Nick Bollettieri: ´Djokovic is the most perfect player I´ve ever seen and best in tennis history'

[Tennis Fan]

Given the title of the thread, I didn't think it was incumbent on me to ask if you meant to imply other attributes to Roger than a meager two.

To respond to your other, I do think both Rafa and Nole are better defenders, but I don't think Novak is ahead of Federer in mental resolve. (And while Rafa is somewhere in the weeds with his confidence, at the moment, I think he's been better than both of them on mental fortitude for most of his career.) What some call confidence in Roger and some of us call "arrogance," Federer has a tremendous amount of optimism/self-belief. I think Novak is an emotional player, and can get dismayed rather too quickly. He is very easy to start shaking his head, looking to the heavens and wondering at his luck, even when he's miles ahead. He was doing it against Malek Jaziri the other day, and he beat him 2 and 1. It's all fine when his confidence is high, and he's a country mile ahead of the pack. But when the pack starts nipping more at his heels, and his game comes more down to Earth, I think it will be one of his short-comings again. He relies a lot on confidence, and he shows it when it slips.

This is a good discussion between you and Billie. And it's a nice one where you can see both people's perspectives. Very nice, ladies!

 

[vjmtz]

Djokovic is easily the best and the most complete player ever

 

[Ricardo]

Gee....I assumed that it was implied that Fed has many tennis qualities, but those are Fed things that have always been considered the best of all players, wicked forehand and mean slice. Still are, at least for me. Why don't you first ask if it wasn't clear before accusing me?

No his backhand was never his greatest weapon or the reason why he was winning before. While Fed's serve is a great weapon, would you say it is the greatest in history? I would take Sampras, Ivanisevic, Karlovic, even Isner first. Serve placement? He still gets broken plenty of times.

You never replied about the defence and mental resolve. How about his return game? Would you rate Fed #1 in these categories?

LOL People are so touchy when it comes to praising somebody other than the 2 goats, why do I even bother.

using your standard, like BH is not Fed's best weapon (or of all players) then Nole's volley, serve, smash, forehand are also not his best weapons, so he can't be that complete? a player doesn't need to rate #1 in every category to be considered most complete, i really don't know where you get that argument from.

yes Fed gets broken 'plenty' of times, but so did Sampras. They have very similar % (88% vs 89%) of holding service games, it's illogical for you to rate them so differently. Billie, how did you arrive at the conclusion that Fed doesn't belong to the group if you had Sampras there? if anything, i would argue that nowadays it favours returners than it used to, the balls are heavier and the courts are significantly slower.......most importantly, players these days return better though it does relate to those factors.

Put simply, you left Fed's serve out of 'weapon' category and that is bias. If you say Djoker's serve is great weapon but not Fed, then tell me who thinks his serve is better than Fed's? again i don't idolise anyone, i don't want to be a fan but there has been a lot of belittling of Fed in recent years, and even Moxie coming to defend him says something....she has no love for the guy.

 

[Ricardo]

Djokovic is easily the best and the most complete player ever

are you Nick? most complete player still needs to volley pretty well you know.

 

[Ricardo]

I know you've always been a fan of mine, Ricardo. Yeah, I am a new tennis fan, I can't remember much before Borg.

Sorry but there are some of us who don't think that your idol is best in everything. Apparently Nick doesn't think so neither.

Fed is elegant and has a great forehand, slice, but that is not enough. Plus he really stood out during 2004-2007 so everything probably looked even better compared to his competition at the time. I think a lot of people are still stuck living in those tennis years.

That backhand alone puts him behind for the title of the most complete player ever. How many times in a match a player hits a BH, compared to oh let's say an overhead? A whole lot more, so which shot is more important? Isn't it the reason why Rafa has always had an edge over Fed? I also think that Fed is behind in defence and mental resolve right after Rafa and Nole.

Please don't mention serve and volley, very few players do it constantly and I think that Fed tried it a few times and would get passed more often than not. If he were any more successful, I am sure he would exploit it more. He is a smart guy.

Forehand and slice but nothing else great (so is not enough, your word), that's all. You are not at risk of stating the obvious, and of course it was during 2004-2007 that weak competition made it look even better.

You know it all!!

 

[vjmtz]

are you Nick? most complete player still needs to volley pretty well you know.

No I'm new. And Djokovic's volley is much improved now, it's not a weakness you can exploit.

 

[Carol]

There is not a completely player. Ones have better FH or BH or serve or volley or resistence or footwork or confidence ( this could be temporary until he start to lose) but no one has all those cualities together

 

[vjmtz]

There is not a completely player. Ones have better FH or BH or serve or volley or resistence or footwork or confidence ( this could be temporary until he start to lose) but no one has all those cualities together

Peak Djokovic has.

 

[Carol]

Peak Djokovic has.

Peak what?

 

[isabelle]

There is not a completely player. Ones have better FH or BH or serve or volley or resistence or footwork or confidence ( this could be temporary until he start to lose) but no one has all those cualities together

well said, they all have strong and weak points

 

[Federberg]

Given the title of the thread, I didn't think it was incumbent on me to ask if you meant to imply other attributes to Roger than a meager two.

To respond to your other, I do think both Rafa and Nole are better defenders, but I don't think Novak is ahead of Federer in mental resolve. (And while Rafa is somewhere in the weeds with his confidence, at the moment, I think he's been better than both of them on mental fortitude for most of his career.) What some call confidence in Roger and some of us call "arrogance," Federer has a tremendous amount of optimism/self-belief. I think Novak is an emotional player, and can get dismayed rather too quickly. He is very easy to start shaking his head, looking to the heavens and wondering at his luck, even when he's miles ahead. He was doing it against Malek Jaziri the other day, and he beat him 2 and 1. It's all fine when his confidence is high, and he's a country mile ahead of the pack. But when the pack starts nipping more at his heels, and his game comes more down to Earth, I think it will be one of his short-comings again. He relies a lot on confidence, and he shows it when it slips.

Interesting points. It's a bit unfair to compare Novak and Roger right now. Let's see how Novak fares when he has to handle the sort of adversity. At the moment it's silly to compare Novak who is in his pomp to the fuller body of work Roger has put together. Anyone who suggests Roger was mentally weak at his peak should rethink that in my view. You don't lose only 15 matches over a 3 year span with a weak head

 

[Ricardo]

Peak Djokovic has.

ok, ask yourself this. Does peak Djoker have better serve, forehand and volleys than peak Fed? better mental toughness and movement than Nadal? he never served and hit fh like peak Fed can, ever.

 

[vjmtz]

ok, ask yourself this. Does peak Djoker have better serve, forehand and volleys than peak Fed? better mental toughness and movement than Nadal? he never served and hit fh like peak Fed can, ever.

Peak Djokovic has smart and efficient serve and he is deadly from both wings, not just fh. Peak Djokovic is more complete than peak Federer.

 

[Mastoor]

There is not a completely player. Ones have better FH or BH or serve or volley or resistence or footwork or confidence ( this could be temporary until he start to lose) but no one has all those cualities together

Of course there is no perfect player. Bolletieri just said that among all the players he has ever seen Djoker is most complete which means he doesn't have a weakness that can be exploited as much as other players do.

 

[Moxie]

Peak Djokovic has smart and efficient serve and he is deadly from both wings, not just fh. Peak Djokovic is more complete than peak Federer.

I do find that controversial. Peak Djokovic is more inclined to the DF, the blown smash, and going walk-about, for example. Peak Federer is less effective on the BH, less of a baseliner, but the more effective server, better slice, smash, forehand, footwork and attitude.

 

[Carol]

When one of the top players is playing his best and with a strong confidence then looks better than anyone else.
Nadal was #2 for several years and beat the #1 on clay, HC and grass, later when he was #1 his FH, BH and volleys (and not just his mental toughness and movement) was working perfectly well though his serve always has been his weakest shot so he deserve even more credit

 

[Mastoor]

I do find that controversial. Peak Djokovic is more inclined to the DF, the blown smash, and going walk-about, for example. Peak Federer is less effective on the BH, less of a baseliner, but the more effective server, better slice, smash, forehand, footwork and attitude.

That would make pretty much only backhand and return on No1e's side, so question is how did he manage to win 23 matches against someone who is better than him practically everywhere.

 

[Federberg]

That would make pretty much only backhand and return on No1e's side, so question is how did he manage to win 23 matches against someone who is better than him practically everywhere.

Well... for a start it's not like he was beating someone at his peak..

 

[Mastoor]

Well... for a start it's not like he was beating someone at his peak..

I spilled berocca trough my nose. You mean No1e didn't beat Fed when he was beating Roddick, Ferrero, Baghdatis and Nalbandian?

btw I read some stats about the fastest players in last 2 years. They say even No1e's potential is the best having the fastest maximum speed among all the players, the fastest one is Murray and the second fastest is Fed. So, I was almost correct when i told you that even in "old"age Federer was fastest of them all (just missed that Murray was the only one faster than him).

 

[Moxie]

I don't know who measures how fast they really are, but lots have always cited Monfils.