What are your favorite wins and worst losses (for your guy)?

[El Dude]

My favorite Roger win: The 2017 AO, undoubtedly, which I think will go down as his greatest victory. Before that it was 2012 Wimbledon, but that was only two and a half years from a Slam, rather than four and a half years in 2017 - and at 35 years old. Plus the sweetness of beating Rafa easily trumps beating Andy.

My worst Roger loss: 2019 Wimbledon. I don't know why that one hit me particularly hard, perhaps because I knew or sensed that it would be his last real chance. And, of course, the missed championship points. I couldn't follow tennis for a few months after (and then the pandemic hit, and I barely followed the sport for most of 2020).

And you? My emphasis is on the gut response - how it hit you emotionally.

 

[Fiero425]

Well I can agree with those Federer choices completely if he were my fave! I have to go back in time to a bygone era of tennis majesty with Bjorn Borg, probably the 1st Int'l icon and teen idol! Everyone knows of his bad luck trying to win a US Open even when on clay for 3 years; '75-77! His best chance was in '76 off his Wimbledon victory over Ilie Nastase! He barely got to the final overcoming Fillol in the 2nd round due to BO3 early in the tournament! Jaime was up a break or 2 in the 3rd, but somehow he allowed Borg to come back to win in a TB! Only people from that era knew he was some kind of "binder king" with a notebook on all players so he knew what to tell people to do to defeat any opponent! Too bad it didn't work for him in those crucial points! Borg also had to come back from the dead going 5 sets vs Gottfried and another clay specialist, Orantes in the QF! He got to the final against his nemesis, Connors! They split the 1st 2 sets with a TB to decide the 3rd! Most felt whoever won that 3rd set had the match and it was prophetic! Borg actually got up a break in the TB and had 2 set points, but somehow Connors willed himself not to miss and took a healthy backhand cut at a CC opportunity that caught the line and stole the TB! Borg tried, but went down in the 4th! It was the last time Connors could say he "owned Borg!" Jimmy d Bjorn 6-4,3-6,7-6,6-4

Borg's best win goes without saying, "Breakfast At Wimbledon, 1980," Borg over McEnroe in an epic 5 setter with a TB for the ages in the 4th!

 

[Kieran]

Yeah, I’d go Borg-McEnroe Wimbledon final for the best, and US Open final later that summer for the worst. Having fought back from two sets down, Bjorn served two double faults in the seventh game for McEnroe to break, and John served it out, a beautiful, harrowing angled volley off the serve on match point, 40-15 and 5-4. I can still see it as clear as if it was yesterday.

After this, the greatest performance I’ve ever seen, Sampras dismantling Agassi in straights in the 1999 Wimbledon final. Rafa beating Roger in five in 2008. I must admit that losing the semi this year in Paris was fairly bad…

 

[Kieran]

The funny thing about following tennis is, I think defeats hurt far more than the enjoyment we get when they win…

 

[El Dude]

The funny thing about following tennis is, I think defeats hurt far more than the enjoyment we get when they win…

That's true, isn't it? But I wonder if that is mainly the result of following one of the greats. I mean, if Andrey Rublev was your favorite player (and he's one of my favorites of the young 'uns), then winning a Masters will feel great. Or if you were a David Ferrer fan, getting that lone Slam title would have made all the losses feel inconsequential.

But we're all jaded in the era of 20 Slam winners. We're used to their success.

 

[Fiero425]

That's true, isn't it? But I wonder if that is mainly the result of following one of the greats. I mean, if Andrey Rublev was your favorite player (and he's one of my favorites of the young 'uns), then winning a Masters will feel great. Or if you were a David Ferrer fan, getting that lone Slam title would have made all the losses feel inconsequential.

But we're all jaded in the era of 20 Slam winners. We're used to their success.

IDK what people will do when the men's game starts to reflect the women's! There may be no consensus #1 w/ rankings flipping around!

 

[El Dude]

IDK what people will do when the men's game starts to reflect the women's! There may be no consensus #1 w/ rankings flipping around!

Those are just periods of transition. We saw it in the men's game in the late 90s, early 00s, with 12 players being #1 between 1996 and 2004, until Federer took over. Pete's dominance saw Muster, Rios, Moya, Kafelnikov, Agassi, and Rafter sneak in, then younger guys started taking over with Safin, Kuerten, Hewitt, Ferrero and Roddick. Then Federer.

Maybe we see a similar situation if and when Medvedev steals the top slot from Novak (2022 AO?). We might Novak get more time, but it will be mixed with Daniil, maybe Zverev, Tsitsipas, and one or two others, before one of the younger guys takes over (Sinner? FAA? Alcaraz?).

Or we might be lucky to see another mid-to-late 80s, when you had numerous elite players, with no single guy standing out above the rest. Starting with the end of McEnroe's reign in 1985, you've got Mac, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, and Becker, then Courier, Sampras, and Agassi entering the mix starting in 1992.

I have a nifty little chart of Slams by birth year, which shows how greats emerge every few years, but there are lots of peaks and valleys. Tis the nature of things.

 

[El Dude]

Oh yeah, Fiero, someone will emerge in the WTA to dominate. Osaka seemed like the person, but hasn't quite (yet) established herself. Coco? Raducanu? I don't follow it closely enough to have an educated guess.

 

[Moxie]

My first favorite was Borg, so the 1980 Wimbledon v McEnroe was a great thrill, a great match, and that isn't surprising. I don't think that's the greatest tennis match of all time, but I did think so for a long time. I didn't watch enough tennis to get my heart broken by a Borg loss, only by that he quit so young.

Safin was my next fave, and the 2005 AO SF win over Roger is one of my all-time favorite matches. I know that Safin would say that he thinks he played his most perfect match to beat Pete at the USO final in 2000. But I loved the imperfect, tortured Safin that beat Roger in that semi. And it is on the list of all-time great matches, too. (As to Safin disappointments, they are too great to mention.)

As a Nadal fan, the 2008 Wimbledon final, of course. And probably the 2013 USO final win over Djokovic. Probably the 2 most thrilling and satisfying, with the AO 2009 final over Roger up there. (2006 Rome final over Roger gets an honorable mention.)

Roughest losses: The ones at Majors are at the Australian, of course. I regret that Rafa's back went in the AO 2014 final. That seemed a winnable match. And it would have been the double career slam. And he blew a lead in the 5th in the 2012 final v Novak, and in the 2017 final v Roger. Of those two, I wish he'd won the 2012, as I think it would have been more impactful. Mentioned regret: SF loss at W to Novak in 2018.

Most shocking: 2009 loss to Soderling at the French.

 

[shawnbm]

Well, I soooooo wanted Connors to the one to stop Borg at Wimbledon when I was younger and the was up two sets to love in the 1981 semifinal against the angelic assassin but lost 6-4 in the fifth—I was crushed, even though I had nothing against Borg and came to admire him more and more as the years passed. I just wanted jimbo to win. From that era, Connors beating McEnroe in the 1982 Wimbledon the next year was thrilling for me then. Loved that!

in the modern era, the Federer victory over Rafa in Melbourne in 2017 has to be right up there if not the top one—much on the line that match. The loss to Novak in 2019 SW19 final with two championship points whilst serving is without a doubt the most crushing defeat for me as to Roger—just nauseating to watch it and believe 21 is here and a 9th championship and so happy only to walk away sullen and depressed. Kudos to Nole—he was tough when it counted.

Most shocking major final match? McEnroe utterly destroying a fellow hall of famer (Connors) in the 1984 final at Wimbledon. That is likely the single most destructive display of stellar tennis I’ve ever seen. In three sets Johnny Mac made TWO UFEs!!!!! Recall he was not a baseline grinder who waited for an error but an attacking aggressive player who played with higher risk of good or bad. It was all incredible that day, against the properly considered best returner of serve of that era like Novak is today and Andre was during his era with Pistol Pete. Amazing McEnroe that day.

 

[Federberg]

AO17 for the win

But too many to count for the losses...

AO09, Wm19, US09, Wm08... take you pick. He should have won all of those. And what's worse is that there are probably more that I don't care to think about. The git should have more than 20!

 

[Kieran]

Well, I soooooo wanted Connors to the one to stop Borg at Wimbledon when I was younger and the was up two sets to love in the 1981 semifinal against the angelic assassin but lost 6-4 in the fifth—I was crushed, even though I had nothing against Borg and came to admire him more and more as the years passed. I just wanted jimbo to win. From that era, Connors beating McEnroe in the 1982 Wimbledon the next year was thrilling for me then. Loved that!

in the modern era, the Federer victory over Rafa in Melbourne in 2017 has to be right up there if not the top one—much on the line that match. The loss to Novak in 2019 SW19 final with two championship points whilst serving is without a doubt the most crushing defeat for me as to Roger—just nauseating to watch it and believe 21 is here and a 9th championship and so happy only to walk away sullen and depressed. Kudos to Nole—he was tough when it counted.

Most shocking major final match? McEnroe utterly destroying a fellow hall of famer (Connors) in the 1984 final at Wimbledon. That is likely the single most destructive display of stellar tennis I’ve ever seen. In three sets Johnny Mac made TWO UFEs!!!!! Recall he was not a baseline grinder who waited for an error but an attacking aggressive player who played with higher risk of good or bad. It was all incredible that day, against the properly considered best returner of serve of that era like Novak is today and Andre was during his era with Pistol Pete. Amazing McEnroe that day.

McEnroe a few weeks after his greatest disappointment. I remember these matches well. I never liked the rude leftie Americans but I appreciated their spite and their talent. I believe the pair of them went to five in a brawl at the US Open later that summer - Jimmy was nothing if not proud…

 

[shawnbm]

Yeah, brother, inspired on Connors and Mac a bit as the years went by, but that was how I felt back then as a teenager. That 1984 performance by McEnroe was really something.

 

[shawnbm]

Not inspired—I soured

 

[Kieran]

Yeah, brother, inspired on Connors and Mac a bit as the years went by, but that was how I felt back then as a teenager. That 1984 performance by McEnroe was really something.

His peak, including then the USO, and then Mac was cooked. Suddenly and shockingly, really. I remember thinking before the USO final in 1985 that he’d hammer Lendl, but it went the other way. I hadn’t realised he was already gone, long before that.

Given how unorthodox his game was, McEnroe is the most gifted I’ve seen. His sulky face was a joy to see when he lost. This is why the 1980 final was so satisfying, he’d been on the radar to win there since 1977…

 

[El Dude]

His peak, including then the USO, and then Mac was cooked. Suddenly and shockingly, really. I remember thinking before the USO final in 1985 that he’d hammer Lendl, but it went the other way. I hadn’t realised he was already gone, long before that.

Given how unorthodox his game was, McEnroe is the most gifted I’ve seen. His sulky face was a joy to see when he lost. This is why the 1980 final was so satisfying, he’d been on the radar to win there since 1977…

I hear you, and agree that Mac's level dropped in 1985, but he was still pretty damn good: he won 8 titles and finished #2, and it was the only year of his career that he finished in the QF or better at all four Slams (though that's because he didn't play the AO in 1984, which I agree is one of the top 5 seasons of the Open Era, along with Laver in 69, Roger in 06, and Novak in 12 and 15).

His level didn't really plummet until 1986 and he remained a good (top 20) player through 1992. It wasn't a Wilander-esque decline. He even won the Dallas WCT in 1989, including defeating his arch-nemesis Ivan Lendl. But yeah, vintage Mac is 1979-85, with 84 being his absolute peak. I blame Tatum O'Neal.

 

[El Dude]

No Novak fans are chiming in with this past US Open. Too soon?

 

[shawnbm]

I hear you, and agree that Mac's level dropped in 1985, but he was still pretty damn good: he won 8 titles and finished #2, and it was the only year of his career that he finished in the QF or better at all four Slams (though that's because he didn't play the AO in 1984, which I agree is one of the top 5 seasons of the Open Era, along with Laver in 69, Roger in 06, and Novak in 12 and 15).

His level didn't really plummet until 1986 and he remained a good (top 20) player through 1992. It wasn't a Wilander-esque decline. He even won the Dallas WCT in 1989, including defeating his arch-nemesis Ivan Lendl. But yeah, vintage Mac is 1979-85, with 84 being his absolute peak. I blame Tatum O'Neal.

Tatum O’Neil!!! I for one would likely have succumbed to her bewitching ways

 

[don_fabio]

Nothing beats my fellow countryman Goran beating Rafter in a Wimbledon thriller in 2001.

More recent maybe Novak disqualified in USO and later loss to Rafa in RG, that combo kind of sucked. Way more than this loss against Daniil given how great this whole season was.

 

[tented]

FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM — JANUARY 29, 2017 — APPROXIMATELY 7:30 AM

Tented, a Nadal fan, enters the bedroom as the sun is beginning to rise. His Partner, a Federer fan, is still asleep, having worked late the night before. Tented shakes his partner’s shoulder to wake him up.

TENTED:
Hey! Wake up!

No response, so Tented shakes his Partner’s shoulder repeatedly.

TENTED:
Wake up! Wake up!

Partner begins to open his eyes.

PARTNER:
What?

TENTED:
Roger won.

PARTNER:
What?

TENTED:
Roger won. He beat Rafa.

PARTNER:
Oh … what time is it?

TENTED:
A bit after 7:30. Why?

PARTNER:
It’s not time for me to get up. I worked late.

TENTED:
Oh … but you’re not totally awake now, are you? You can go back to sleep, right? Gosh, I’d hate to ruin your day. I didn’t ruin your whole day, did I?