Will Novak pass Rafa?

[britbox]

On the GOAT argument. The first time I really remember it becoming mainstream was when Sampras was chasing Roy Emerson's tally of majors. I think this was an extension of the Michael Jordan hyperbole in basketball and the obsession with statistics over nuance. No tennis fan would have regarded Emerson as the greatest player ever.

My old man used to regard Pancho (Gonzalez) as the best he'd seen, and had Rosewall over Laver. Of course, in those days, you likely didn't see much coverage anyway.

The current three have taken tennis to a completely new level. I think that's obvious by the complete failure of the next two generations to make a significant dent.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Slam distribution by surface:

Nadal 13-5-2 (13 clay, 5 hardcourt, 2 grass)
Djokovic 11-5-1 (11 hardcourt, 5 grass, 1 clay)

Nadal is better than Djokovic on their best surface and he is better than Djokovic on their worst surface.

Slam statistics:

Nadal 20-17 in slam titles
Nadal 10-6 in slams h2h

Please everyone you can now stop comparing the two players because it's an insult to GOATdal.

 

[Bonaca]

Slam distribution by surface:

Nadal 13-5-2 (13 clay, 5 hardcourt, 2 grass)
Djokovic 11-5-1 (11 hardcourt, 5 grass, 1 clay)

Nadal is better than Djokovic on their best surface and he is better than Djokovic on their worst surface.

Slam statistics:

Nadal 20-17 in slam titles
Nadal 10-6 in slams h2h

Please everyone you can now stop comparing the two players because it's an insult to GOATdal.

Novak beat Bobo more often than lose.
He dominates him for a decade.
He beated him everywhere even in Paris, bobo never beated Novak on his best surface in AO.
Nadala is a joke in most weeks at no 1.
Novak can still reach every record, Nadal never.
Bullshit about Nadala keeps bullshit, no matter how often repeated.
Not comparable?


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[Fiero425]

Yeah, hard to compare eras. I remember reading a question about Borg and the Australian Open, which he didn't play - at the time it was the fourth slam of the year. He said he'd go if he had a chance to win a calendar grand slam. In those days, just known as "THE GRAND SLAM" - winning all four in a year - the holy grail of tennis.

If one of those US Opens had gone his way to get to three, Bjorn would have gone down under. Interestingly, Jimmy Connors said he'd have also played the AO in an effort to stop Borg doing it - should the situation have ever happened.

The AO was moved to the end of the season in an effort to coax Borg to go "down under!" He was literally winning the FO and Wimbledon routinely back then, making finals at the USO in '76, '78, '80, & '81! He just couldn't get over the hump to capture that elusive major even though it moved and changed surfaces a couple times over a period of 4 years! It really seemed as if USO was headed to obscurity because the players actually started complaining aloud that Flushing should be "A-Bombed!" After 10 years the AO moved back to it's original part of the schedule, starting out the season instead of concluding it!

 

[Sabratha]

It's hard to say.

If injury sidelines Novak more often and he loses some of his greatest assets (speed and tenacity for example) then it's possible he won't catch Rafa. However, if he continues to recover and compensate for this with shotmaking and use of his other abilities he could continue to win slams here and there.

 

[Bonaca]

He has 4 realistic chances this year and the next, I would say his biggest chance is Wimbledon.
If nabull coudnt win RG this year he will get him.
Otherwise I would say it keeps realistic to at least tie him.


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[don_fabio]

As long as Nadal has every RG in a bag Novak will have low chances of catching him, he has to win 2 slams every year just to narrow a gap by one. Nadal won too many US Opens last few years and last year Wimbledon cancellation and USO default from Novak did not help. The only thing that could favour Novak is if Nadal declines and Novak plays longer on top level, but this highly unlikely and then there is injuries, but they both seem fine phisically for quite long period already.

 

[Sabratha]

He has 4 realistic chances this year and the next, I would say his biggest chance is Wimbledon.
If nabull coudnt win RG this year he will get him.
Otherwise I would say it keeps realistic to at least tie him.


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He's never won three Wimbledon editions in a row yet you're penciling him in as the favorite?

 

[Bonaca]

He's never won three Wimbledon editions in a row yet you're penciling him in as the favorite?

Who else should it be at Wimbledon? Roger after this long break?
I think he will catch next Wimbledon most likely of the coming slams, on HC the competion is serious with Daniil at the top.
Lowest chances in Paris.


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[Sabratha]

Who else should it be at Wimbledon? Roger after this long break?
I think he will catch next Wimbledon most likely of the coming slams, on HC the competion is serious with Daniil at the top.
Lowest chances in Paris.


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I think it's about time someone new wins Wimbledon.

 

[Bonaca]

I think it's about time someone new wins Wimbledon.

I dont see who this could be.
The young guns became stronger and stronger, the old guard step by step slower.
But not on grass, on HC and clay they became serious contenders, that for i wrote Novaks biggest chances will be in London this and maybe next year.

 

[Bonaca]

I think it's about time someone new wins Wimbledon.

who is your fave player?

 

[Fiero425]

Who else should it be at Wimbledon? Roger after this long break?
I think he will catch next Wimbledon most likely of the coming slams, on HC the competion is serious with Daniil at the top.
Lowest chances in Paris.


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I'll be done w/ Men's tennis if they allow Roger to saunter back in there & take his "rightful" place as if he hadn't taken a yr. off! I've done it B4!

 

[Sabratha]

I dont see who this could be.
The young guns became stronger and stronger, the old guard step by step slower.
But not on grass, on HC and clay they became serious contenders, that for i wrote Novaks biggest chances will be in London this and maybe next year.

It's got to change at some point. I'd bet on Novak winning the Australian next year over him winning Wimbledon this year.

 

[Sabratha]

who is your fave player?

I've got a few.

 

[Bonaca]

I've got a few.

That would be.......?


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[Bonaca]

It's got to change at some point. I'd bet on Novak winning the Australian next year over him winning Wimbledon this year.

It will change no doubt about that, but in Australia there are many player who can defeat him, on grass they are no factor except Roger. Therefor I see his best shot in London.
But we will see. Now its important for him to give everything he has to catch this title.
After catching the weeks at no 1 record and masters titles he will most likely focus even more on the slams.
If he can reduce the background noise with the atp officials and stay focused for 1-2 years...........

 

[Sabratha]

It will change no doubt about that, but in Australia there are many player who can defeat him, on grass they are no factor except Roger. Therefor I see his best shot in London.
But we will see. Now its important for him to give everything he has to catch this title.
After catching the weeks at no 1 record and masters titles he will most likely focus even more on the slams.
If he can reduce the background noise with the atp officials and stay focused for 1-2 years...........

Querrey posed some problems in 2016 and nobody expected that to happen.

 

[Bonaca]

Querrey posed some problems in 2016 and nobody expected that to happen.

Not comparable to the present. Sound a bit like wishful thinking.
You surly remember the circumstances of 2016-Wimbledon 2018, today we see another Novak, no way the Djokovic of late 2016 shows up in London 2021.
This was his worst version for nearly 2 years, without that walkabout there would be no GOAT discussions.
Querrey who?

 

[Sabratha]

Not comparable to the present. Sound a bit like wishful thinking.
You surly remember the circumstances of 2016-Wimbledon 2018, today we see another Novak, no way the Djokovic of late 2016 shows up in London 2021.
This was his worst version for nearly 2 years, without that walkabout there would be no GOAT discussions.
Querrey who?

He was injured this very tournament... what's saying he'll pick up another?