The Tennis Thread
Discussion
McGee_22 said:
23 Men’s singles Grand Slam wins for Novak Djokovic and no signs of stopping. I suspect 25+ is well within his reach and maybe towards 30.
I can remember back to when Pete Sampras won his 14th and everyone said that would never be beaten - then came Roger, then Rafa, then the Joker.
Respect the 23rd Grand Slam but cannot stand the guy, not really had much competition this week. I can remember back to when Pete Sampras won his 14th and everyone said that would never be beaten - then came Roger, then Rafa, then the Joker.
I’d love to know why the young generation can’t simply raise their game to his level. Physically he is not predisposed to be better, he’s clearly not an inspired genius, but works very, very hard at what he needs to do.
I get tired of seeing his stupid cartoon-villain-stubble-shadowed face and his entirely false modesty. Mate, you’ve won more than anyone else - revel in it. It’s a modesty only the truly arrogant can afford.
As for the greatest of all time - titles say he is, but I doubt in the grand pantheon of entertainment he’d top the polls, I’d guess it didn’t matter before but now he’s out on his own he might want to chase a bit of popularity. Even Serena Williams became more gracious with age.
I get tired of seeing his stupid cartoon-villain-stubble-shadowed face and his entirely false modesty. Mate, you’ve won more than anyone else - revel in it. It’s a modesty only the truly arrogant can afford.
As for the greatest of all time - titles say he is, but I doubt in the grand pantheon of entertainment he’d top the polls, I’d guess it didn’t matter before but now he’s out on his own he might want to chase a bit of popularity. Even Serena Williams became more gracious with age.
McGee_22 said:
23 Men’s singles Grand Slam wins for Novak Djokovic and no signs of stopping. I suspect 25+ is well within his reach and maybe towards 30.
I can remember back to when Pete Sampras won his 14th and everyone said that would never be beaten - then came Roger, then Rafa, then the Joker.
The Sampras era was a lot easier too. Who else was really up there with him at the time? Agassi, Becker? I can remember back to when Pete Sampras won his 14th and everyone said that would never be beaten - then came Roger, then Rafa, then the Joker.
Novak has managed to win 23 slams playing in the same era as two of the modern all-time greats who have 42 slams between them. Had Novak been allowed to play certain tournaments over the last few years he could have been over 25 slams by now.
paulguitar said:
May I ask (as someone who enjoys tennis but is certainly no expert) why Djokovic is so unpopular? Is he kind of the Max Verstappen of tennis?
I’d be interested in this too from the posters above?I’m no particular fan of Djokovic and he can be abrasive but so was Rafa in his youth as well as being a very sore loser (he would always claim he had a bad game rather than say his opponent played well). Roger was guilty of some excessive big headedness on occasion but for all of them that goes with the territory of self-belief and bloody mindedness. Roger and Rafa certainly mellowed but that was perhaps because their career ends were in sight - I don’t suppose Novak sees that yet?
As for Serena becoming gracious - I never saw that - if anything she became more bitter and entitled as she went on.
What I find remarkable during this whole stellar Roger, Rafa and Novak period is that both Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka managed to nab 3 Grand Slams each when the others were not injured, and even more, Andy became World Number 1.
He, like Federer and Nadal is an astonishing tennis player. He deserves to be recognised alongside all the greats.
Never warmed to him though thanks to some strange off court antics, but mostly because of what has always struck me as his too frequent feigning of injury or other difficulties when losing.
Never warmed to him though thanks to some strange off court antics, but mostly because of what has always struck me as his too frequent feigning of injury or other difficulties when losing.
Magikarp said:
I get tired of seeing his stupid cartoon-villain-stubble-shadowed face and his entirely false modesty. Mate, you’ve won more than anyone else - revel in it. It’s a modesty only the truly arrogant can afford.
I expect you were quite pleased with his quite lengthy and self-admiring speech when he was handed the trophy yesterday then. He certainly wasn't modest, kept pointing at the '23' sewn on the front of his tracky top too. So has he done the right thing by showing off now or is he now too arrogant?Bloke can't win.
For the record I think his histrionics about the vaccine were pathetic and he got all he deserved for that, but aside from that, why is his stubble "cartoon villain" and nobody else's is? There are some enormously suspect personal grooming displays on the tennis tour, seems a bit odd to point out Djokovic's stubble when he's clearly one of those blokes who has to shave twice a day. I always thought Stan Wawrinka's performative scruffiness was a bit off putting, but hey ho. Nadal's ar$e-picking and finger sniffing was always a bugbear of mine. Personal choices, though.
There seems to be some deep-rooted feelings about his nationality amongst tennis fans, which really ought to be put to bed by one thing alone - his obviously excellent relationship with Goran Ivanisevic. I'd go so far as to say their two countries would be well advised to use their relationship of mutual respect and warmth as an example of how their wider populations and governments should behave.
Well done to Djokovic on a sporting level, he may never be matched. Everything else is noise.
Edited by Bannock on Monday 12th June 11:49
Don't know the bloke personally so no idea if he is likeable or not but the main reason I am not a fan is I just don't find his tennis style that interesting - he is the definition of "machine", incredibly fit, efficient and strong with a single-minded belief in winning. Which I find boring so have never warmed to him but that's just me.
His record speaks for itself though and has to be respected.
His record speaks for itself though and has to be respected.
Legend83 said:
Don't know the bloke personally so no idea if he is likeable or not but the main reason I am not a fan is I just don't find his tennis style that interesting - he is the definition of "machine", incredibly fit, efficient and strong with a single-minded belief in winning. Which I find boring so have never warmed to him but that's just me.
His record speaks for itself though and has to be respected.
Being more sensible, yes that's about right - he's a tennis-bot.His record speaks for itself though and has to be respected.
Nice to see the British women having a decent run at Nottingham this week (meaning that some of the tennis pundits / commentary bods for the games finally gave up talking about Raducanu for a bit 
) with 4 in the quarters, 3 in the semis and culminating in a Boulter vs Burrage singles final and Watson & Dart in the doubles final on Sunday.
Plus Andy making the Nottingham final too having won Surbiton the week before.
) with 4 in the quarters, 3 in the semis and culminating in a Boulter vs Burrage singles final and Watson & Dart in the doubles final on Sunday.Plus Andy making the Nottingham final too having won Surbiton the week before.
It has been good watching the ladies win quite so many games but it has to be remembered it is a quite a lowly ranked competition.
That said, a few good players have fallen to Burrage and Boulter and just getting the wins over much higher ranked competitors, as well as some three set experience will do them all the world of good.
Murray is very obviously getting as much grass practice in as possible - perhaps in advance of retirement at the end of this season?
That said, a few good players have fallen to Burrage and Boulter and just getting the wins over much higher ranked competitors, as well as some three set experience will do them all the world of good.
Murray is very obviously getting as much grass practice in as possible - perhaps in advance of retirement at the end of this season?
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