Tokyo Olympics 2021 - 24th July to 1st August 2021

[Andy22]

Also that kind of pro tennis player plays mixed doubles (Djokovic) just so he can sleep with a woman (Nina)?. And not even try to win Olympic medal for his country disgusting. Djokovic was meant to try win Gold medals for his country like a pro tennis not act like teenager looking for hookups. How can someone be Goat then their lose 3 straight matches in under 24 hours.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

How can someone be Goat then their lose 3 straight matches in under 24 hours.

May be because he lost the same number of matches in the entire year before going to Tokyo.

 

[Andy22]

May be because he lost the same number of matches in the entire year before going to Tokyo.

Then you play weak minded next Gen players in grand slam finals of course only to lose 3 matches means nothing. The 3 slams in a row at 34 years old mean everything for Djokovic it's big case for him being Goat. Fakerer could never do that at 34 or Nadal.

 

[Jelenafan]

The excruciating pressure of the Olympics is that it’s once every 4 years. For all intents and purposes this was Novak’s last best chance to win Gold. I realize in tennis circles some don’t think an OGM is as important, but to the general populace and to many with nationalistic pride it’s the big prize. Without a doubt. For better or for worse, Novak‘s triumphs all carry the mantle of hoisting Serbian pride, almost pride with a chip on its shoulder, and he relishes it. I’ve never sensed the same exact intensity with Rafa ( and yes he has 5 DC,) or Federer. That’s partly why Novak played the home grown minor claycourt tourney before the French.

So yes Novak did have great pressure on him, but frankly beyond that I honestly think his body/mind were uber fatigued and just gave out. He won the FO/W double with just two weeks in between and has The Hardcourt fall grind coming on. Novak’s body said “ No Mas!”. It’s funny how the mental collapse flows easily from the body collapse.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Sure, Novak was the favorite to win Olympics going in. Our argument was whether he was more so in USO than at Olympics.

YES. He was more a favorite at the Olympics than eventually at the USO, IMO.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Novak had said this to the press at the Olympics,after Simone Biles withdrew due to mental pressure.

"Pressure is privilege".

"Without pressure there is no professional sport.If you are aiming to be at the top of your sport you better start learning how to deal with pressure and how to cope with those moments".

After watching you in the men's singles match earlier....throwing your racket into the stadium,where you should have got a warning and you did not,then smashing your racket a few times later,where you did get a warning I see the pressure did get to you didn't it?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

YES. He was more a favorite at the Olympics than eventually at the USO, IMO.

No, I don't think so. In view of the best of 5 format, his odds at USO will be higher than at Olympics, other things being equal.

But, now when the odds get revised for USO, they will be worse than his odds at Olympics.

That would be because there is blood in the water and lot of sharks are smelling it.

 

[don_fabio]

The excruciating pressure of the Olympics is that it’s once every 4 years. For all intents and purposes this was Novak’s last best chance to win Gold. I realize in tennis circles some don’t think an OGM is as important, but to the general populace and to many with nationalistic pride it’s the big prize. Without a doubt. For better or for worse, Novak‘s triumphs all carry the mantle of hoisting Serbian pride, almost pride with a chip on its shoulder, and he relishes it. I’ve never sensed the same exact intensity with Rafa ( and yes he has 5 DC,) or Federer. That’s partly why Novak played the home grown minor claycourt tourney before the French.

So yes Novak did have great pressure on him, but frankly beyond that I honestly think his body/mind were uber fatigued and just gave out. He won the FO/W double with just two weeks in between and has The Hardcourt fall grind coming on. Novak’s body said “ No Mas!”. It’s funny how the mental collapse flows easily from the body collapse.

Agree with all. It was indeed the pride as a main reason why at the end Novak opted to play OG. All was looking fine until he was actually challenged. Once he got a challenge against Zverev he was unable to stood up and play like he normally does then again disappointment against PCB is probably even worse than losing to Sacha. It sometimes deceives us tennis fans thinking we know the real mental/body state of the player when at some point all looks normal and the next is absolute disaster. He can take this in 2 ways. Recharge mentally and physically and come back strong for USO or fall down even further due to mental/body exhaustion. We shall see in a few weeks time, but he does need a good rest after this. I know he wanted win OG so badly, but at the end was just wrong decision and it potentially could affect his USO performance too.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

An absolutely embarrassing tournament for Novak. And I'm not talking about the fact that he didn't win any medals or even that he withdrew from the mixed crushing his partner's dream for a medal, I'm talking about his behavior when he threw a racket into the stands and then broke another one near the net. Pathetic as usual. And he did it at the Olympics of all places where players are just honored to be there and everyone is celebrating sports.

 

[the AntiPusher]

An absolutely embarrassing tournament for Novak. And I'm not talking about the fact that he didn't win any medals or even that he withdrew from the mixed crushing his partner's dream for a medal, I'm talking about his behavior when he threw a racket into the stands and then broke another one near the net. Pathetic as usual. And he did it at the Olympics of all places where players are just honored to be there and everyone is celebrating sports.

There's a famous scene in the movie "The Highlander" when the super Villian the Kurgan was being an obnoxious asshole to an overly friendly front desk clerk. Afterwards he grabs the puny clerk and departs off to another night of head hunting, the clerk says " I hope you get your head chopped off, asshole".. That's how most non Novak fans hope what to come at the US Open. Well at least this one does.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

PCB has only won one match against Novak and that was because Novak was defaulted in that match. So, if PCB is across the net, that may kind of remind Novak of that incident.

So, Novak saw PCB across the net and started behaving badly.

p.s. This post was made in a jest and Novak bears full responsibility for his behavior.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

That chump just bitched out via a withdrawal due to injured arm..The punk should have played because his country woman whom the other teams said was the most feared of their mixed doubles team might have been able to carry his mental midget ass

I had to leave because I was on night shift after the men's match....Novak now has a shoulder injury and had to withdraw
Well if he stopped smashing his racket on the ground that injury might not have happened.Like Pigs Might Fly
Novak was on Top of The World and cruising in his matches until he met Sasha and it all went down hill fast?
Now he says he has come into Olympics with injuries and mental exhaustion?
Novak was Outplayed in both his matches against Sasha and PCB....that is Fact.
Barty and Peers wins a bronze medal mixed doubles medal due to withdrawal.

 

[Fiero425]

I had to leave because I was on night shift after the men's match....Novak now has a shoulder injury and had to withdraw
Well if he stopped smashing his racket on the ground that injury might not have happened.Like Pigs Might Fly
Novak was on Top of The World and cruising in his matches until he met Sasha and it all went down hill fast?
Now he says he has come into Olympics with injuries and mental exhaustion?
Novak was Outplayed in both his matches against Sasha and PCB....that is Fact.
Barty and Peers wins a bronze medal due to withdrawal.

It may have still been beneficial for Djokovic to go to Tokyo, but I say it was a total waste of time; physically & mentally! He has time to recover!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

It may have still been beneficial for Djokovic to go to Tokyo, but I say it was a total waste of time; physically & mentally! He has time to recover!

That was Novak's decision to play Olympics well he is not playing Toronto,I suppose he has time to recover.,though the USO is not one of his best GS tournaments.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I had to leave because I was on night shift after the men's match....Novak now has a shoulder injury and had to withdraw
Well if he stopped smashing his racket on the ground that injury might not have happened.Like Pigs Might Fly
Novak was on Top of The World and cruising in his matches until he met Sasha and it all went down hill fast?
Now he says he has come into Olympics with injuries and mental exhaustion?
Novak was Outplayed in both his matches against Sasha and PCB....that is Fact.
Barty and Peers wins a bronze medal mixed doubles medal due to withdrawal.

Novak is about as injured as Trump will attend church service on Sunday and feed provide assistance at the local homeless shelter

 

[Moxie]

I strongly criticize Novak for not playing in the broze medal match of MD. I don't buy the shoulder injury excuse. As others pointed out, it was just injury to his pride. By not playing in a match with medal implications, he let down his country. Given that this is a doubles event, he also let down his partner Nina and deprived her a chance to win a medal. I consider this withdrawal to be more shameful act of Novak (even more so than his throwing of racquets).

I agree with all of this, and I would add that, by not playing, he implicitly says that, without him at 100%, she couldn't possibly carry the match. Unless his left shoulder was hanging by a thread, and watching that PCB match, it didn't seem to be that dire, he could have attempted the doubles and let her try to carry him. I'm sure there a lot of fans in Serbia who would say he should keep his eyes on the bigger prize (USO, CYGS,) but he did leave a medal chance and his partner hanging. Not especially sporting.

 

[Moxie]

No, I don't think so. In view of the best of 5 format, his odds at USO will be higher than at Olympics, other things being equal.

But, now when the odds get revised for USO, they will be worse than his odds at Olympics.

That would be because there is blood in the water and lot of sharks are smelling it.

View attachment 5167

Yes, we all agree that Bo5 format favors the better player. But lots of people around here put down the Olympics because the competition isn't as strong. And this year, in particular, due to the number of top players who declined to attend. The field at the USO will be much stronger. Not the least of which because Nadal will be in, and he's beaten Novak more than lost to him at the USO. And while the best of 5 can work to Novak's favor, it can also work against it: he's self-proclaimed mentally and emotionally drained. He's going to have to get through 7 long matches, with the pressure of the CYGS on him. I'll just say it again: if Serena 2015 fell two matches short, I don't see Novak getting it done. And yes, in part, because there is blood in the water. And Djokovic knows it, too.

 

[Moxie]

Agree with all. It was indeed the pride as a main reason why at the end Novak opted to play OG. All was looking fine until he was actually challenged. Once he got a challenge against Zverev he was unable to stood up and play like he normally does then again disappointment against PCB is probably even worse than losing to Sacha. It sometimes deceives us tennis fans thinking we know the real mental/body state of the player when at some point all looks normal and the next is absolute disaster. He can take this in 2 ways. Recharge mentally and physically and come back strong for USO or fall down even further due to mental/body exhaustion. We shall see in a few weeks time, but he does need a good rest after this. I know he wanted win OG so badly, but at the end was just wrong decision and it potentially could affect his USO performance too.

I really think people are underestimating the pressure. Look at Osaka and Biles. Djokovic seemed to be cruising, until he wasn't. I know that you and I were against his going to the OG, for exactly this outcome, (though for opposite reasons.) I mentioned earlier that Steffi Graf had the luxury of winning the CYGS before she had to decide about going to the Olympics. Novak did not. I do think the choice to go could very well prove fatal to his CYGS hopes.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Moxie,

Please read my post where Novak said Pressure is a Privilege in response to when Simone Biles, he stated that to the press when she withdrew to mental pressure and you have to deal with pressure and cope in these moments?
Now you are giving him a free pass? one minute he is on top of the world and cruising and decided to play mixed doubles which was his choice.? now he cites mental exhaustion and is injured., after he loses.Sorry I don't buy the tripe at all.
He made the decision to play the Olympics full stop.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Without pressure there is no professional sport.If you are aiming to be at the top of your sport you better start learning how to deal with pressure and how to cope with those moments".

Did he say this when he was asked about Simon Biles explicitly or did he just make a general statement.

If former, that is in poor taste. Especially, with gymnasts it could even be a life and death question with the so called "twisties". It is not like tennis where the worst outcome is you lose miserably and/or you sustain minor injuries here and there.