Not really, the H2H was actually even from 2008-2011, with Novak getting most of the big matches, including the 2010 and 2011 US Opens: https://www.tennisfrontier.com/thre...h-points-in-the-2010-11-uso-and-2019-wb.7670/
Its funny ElDude i was just compiling a list for players in the last 30 or so years who have won a Major & on what Slam attempt they first reached a final. Since they all won eventually I focused when they first made a final, not when they finally won. Some took up to their 5th attempt. Call it in hindsight potential fullfilled. Not so shocking the majority reached more than one final which shows the mental toughness they have.
Interestingly though, I think Carlos will be gunning for everything and everyone too. I think he’ll wear the target on his back lightly. I think he’ll see Novak as the one to beat, to avoid putting too much heat on himself. I also think this Wimbledon title will send his confidence rocketing.
Do you really think Novak should be a ' co favorite' at the USO? it is his worst GS to date, being in 9 finals and winning 3 titles in 2011, 2015,2018, though I think Novak would be keen to play Alcaraz in the final, if both players get to the final this year., Alcaraz being the defending champion, I feel is harder to win, trying to defend your GS title
That’s why they’re co-favourites, in my book. 3 wins and 9 finals is quite a record of consistency. Only Medvedev is left as a threat, of those who beat him in the final. And Carlos is the defending champ, coming off a confidence boosting Wimbledon.
I agree with your thoughts regarding Meddy the ' HC specialist' he loves to remind us of that dosent he, if he is playing at his high level, he has the game to defeat Novak, has he has already done that at the USO., though does he have the game to defeat Carlos at the USO? many unanswered questions.
That’s true, mustn’t get carried away, he is still only 20…
This was such an interesting exercise that you put up. While I looked up Roger, Rafa, Novak, Andy M., Charly A., and Stan, just for fun, I should have realized that, by the time I got back from my run, you and @El Dude would have run the gamut of players. LOL. Still, I'm wondering what it tells us? While there seems to be a general window, even Roger took surprisingly long to make his first final, and then he won 20 Majors. Oddly, doesn't he fail in the "outlier" range? It IS informative to me because his fans were always saying he was a "late-bloomer," and I rather thought that was relative to Rafa, as much as anything else. Though I do know that he was pegged early as a very talented player, and his lack of Major results was a frustration to tennis fans. (Felix, Jannik, others, take heart!)
It's rather hard not to, for the moment. Now, if folks will just spare the negativity about his body holding up, rather unwarranted.
Novak has only one Achilles heel which means it will take another Herculean effort to defeat him..If someone upsets Meddy or Alcaraz, Novak will win the USO title unvaccinated
Roger was tagged early, he was a Jr Wimbledon champ, and who could forget his besting defending & 7 time champhion Pistol Pete as a ponytailed 19 year old kid at Wimbledon in a thrilling memorable 5 set match? Who did he think he was beating Sampras? Still remember a stunned Pete and a sobbing Federer overwhelmed by what he had accomplished.
I think the fact that it doesn't tell us much, actually tells us something: there's no clear window that all or even most fall into, except for very large ones, and perhaps large enough to be almost meaningless. And then there's Stan, who sort of opens the door for other exceptions (especially 1-3 Slam winners).
Well, I'm glad you said that! I know you kind of like to fit things into boxes, or stats, and this one didn't fit. Age is only a number, in the new model, and maybe anyone can break out, whenever. Right? That's why I said lots of players might yet take heart. As the Big 3 shove off from the shore, a land of possibility awaits.
We will see it is not Novak's best GS to date the USO, though after being beaten in Wimbledon, he will be out to prove he is still one of the players to beat in the tour ( as if he didnt already know that)
Novak doesn't "Just"want to be " one of the player to beat on the tour" No Sir re Bob , Novak's mindset is that he is the BEST player in the World..I don't blame him not one bit.
I never really bought into the later-peak trajectory of tennis, it seemed to me that only in the mental or maturity stakes could a player benefit from experience, but certainly not physically. Yeah, some young players overwork their bodies ahead of time and suffer for it, but there’s never seemed to me to be good reason why players were peaking later.
Definitely agree. Plus, Novak didn't really look right physically during the Wimbledon final and he might have hurt his wrist when he broke the racket. I wouldn't be surprised if Novak didn't make it past the first week at the US Open. Also, a good point about Alcaraz. The US Open is the hardest slam to repeat. Carlos and Novak have won the last 5 slams, so we may be overdue for a slam champion outside those two.
Hard to tell with Novak and injuries. Difficult to sift through the lies and basic cheating and decide, yeah he’s injured. With regards to the possible wrist injury, he’d have deserved it. But wasn’t he pretending recently to have an actual wrist injury? It’s hard to keep up. If so, he really tested it there.
Exactly what I was thinking and was reading through the thread to see if anyone had mentioned this. The biggest threat to Alcaraz is Alcaraz. Running so fast and chasing down every ball makes for spectacular highlight reels, but it's also quite possible it'll result in injury. Look at Andy Murray although he lasted well till early thirties. But everyone is different so who knows.
