effort to get back physically and mentally to where you need to be after so much time away). That's why I think this year is a wash for Nadal but he'll be better next year -- he can't be much worse anyway. I think that, provided he doesn't get hurt again this year, he can at least come back next year and try to improve on where he is now, as opposed to having to take it slow baby steps and try to come back from yet another layoff.

I don't think it's a coincidence that so many players look rejuvenated in January and their level looks visibly different to where it was at the end of the previous season. It's not a magical turnaround due to a new year, but because they've been able to put in the work in the off season (Federer often emphasizes the importance of that aspect). Nadal wasn't able to do that last year, and he's just not as physically ready as he once was to just suddenly up the intensity throughout the year, nor is he as confident (or flat out as good). If he stays injury free this year, he'll be able to do that and it'll make a difference. I have little doubt in my mind. I'm not saying he'll ever be back to being a dominant force. Hell perhaps he won't win another major (I think he has one in him), but he'll be back in the top 4, competing, and being considered among the favorites for majors.

Ultimately, motivation or otherwise, I think that's the main reason behind Nadal's current form. It's just increasingly difficult to be able to make adjustments and regain your form after being sidelined for long. Yeah, he's been healthy for a while, but he's been playing like crap ever since his injury problems post Wimbledon last year (wrist injury before the US Open and appendicitis).

 

[Fiero425]

Normally when a player gets a little "long in the tooth," they want to cut back on their schedule; ala BORG! With Nadal, that isn't the problem as he FEELS he needs as much practice as possible even if it means going the SO. American tour working 250's! He needs all that practice, but without motivation it might not be enough to get him through the next few seasons! I said ages ago the way he plays will cut his career short; had no idea it would show so obviously this early! :eyepop :nono :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Kirijax]

Motivation is not a problem with Nadal. He's playing his heart out and going to all these tournaments, big and small. The only time I see him taking it easy for some R&R is when he's knocked out of a tournament early. He has looked like a shell of himself since January '14. I consider his 2014 French Open title his greatest achievement. And his situation seems completely different from Federer so I don't even pay attention to the comparisons. He looks a whole lot more worn down than Federer who is 5-yrs older. I think he's desperately trying to find that spring in his step again. And the longer this "slump" goes on, the harder it's going to be to find it. And for the record, I hope he does. Tournaments are much more interesting with Nadal around. Can't deny that.

 

[Fiero425]

Motivation is not a problem with Nadal. He's playing his heart out and going to all these tournaments, big and small. The only time I see him taking it easy for some R&R is when he's knocked out of a tournament early. He has looked like a shell of himself since January '14. I consider his 2014 French Open title his greatest achievement. And his situation seems completely different from Federer so I don't even pay attention to the comparisons. He looks a whole lot more worn down than Federer who is 5-yrs older. I think he's desperately trying to find that spring in his step again. And the longer this "slump" goes on, the harder it's going to be to find it. And for the record, I hope he does. Tournaments are much more interesting with Nadal around. Can't deny that.

...esp. chipping away at his record and reputation looking this bad! The only thing close I can think of is maybe Sampras' last couple years! He won 2000 Wimbledon and went on a "walkabout" never seen before in his career! He actually started dropping in the rankings, unable to win a title for over 2 years! By the time he reached 2002 USO he had dropped to at least #22, but seeded at #17 IIRC! Obviously the rest is history with a 4 set win over Agassi to close out his legendary career; at that time anyway! Sampras may very well be only a footnote if Nole gains a few more majors! Pete's claim to fame and tennis history will wind up being tied at 7 Wimbledons with the GOAT, RF! :dodgy:

 

[Kirijax]

Motivation is not a problem with Nadal. He's playing his heart out and going to all these tournaments, big and small. The only time I see him taking it easy for some R&R is when he's knocked out of a tournament early. He has looked like a shell of himself since January '14. I consider his 2014 French Open title his greatest achievement. And his situation seems completely different from Federer so I don't even pay attention to the comparisons. He looks a whole lot more worn down than Federer who is 5-yrs older. I think he's desperately trying to find that spring in his step again. And the longer this "slump" goes on, the harder it's going to be to find it. And for the record, I hope he does. Tournaments are much more interesting with Nadal around. Can't deny that.

...esp. chipping away at his record and reputation looking this bad! The only thing close I can think of is maybe Sampras' last couple years! He won 2000 Wimbledon and went on a "walkabout" never seen before in his career! He actually started dropping in the rankings, unable to win a title for over 2 years! By the time he reached 2002 USO he had dropped to at least #22, but seeded at #17 IIRC! Obviously the rest is history with a 4 set win over Agassi to close out his legendary career; at that time anyway! Sampras may very well be only a footnote if Nole gains a few more majors! Pete's claim to fame and tennis history will wind up being tied at 7 Wimbledons with the GOAT, RF! :dodgy:

1. Nadal's struggles have not reached Sampras' level yet. Not even close.
2. Sampras will never be a footnote.
3. Your talent for exaggerating is truly impressive.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Wait, why would a player become a footnote if a couple of players surpass him? Let's say Djokovic reaches 15 slams and surpasses Sampras, and hell, let's say Nadal wins one more... Who's going to say "yeah, that Sampras fellow was rubbish. Only won 14 slams."

If only 3 players among the thousands and thousands of tennis players throughout history have won more slams than you, you're kinda decent.

 

[Fiero425]

Wait, why would a player become a footnote if a couple of players surpass him? Let's say Djokovic reaches 15 slams and surpasses Sampras, and hell, let's say Nadal wins one more... Who's going to say "yeah, that Sampras fellow was rubbish. Only won 14 slams."

If only 3 players among the thousands and thousands of tennis players throughout history have won more slams than you, you're kinda decent.

I suppose you're right! :angel: :dodgy: