Time and time again this season, and really throughout his entire career, Novak Djokovic has been proving that he can flip a switch and suddenly deliver his very best tennis whenever it matters most.
At the Australian Open he defeated Taylor Fritz in five sets despite being less than 100 percent in their third-round match. Djokovic went on to capture a ninth title Down Under.
At the French Open, he came back from two sets down to beat Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round. Two matches later he lost the first five games against Rafael Nadal but then recovered to win one of the best sets in tournament history en route to a four-set victory.
All of that set the stage for similar theatrics in Sunday’s final. Facing Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost to Djokovic in…you guessed it…five sets in last year’s semifinals, the world No. 1 fell into another two-set hole. But with the pressure mounting, he once again rose to the occasion on one of the biggest stages in tennis and eventually triumphed 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 after four hours and 11 minutes.
Having now won two titles at Roland Garros, Djokovic has completed the double-career Grand Slam. Yes, he is the first man in Open Era history to win all four slams at least twice. His 19th major title overall leaves him just one behind Nadal and Roger Federer.
“Of course I am thrilled and Iām very proud of this achievement,ā Djokovic said of the double-career slam. “I think part of the history of the sport that I love with all my heart is always something that is very inspiring and very fulfilling for me. I couldnāt be happier and more satisfied with this kind of scenario in the last 48 hours.
“(It) probably ranks at the top three all-time achievements and experiences that I had in my professional tennis career ā going through four-and-a-half battle with Rafa on his court, then bouncing back after not practicing yesterday, just coming in today with as much as recharged batteries and energy regained to fight another battle of four-and-a-half hours against Tsitsipas.”
For a while it looked like Tsitsipas would pull off a stunning upset well before getting to the four-hour mark. Playing in his first major final, the 22-year-old got the best of an incredible first set and then dominated the second from start to finish.
Thereafter, though, Djokovic’s rise coincided with a dip in Tsitsipas’ form. Although it was by no means an all-out collapse, the Greek–like so many others before him–knows that giving Djokovic even the smallest of openings is an opening that cannot be given.
“What I learned today is that no matter what, in order for the match to be finished you have to win three sets and not two,” Tsitsipas noted. “Two sets doesnāt really mean anything. Itās still one away of winning the entire matchā¦.
“I really wish I could understand why things like this happened and evolved. But I was trying to figure it out during my game. It was difficult to come up with something. Itās very unfortunate; very sad in the same way because it was a good opportunity. I was playing good. I was feeling good. Yeah, I lost an opportunity to do something better today.”
Still, the world No. 5 leaves Roland Garros with no regrets.
“I donāt think I have regrets. Could have easily cried, but I see no reason for me crying because I tried everything. I couldnāt come up with anything better.”
Against Djokovic, sometimes–in fact, almost always–even your best is not enough.
nice one, Djoker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG2ij4GBxdw
Unbelievable. Was completely outplayed for 2 sets and facing imminent defeat, has a toilet break and turns up like he hasn’t been broken all tournament with not a worry in the world. Victory is a formality.
As a rafa fan these kind of statements are most upsetting .it’s as if he’s not in conversation .now it’s just between novak n fed for goat..rafa is sidelined as if his 20 mean nothing n he also has won all 4 n is closer to novak in h2h than Roger n has better h2h than Roger n has 5 year end no 1s too..the most ignored I think of big 3, less despised n hated than novak by Western media surely but definately not upheld enough https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-a-lot-people-including-myself-think-roger-federer-best-ever-novak-djokovic-there-rod-laver?article-trending
Sanju,
Thank you! Nothing more to say!
š
The only way for rafa to silence all is by just winning more.
But nny..novak n rafa are different .novaks single minded focus is to win majors n destroy all records .rafa is not that obsessed abt it. He is like it’s ok if I do n ok if I don’t..novak is like I want it..period ..
I know each person is different but I think this is the difference between both.
Fed I think today in his career is not thinking of records and is resigned to the fact he will be upstaged by both
Sanju,
I agree with you. I said here that Novak is obsessed with beating Rafa and Fed. It is intensely personal for him. Rafa is not that kind of person. I think he has already done more than he thought he would.
Last year after Rafa tied Fed at 20 slams, people were saying Rafa was the GOAT. Itās a vanity argument that demand the history of the sport. One simply cannot ignore the contributions of the past greats. I have watched this sport all my life and it is outrageous to boil it down to one person. So I donāt buy it and never will. Itās an ego thing by fans who are too emotionally invested in their favorite.
I remember when Fed fans would fight on tennis talk and tennis-x about Fed being the GOAT because he had the most slams. That was the determining factor. Novak is not there yet. What if Rafa should get the double career slam at the AO? Then what? Their careers are not over. Maybe Novak will end up with the most slams. We just donāt know.
The out of control Novak I saw at the end of the Berrettini match, was something I hope not to see again. That was dreadful, You can want it so much but to lose all perspective or reason and act out like that is disturbing.
We are heading toward 600,000 deaths in the U.S. Sport is not life or death. This has been a tragedy for so many families. Nobody dies in a tennis match. You can want the glory but not at the price of your humanity.
Autocorrect again.
The GOAT concept that demeans the history of the sport.
Well said NNY. Agree. We don’t want to lessen the contributions brought to the game of tennis by the earlier players. FED has become who he is because another brilliant man inspired him. Djoko was highly motivated by both Fed and Rafa success to become one of the best. It’s a chain. And this chain has to be respected. The fruit cannot be the goat. It’s part of a bigger tree. This is all I had to say.
This was one of the best points of the tournament.
https://youtu.be/3bnmkMx2x_8?t=195
The Rafole match was better quality than the final.
Eugene,
You know something? You said less but summed it up so much better! Itās too bad that this has to happen. But you are right about those who came before inspiring the next generation.
I know that many will feel the need to anoint a GOAT. It seems to be human nature. But it will always be biased and subject to argument and disagreement. These guys are not done yet. Thatās all I know. I also donāt think Fed needs to worry about his place in history. I sense that he would love to win Wimbledon at least one more time before he calls it a day. I am nit syr3 if he gets the record for Wimby wins if he gets one more.
I just wish we could celebrate the top three fir all that they have done. Itās been so enjoyable to see them do their thing.
I will wait until they are done to even think about assessing their careers. But I have loved it!
š
Fed already has the record in men’s.
Women Martina has one more at 9
Sanju,
Thanks for the info.
Like Tpas said…”even his best was not enough.”….Joker just too tough!
Sanyu completely agree šÆvery disrespectful š”
He is training in Rafas home town n in a tournament that Toni is the director. Literally rubbing it in haha https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportskeeda.com/amp/tennis/news-novak-djokovic-train-wimbledon-mallorca-coach-ivanisevic-says-serb-shouldn-t-playing-mallorca-championships
Nevermind Sanju, as long as Rafa has the desire to carry on playing, heāll improve and has his chances to beat whoever and wins some more slams. Rafa said he would come back to Paris next year, so thereās no desire to stop playing and thatās good news.
I said before (out of disappointment with the way Rafa played), that he would stop at 20; but deep down we all know that as long as Rafa has the desire, he will improve and come back strong, and he will find his way to overcome the weaknesses in his game.
While others play to break records, Rafa plays to push himself to realise his full potential, heās playing to become a better player, a better Rafa.
Nadal better play Wimbledon. Heāll be very stupid if he skips it. All this talk about him not being sure whether heāll participate is just nonsense. Heās healthy and not injured for goodness sake. So tired of this behavior from him. Djoko and his coach are busy talking about winning the golden slam this year (all 4 slams and the Olympic gold) and Nadal is busy considering skipping Wimbledon. As if watching him lose that painful semifinal is not bad enough, I have to hear him doubting his participation in Wimbledon for no justifiable reason.
Djokovic has lost painful matches but he comes back and plays the next grand slam and even wins it sometimes. He never gives up or decides to skip a grand slam for no reason. I really detest this attitude from Nadal. If he skips Wimbledon for no reason, while heās at it he should skip every other grand slam and come back next year French open. Djokovic is so self confident and sure about himself that he believes he can win everything n beat everyone. Sometimes I wish Nadal has atleast half of that self confidence.
Completely agree and I made that point above. Djokovic is obsessed about the records and has single minded focus towards it. Rafa on the other hand is – I am okay with whatever it is.
Will we ever hear fed or rafa say, I can win, I am playing for nothing less than the title . Djokovic announced this already for wimbledon š
Happy,
Itās hard enough dealing with the loss at RG. Letās not pile on. I had to read something yesterday about Rafa pulling his shorts before he serves or should I say picking his butt! That is the kind of thing that I used to read on tennis-x from Rafa haters. I never thought I would read it here.
Letās try to give Rafa a break. He absolutely should play Wimby. When you fall off a bicycle you have to get back on. So I think it is important that Rafa step up and move on. I do not want him to play at the Olympics. He has his medals. This is the time to concentrate on the slams.
As for Novak, I detest his displays of anger and the screaming and the kicking things and hitting a linesperson with a ball, I feel sorry for Berrettini having to watch that wretched display in their match.
Rafa would never behave like that. I am grateful for it. I do think he should keep playing. That is the best way to come back from a tough loss.
I am also fedip with Novak and his big mouth going on about winning everything. Rafa needs to get back in there if only to let him know that he is not going to have it all to himself!
Happy, I think you’re too harsh about Rafa. Rafa didn’t chicken out when he lost three straight slam finals to Djoko from 2011-2012; and when he was down and out in 2015.
If Rafa really skips this Wimbledon, I think he must be suffering from some injuries or fatigue, just spare him some slack.
NNY and luckystar, I am not being too harsh. Nadal is not injured, he said so in an interview. Fatigue is not an excuse bc if it is, then Djoko has no business playing Wimbledon either bc he should be exhausted. Luckystar, whenever Rafa lost the French open, it took him atleast a year (sometimes 2) to recover his form (2009, 2015/16). This cannot happen again. Skipping Wimbledon for no good reason (fatigue is not an excuse, 2 weeks is enough to recover please) plus heās healthy is not helping matters but will only make things worse.
I donāt knock somebody when they are down, thatās just wickedness. Nadal is my favorite player forever (fed is 2nd) and words cannot explain how devastated I was after that loss in the semifinal. I still have not recovered from it. But when somebody is down after a loss, you donāt kick them down but also you donāt try to let them go further down in depression bc it only makes things worse. Even with tears in your eyes, you have to tell them, you canāt stay down like this, you have to get up and keep moving, as hard as it is to do
Nadal will make the decision that he wants as heās a grown man and can do whatever he wants. But Iām just stating my opinion. Letās not forget that Djokovic has won 4 slams in a row (2015-2016) and almost did again (2018-2019), so he knows that he can win all 4 slams plus the Olympics this year if he has no serious competition. Nadal should skip the Olympics and concentrate on the slams. Nadal skipping Wimbledon will make Wimbledon easier for Djoko bc we all know the next gen are a joke on grass and an even worse joke against Djokovic in any slam. Plus I donāt see fed beating Djoko should they meet. Djokovic says all the time that Nadal is his greatest rival. He knows what heās talking about bc pound for pound Rafa on his day can beat Djokovic in any surface at any slam (eg australian open 2012 final and Wimbledon 2018 semifinal where he pushed Djoko to the very limit). If djoko can beat Rafa on clay in Roland garros, Rafa can return the favor with interest on other surfaces.
IMHO, Nadalās only problem is his serve, forget the backhand. If he fixes his serve (and to a lesser extent his nerves), heās good to go. Everything else will fall in place. When his serve is bad, everything else falls apart. He needs to fix his serve AND continue playing as long as heās not injured. Considering his past results in Wimbledon recently (2018/2019), he CAN win it and thatās the main reason skipping it is not a wise decision when heās healthy. If you are ok with him skipping it, thatās fine, just donāt be surprised when Djoko wins everything in sight bc heās main rival is not around.
Happy,
Did you read what I wrote? I said Rafa should play at Wimbledon. That he needs to get back on the court and keep going! So please donāt act like we are in disagreement.
I agree with lucky here. We donāt have to be hard on Rafa right now. No one is saying he should just sit home and stagnate. I want him out there! Lucky is right in saying that we can cut him some slack. Disappointment as his fan should not mean being harsh with him. We donāt know what he is feeling or what he wants to do.
Letās wait and see what he decides.
I think Rafa will play Wimbledon; itās an important event that Rafa surely wonāt want to miss. I think he may skip Olympics instead as itās just two weeks after Wimbledon.
I think if Rafa can fix his serve issue, he should be fine at Wimbledon, because points on grass are shorter so should not be physically taxing compared to on clay. I know his opponents would attack his BH relentlessly after seeing the FO, so Rafa really needs to fix that BH issue, or else uses his FH no matter what, even at his BH corner. Also, I hope for a friendly draw for him at Wimbledon this year,; his draws for 2018 and 2019 were just brutal – in 2018 he had Delpo and then Djoko; 2019 he had Kyrgios, Querrey and also Fed!
I hope Rafa just concentrates on the slams and forget about the Olympics this year. He has already won a singles and a doubles gold medal; with the pandemic issue this year, itās best not to travel around the world so often.
As for Djoko and the golden slam, I doubt he could do that. No doubt heās the iron man but thereās still limit to oneās physical capacity regardless of who you are.
I think Ricky’s point about Novak being able to deliver his best tennis when it matters most sums up what is most impressive about his game. Djokovic has been doing it for over a decade now, on the biggest stages and against the best players. Sometimes he steamrolls his opponent, but it’s the number of times he has seemed down and out but still manages to deliver that leaves the biggest impression. It’s happened too many times for anyone to call it a fluke. When it comes to mental toughness, he’s just in a league of his own.
There was something unique about this win. I’m not sure Djokovic has been outplayed over 2 sets to the extent he was against Tsitsipas. every match is different; it’s not just another Djokovic comeback.
To simply add this to his list of comebacks is not recognizing how incredible this win was and not giving him the credit he deserves.
Even Djokovic himself said this was one of the best wins of his career, including the one against Nadal.
Djokovic was clearly suffering from fatigue; didn’t even run to the ball on set point of set 2 and Tsitsipas’s aggressive and flawless play looked impossible for Djokovic to overcome. I’m not sure he’s been in too many situations like. He’s come back in competitive matches but not matches where it was so one-sided.
But you keep telling Ricky he’s right, im sure he will grab it with open arms to make himself feel better at someone else’s expense.
You guys love orchestrating and talking each other up for each others benefits eh. It has to be the most annoying thing about you guys. Stand on your own two feet and be honest.
Sorry, I shouldn’t be so harsh; it’s not your fault that you didn’t see what I was seeing hence why you were implying that I was wrong and Ricky was right.
Interesting how everything is a right/wrong and win/lose with you guys.
Hey coward anonymous!
Get a freaking life! Get some therapy! Everything is not about you! Good grief! What a narcissist!
Why so infuriated?
He/she must’ve hit a nerve or two…
But I don’t see anything that doesn’t really make sense.
All matches are unique. Was there something especially impressive about this win? Maybe, but I don’t think so, if only for the fact that Stefanos is a first-time finalist. The win over Rafa from 5-0 and a set down was more impressive, imo.
True, Novak was thoroughly outplayed in the first two sets. But I thought he was outplayed for much of the Wimby final in 2019, apart from the tiebreaks and a few crucial points. Same with AO 2020 SF, where Fed had a 5-1 lead in the first set. The key point is that Djokovic never gives up, basically. And it’s the pattern, established over more than a decade, which is most impressive, more than any individual result.
It was the combination of a fresh opponent implementing an almost unbeatable game plan with very few unforced errors against a fatigued opponent that had no answer to the problem that made this unique. Djokovic always had the edge against Nadal even though he went down 5-0 in the first set. There were signs there that Nadal wasn’t at his best even though he played an incredible first set. Djokovic said in his post-match interview that he always felt that he could win the match against Nadal. I’m not sure he was thinking that against Tsitsipas.
Agree to disagree. I thought it was one of his best comebacks for those reasons and because he was down 2-0 against a high calibre opponent with a physical edge that was arguably the form player of the year.
No doubt Rafa didn’t play at his best in the SF. I actually thought the match was very average quality overall, though with some amazing points and 9/10 on the drama scale. To me, it very much looked like a match between two guys in their mid-30s, not mid-20s. Both players’ best tennis is behind them, imo.
That said, it remains the fact that Nadal had lost twice in that tournament in 16 years, once (to Djokovic in 2015) when he was injured and no one expected Novak to lose to him. People don’t say that defeating Nadal at RG is the hardest challenge in sport for no reason. And Novak fell behind 5-0. After he loses that first set, having recently been beaten in Rome and having been swept in last year’s RG final, plus with the tough matches he had already played, no way even he thinks he’s objectively favored to win at that point. In fact, he’s a huge underdog. That’s why the win is so impressive.
In the final, he really was only seriously outplayed in set 2. Tsitsipas easily could have lost the first set. So yeah, great comeback against a guy who was firing on all cylinders, but also a 22 year old playing his first slam final. I’m sorry if you lost money taking Novak at 1.45, but the truth is those are not great odds given the players and their history. I was very close to taking Novak after two sets; obviously wish I had.
Sorry: ‘taking Stefanos at 1.45…’
I didn’t lose money. I was saying that it was a good bet the way things looked at that point. I been watching the game a lot longer than most and know my probabilities. There was about 5-10% chance Djokovic could win the match at point. I was also watching the market and there was a huge amount of money piling into Tsitsipas at the end of set 2.
I’m not buying into the 22 year old idea when you consider his form all year, the way he played in the first 2 sets and the fact that he was the form player all year leading into RG. This was a guy that had rarely being broken all clay season.
Agree to disagree. IMO, that was one of Djokovic’s most improbable victories and greatest comebacks and let’s just leave it at that.
…and Tsitsipas had a fitness edge with Djokovic looking like he wouldn’t be able to compete for much longer.
If you were so confident that Djokovic would win because Tsitsipas is 22 and in his first final, why didnt you load up when Djokovic was paying 3.50-4.00.
We’re all experts after the event.
At the end of the day, you guys are once again just using this to try and put me down which is dishonest, unconscionable behavior IMO. You guys are so smart with the best education system in the world so surely you understand ethics.
If you want a better world you shouldn’t give positive reinforcement to unconscionable behavior which is what you’re doing with this Ricky idiot.
Sore losers is what you are. As soon as you get a bit insecure about things you start indulging in dishonest, unconscionable behavior. Small people with no principles.
I thought the line calls where Tsitsipas circled the mark but they were called in was an important factor in the comeback. I couldn’t find any discussion about it post-match.
After the sf I didn’t watch any more tennis.
I wasn’t actually enjoying watching RG much and have an absolute t on of work to do. I will put work aside momentarily to watch Rafa but I honestly couldn’t care less about who won the women’s or men’s title.
I only found out yesterday Djoker won which was predictable.
I saw today, which is pretty much the first time I have searched, t hat Toni has backed Rafa to win either wimby or the USO. Well the reason I was looking was because I saw that Rafa might not be playing wimby which was very worrying.
I liked Toni saying this because he is a realist and wouldn’t say it unless he genuinely believed Raf a was capable of doing so. We also know he is a hard taskmaster.
He also said, and this I absolutely agree with,that people are overrating the sf and that Rafa really didn’t play well for large parts of it. This is what I said! He also said Rafa gave Nole confidence with his extremely errati c play. Completely agree! I have commented all tourney on how he has been empowering his opponents with long passages of very nervy tense play. Also, since when did Rafa become so nervous the minute the second set starts regardless of how he is playing!? It seems to be a new phobia of his.š
Toni also says Rafa will come back from the RG loss in the same w ays he did after 2009 and 2015. Toni knows Rafa better than anyone.
I am concerned about this talk of Rafa missing wimby but feel somewhat better after reading Toni’s comments.
BTW! Had a great thought! Andy gets Nole in early round of wimby and beats him!š Either that or Fed to avenge 2019!
Oh and Goran can f&&& off.
Hey amy!…God!…the painful from Rafa’s loss is still red in my heart!..Do u know how to make it black back?š
Anyway,i am very positive Rafa will bounce back from the loss…but…that’s the thing!…i donno when!š..This bisnes of being nervous has to stop!Can’t he take something?Anxiety pill for example?That way if he have a problem with serves or being rushed by shot clock or something,he will not be nervous as much…Donno!š¤·āāļø
Amy, š
And yeah, a Murray vs Djoko match at Wimbledon will be nice. Murray seems to be playing well and he has no āfearā of Djoko on grass. Fed just lost to FAA at Halle in R2 so Iām not sure Fed is ready to win at Wimbledon.
Andy seems to love beating Nole on grass!š
Let’s hope so!
Jack Draper has more chance of beating Nole than Andy has these days.
Lol! Good one!
š
My dream is to see fed novak qf Amy and fed beating novak .he has to catch him before final .he won’t beat him in final..
Is wimby draw open or behind closed doors .is it transparent…I suspect wimby will try to be soft to fed which means he draws dannil in qtrs š
I don’t remember how it works sanju but Henman is one of the organisers so doubtful there would be any fixing.
I realise it’s good to catch Nole early. That’s why I picked a shock Andy win for very early rounds…
Fed could have a one off gr8 match in quarters to beat him if Novak was a bit off his game
amy,
Great to see you here! We had the usual moronic Novak fans who used this win over Rafa to act like jerks! There are always a few.
Rafa was just not able to play his best throughout the tournament. Since when does he DF eight times in a match!
I want him to play at Wimby.
Nny, well the people behaving the worst are actually Fed fans ie Stanley and his aliases haha and rickyisadumba## and Anon.
Stanley is utterly repellent and really should have been banned long ago and Anon thinks that mass murder is an ok response to comments on a tennis site.
I see that Al finally called Stanley out but generally speaking the male Fed fans and I include Al in this have said little to nothing over years of this and it reflects very poorly on them.
I just read the thread for the final and only Eugene called them out.
Imagine if we Rafa fans behaved that way, only going on threads when Fed was losing and writing endless idiotic childish insults! If Rafa wins they are never here.
It really is pathetic that this goes on here and any behaviour by rafa fans should be placed in that context. This plus the fact that Rafa playing at RG is an event loaded and freighted with emotional meaning. If other people can’t see this then they have a problem and I was honestly just waiting for Al, to come and wind things up.
Show me where I rubbed it in when Rafa lost? This is nearly a week later and you accuse me of winding things up .You’ve a microscope looking for something that’s not there?Sad.
amy,
Stanley is not a Fed fan. He knows nothing about tennis, he is a fan of the Orange Menace. It was the Novak fans who got me to leave tennis-x. They were the worst. That was years ago. Some Fed fans can be annoying, but for me itās the Novak fans who are the worst. I will remember what was said on here after Rafa lost. It was dreadful. But then some of them seem to take after their hero. Novakās histrionics on court are well known, it is one thing I dislike about him. I do not question his greatness as an athlete. But his behavior is quite another thing,
amy,
Stanley is not a Fed fan. He knows nothing about tennis, he is a fan of the Orange Menace. It was the Novak fans who got me to leave tennis-x. They were the worst. That was years ago. Some Fed fans can be annoying, but for me itās the Novak fans who are the worst. I will remember what was said on here after Rafa lost. It was dreadful. But then some of them seem to take after their hero. Novakās histrionics on court are well known, it is one thing I dislike about him. I do not question his greatness as an athlete. But his behavior is quite another thing,
Oh right.What about objectionable Rafa fans,don’t they exist? You talk as if they are all perfect!
Al,
Chill out! Nobody said Rafa fans are perfect! So do not put words in my mouth! Fed fans, Rafa fans, Novak fans, all have some mean-spirited ones. I talked about my own experience on forums like tennis-x and tennistalk. These are my observations.
I used to get into it with rabid Fed fans. I just got tired of the sane old fights. Novak fans were the worst on tennis-x. I donāt waste my time with fan wars anymore.
Thus eight is a lot more civil than other tennis forums and you know it!
As a Fed , Andy and Nole fan, who do I want to win at Wimby if they meet?
Still a bigger Fedfan esp on grass.
I note the compliant about one or two moronic Nole fans, but its still disappointing to see anti-Nole comments from some of the Rafa fans .
complaint,and I agree ,#Stanleyisanarse
Stop trying to wind things up Al!
You always do this. Just back the hell off!
I didn’t say anything wrong there ,you were extremely rude.
No I’m not trying to wind things up. I did sympathise with Rafa’s fans
Oh for heavens sake alright then!
I wasn ‘t on site after Friday as I have a ton of work to do! Honestly it really doesn’t matter.
Please accept my apologies if I misrepresented you. I am incredibly tired otherwise I wouldn’t be on site right now. Am too tired to work.
PS I would love to see Fed win wimby. Unlikely though after so long out!
I’ll drink to that
Are you a rugby fan Al?
Margot and I are. The Lions are about to start touring…
š·š·š·š·š·š·š·š·š·š·š·
But it’s easy to say that about Fed now that Nadal is out,indirect way of saying you don’t want Nole to win
No I’m not a rugby fan.Or Cricket,but I like golf.
Sigh. There you go again.
You criticised Novak during the AO as I remember along with just about everyone regardless of fan allegiance. Even the mild mannered Scoot, who is a Fed fan, had a go at him. The site was awash with vituperative criticism from fed fans as well as Rafa fans. About the only person who didn’t criticise him was me! Go read the archives if you want proof!
You are no more a Nole fan than I am ( and I do actually like him which is why I was probably the only person on site who didn’t shove the boot in). It’s just performance theatre. Why didn’t you criticise people for attacking him then if you love him so?!
I have actually been repeatedly attacked on this site for defending Novak. Hard core Rafa fans repeatedly accused me of not being a real Rafa fan and secretly being a Djoko fan.
Hard core Rafa fans constantly castigated myself, nny, Hawkeye and vr for not being real Rafa fans and defending Djokovic. Hawkeye and I actually like him. VR and nny defended him from slurs because they are both real tennis fans and decent people.
I can go back into the archives and find plenty of examples of this!
As for you, you frequently attack Rafa and his fans. Myself, sanju, lucky, nny, and others have all said this.
Am getting very tired of all this claptrap.
The claptrap is maybe in you own mind, Amy?
You’re great at finding fault with everything and everyone else . You’ll never be happy, its pathetic.
I dont remember you defending Novak, and I didnt attack him during the AO , why would I as a fan? He won.
What you describe as attacking a certain player and his fans, is nothing more than giving a different opinion on what I like about tennis- and even sometimes about politics.
So, Amy, who the hell do you think you are to lecture me?
Sad people. Theres mmore goin gon in my life than to check the archives to what was said
I meant to say this SITE is much better than most online tennis forums!
Its SHITE
Al, if you think that then sod off.
Nobody can reason with you.
You simply aren’t rational.
And you are not a Novak fan! You just adopt stances to attack Rafa and his fans.
I have told you before to leave me alone when you followed me around the site harassing me. I will say it again: Leave me alone!
Everything I said in the previous posts is factually true.
I notice you only attack women. Funny that. Or rather not.
Just sod off.
And it’s absolutely true what I have said before: that you will go around trying to start fights with Rafa fans while saying practically nothing about those who are out and out trolls such as Stanley and grassgoat.
It’s you who has the problem. You have a great big chip on your shoulder and I suggest you take it elsewhere.
A comment by nny seems to have disappeared.
As for Al, if you think this place is s%%%e then please leave.
It’s unusual for me to say that and unfair to the site.I apologise for that.
But don’t apologise for being a tennis fan who likes most players but certainly not fanatical and oversensitive like some.Nole has in fact been my second favourite player for years .Or maybe I’m imagining it.š§
Nice day isn’t itš¤
Oh and Al, as I said before, lots of Rafa fans on this site have complained about how you attack Rafa and rafans. You do it frequently and gratuitously. You started up with it in a big way just before 2020 RG. Several of us commented on it.
It’s a big thing for you this constant harping on about Rafa and rafans. So stop trying to pretend it’s just me who notices this. Lots of other people have noticed it as well.
Just buzz off!
The only way I ever’ attacked’ Rafa was to say I didn’t like his game because it was too physical.And I’m offended u say I attacked his fans.Nothing personal on it.OTOH, they gang up on me as said above.
I’ll buzz off now
I’ll say just one thing more:show me where I rubbed in Rafa’s loss.I stopped posting when I heard the result as a mark of respect.
Look Al, I already told you I left the site shortly after Rafa lost because I have to work.I also said I was incredibly tired and if I had misrepresented you I apologised. I also threw you an olive branch by asking if you liked rugby because Margot and I do. If you did, I was going to suggest you join our discussions. All of this was meant to be friendly and civilised so I was very disappointed when you started up with the ” you just want Nole to lose”line and said something unnecessary to nny about Rafa fans.
You should have recognised that I was trying to be friendly and backed off.
Also, this is a difficult time for Rafa fans and imo you should let them have space to say what they want. I would do the same if Fed or Novak were in the same position. Who cares if someone criticises Novak?! Eugene does, and he’s a Fed fan! Especially as this site has been inundated with trolls since the day of the sf. There has been zero space for Rafa fans to express any kind of real emotional response.
Elizabeth, I realise I haven’t congratulated you on Nole’s win on Sunday.
Many congrats dear Elizabeth!
You are the exact opposite of the arrogant crowing Nole fans who sometimes turn up here and we are lucky to have you on the site.
Xxxx
Heym amy,
I don’t remember Big Al saying anything bad about Rafa. Please don’t drive him away he is a great bracketeer and I like him posting on here. He’s interested in various players both ATP and WTA. I thirst for such people.
Thank you, amy. I don’t keep a count on congrats or commies. It’s hard to read you and others so hurt over Rafa. I believe Rafa has long let it go to enjoy life and relax a bit before he begins training like a demon again. He wants more GS. He will get them. But Wimbledon is tough I have never played on grass but they say it’s a killer surface. #One, you have to have very strong glutes and legs, ā Rafa has those! But a great serve also helps. Novak is crazy going for Wimbledon right now. I thought he looked like burnt toast after the Tsitsipas match.
amy,
You said what I have been feeling. Rafa fans have not had time to get over Rafaās loss. We had to read trash and garbage for a day or two from some Novak fans who have zero class.
I did post something in response to Al but I only see my post clarifying a word that was garbled by autocorrect. But I defended this site. I have been on other tennis forums and it gets very ugly with the fan wars. I think this site is pretty civilized.
I donāt want to get into it with Al because I think he is a good guy who likes tennis. If he says something I donāt like, then I will respond. But he is overall a decent guy who contributes thoughtful posts.
We are all feeling kind of raw right now with Rafa pulling out of Wimbledon and his loss at RG. We can deal with the trolls who come here instigate. But we should be grateful fir the good fans who here outbid their love of this.
š
Autocorrect really garbled what I wrote! I meant to say that we should be grateful got the good fans who come here out of their love for this sport.
Thank you NNY,RC..I think I posted to you something about Rafa fans on here unfairly rule the roost /always have the high moral ground and I think that’s a valid opinion . I realise it’s a tough time for Rafa fans so I’ll leave it at that.
As for the reply to NNYs comment about this SITE — well that was a joke , Id had a couple of beers . I did apologise.
Al,
No problem. You are entitled to your opinion. I can agree or disagree. I think Rafa fans are having a tough time right now.
There are trolls who come here for the wrong reasons. Itās a shame, itās nit easy to be in the minority. I still think overall Rafa fans are pretty decent. I do think it is important to distinguish between the people who are not here about tennis and those who truly love it. I am here for the love of the sport. I love Rafa, but I also love tennis. I think you love it, too.
Amy is very passionate and I love her spirit. She has a good heart. We all may say things in the heat of the moment. I include myself. But it is important to have fans of other players here. It makes for a richer discussion, even if it gets intense.
š
NNY,I’m glad you said that.As tennis fans,we’re going to have very different opinions at times, but be able to discuss them staying respectful.
Hahaha!!! You aren’t respectful!
I just gave clear cut examples above of what you say and your methods.
Agree with yor post Nny & RC!…Very very agree with yor words about Big Al too!…I’ve been to other forum too,and trust me amy!..he’s still a very nice poster compared to them!…Very nice!
C’mon guys!…we like brothers & sisters here!…If it’s a small matter,just let it go ok?…it’s not worth losing a virtual friend over our emotion…heh heh…like RC…i like Big Al too!…šš..and of coz,i appreciate other fedfans too like Eugene,Joe & others…Hope they will keep posting here forever!
MA,
Hear, hear! I agree with you! The good fans on this site should stick together. We need each other when the trolls come out.
We are like a family in a way!
Shout out to amy! I may go on the non-tennis forum to commiserate with her about the state of our respective countries.
Peace everyone!
š
Hehehe…Yaayyyyy …Thank u for yor words & understanding Nny!…U & RC came out at the right time!…I think it’s about time u use your seniority & maturity in handling this ‘delicate’ issue Nny!
U’re a very respected poster here…thank u once again Nny!šš
Nny, he is not a good guy. Look at the sh%% he just wrote. Completely unnecessary.
amy,
I am just trying to calm things down. You should know me well enough by now. You also know that there are real trolls that come here to sow discord. We saw some of them after Rafaās loss. They crawl out from wherever they hide and spew out garbage because they have nit hung else in their pathetic lives.
I do not always agree with Al. We have had our issues of disagreement. I get your frustration, but he is not one of the worst of the worst. Stanley would probably be in that category. Then there is this anonymous who is a total coward. Not liking what Al says at times does not make him a bad person. It means that I take exception to some things he says. So I get you being annoyed and maybe offended. You can have your point of view. But just maybe with less anger or intensity.
I noted that you apologized to lucky. I lashed out at her after Rafaās loss because I thought her comments about him were unnecessarily harsh. But I overreacted. I know that and I regret it. She has a lot of knowledge about tennis and we have had many great discussions. We may not always agree. I certainly did not agree with her in that moment. But she was most likely feeling disappointed and frustrated with Rafaās loss. So was I. And I was overly harsh towards her.
Al may say things that we do not like. But we all have to try to coexist on this site. There are enough troublemakers here who cone for the wrong reasons.
This is a tough time for Rafa fans. We donāt know when he is coming back. That is what is at the heart of this. I am really disappointed that I will not see him at Wimbledon.
I am trying to let myself just feel bad about it all.
š
amy,
One more thing. I would love to discuss politics with you on the non-tennis forum. You have talked about what is going on in the U.K. Well we have our own serious problems in the U.S.
We have a neo-fascist party that is trying to destroy our democracy. Itās something to be really worried about.
Nny,
But the examples I gave are real. He has harassed me and I have let it go and said nothing.He has insulted Rafa and rafans and I gave examples of these. He did this just before RG 2020 and when I said something, other rafans called his behaviour ” sickening “. Have you forgotten the alterations you have had with him from further back on the same subject?
He is not Stanley or grassgoat but that is setting a very low bar. He has joined in with their attacks on rafans on repeated occasions. I have a very very good memory! I remember plenty of ugly stuff from him.
His narrative of events is a straight up lie!
How come certain people ( I don’t mean you) can’t remember any of this??!š
I find the comments by one person here detestable and have lost all respect for them. ( Not lucky, she was very classy with me and I respect her).
This has been a very difficult time for Rafans and it’s sickening to have had no space to grieve. The only place you can talk about him is actual fan web sites which I am not signed up to. Can you imagine the reaction to some of the stuff written here by rafans? ( and no again I don’t mean lucky).
As for Al, the real reason he attacks me, apart from his dislike for rafa, is imo political. He has basically right wing views. I have thought this for some time now.
This last week has been an eye opener and not in a good way.
I am thinking seriously of leaving the site. If I do I am going to have some things to say beforehand though.
I really miss chloro terribly. RG is a very difficult time of year for me since his death. This year it’s awful. That’s why I mentioned Hawkeye a while back because I remembered how he and chloro were such good friends here and I kind of wanted to talk to him about him.
I just saw your comment about politics nny. Why not leave posts for me on the non tennis forum? Margot and I have been posting there so the 3 of us can talk together.
I know what is going on in the US but I am afraid of posting what I think because I feel, quite honestly, that the Dems are not doing nearly enough to defend the Republic. I know the other side are evil but the Dems should act accordingly. Nuke the filibuster and strong arm Koch -funded Manchin. Stop blithering about bipartisanship…
Have to go now my dear…
amy,
Just listen to me. I have had arguments with Al. I told you that! Of course I remember! I also do NOT agree with his attacks on you! I am not deserting you here. I am simply trying to just lower the temperature. I see that there is bad blood between the two of you. I am not saying that he is right is what he says is okay. I am just trying to save us all some energy and just try to focus on the fact that we have a community here that is so much better than all the other tennis forums.
You have nothing to prove! You do not need to defend yourself! Let it go! You and Al are not going to see eye to eye. I do not agree with his comments about Rafa fans of this site, I have been in other sites and it is so much worse. That us why I left those sites. Al and I do not agree on certain things. So be it. I just let it go.
You and I are passionate and emotional and intense about what we believe. I cannot imagine this site without you. Please do not leave! I have not talked about it, but I am having a hard time since ed died. I miss her terribly. She was the first friend I had on Tennis Talk. She was a remarkable person. I wish that I had met her in person. But I have been so sad and just think about her so much. There is no replacement for her. I know you have struggled to deal with the death of Chloro. He was such a great person to have on Tennis Talk. But there are people here who like and appreciate you. Do not forget that!
I will see you on the non- tennis forum. I have some thoughts about what is going on in my country.
Take care, dear.
amy,
Just listen to me. I have had arguments with Al. I told you that! Of course I remember! I also do NOT agree with his attacks on you! I am not deserting you here. I am simply trying to just lower the temperature. I see that there is bad blood between the two of you. I am not saying that he is right is what he says is okay. I am just trying to save us all some energy and just try to focus on the fact that we have a community here that is so much better than all the other tennis forums.
You have nothing to prove! You do not need to defend yourself! Let it go! You and Al are not going to see eye to eye. I do not agree with his comments about Rafa fans of this site, I have been in other sites and it is so much worse. That us why I left those sites. Al and I do not agree on certain things. So be it. I just let it go.
You and I are passionate and emotional and intense about what we believe. I cannot imagine this site without you. Please do not leave! I have not talked about it, but I am having a hard time since ed died. I miss her terribly. She was the first friend I had on Tennis Talk. She was a remarkable person. I wish that I had met her in person. But I have been so sad and just think about her so much. There is no replacement for her. I know you have struggled to deal with the death of Chloro. He was such a great person to have on Tennis Talk. But there are people here who like and appreciate you. Do not forget that!
I will see you on the non- tennis forum. I have some thoughts about what is going on in my country.
Take care, dear.
And Amy, I reiterate what I said last night. Who do you think you are telling me to get off this site? What happened to that olive branch ? Nows your chance.
Also Amy, do you realise you come across as arrogant, opinionated and two faced? You either love people , or throw curses at them, theres not a lot in between . All of my posts have been balanced and only reply to the substance of the post Im reading .
And, if too busy to work/tired and post same time, you’re not alone.
Said all I want to , Im fed up getting unjustified abuse on this site .
Oh f&&& off Al.
You are a complete and utter tosser.
Just leave me alone. I am sick to death of you harassing me. You absolutely do.
You are a bit of an idiot aren’t you?
Just standing up for myself,that’s all and there was never any need for the rudeness.It only makes things worse.
Now,having said all this,do you think we can put this little issue behind us as everyone else wants to?
Oh come off it!
It’s you who are rude.
I just wasted some time and went to look in the archives.
I looked at the ones for AO. Sure enough, just as I remembered, it’s full of people attacking Djokovic. All except me! Yet straightaway I find this gem from you.
I say that I hope Rafa turns it on against foggy to get rid of him asap.
You write:
“Amy frankly I’ve had enough of your double standards, ie it’s ok for you to stick needles into other players, but your precious Rafa has to be wrapped in cotton wool every single time”.
I say nothing to this gratuitous insult as usual.
Earlier in the same thread you say that you hope foggy wins his next match. Ie beats Rafa.
All this is utterly typical. Usually I say nothing. I said nothing then. It’s you who initiates these exchanges not me.
I haven’t found the exchanges between you and a number of rafans including myself just before Rg last year because I can’t remember what thread they are on. I remember them very clearly. You were winding us up in your usual way. As I remember, I said, after a lot of this,that it was very disappointing you were behaving like this.
Both lucky and sanju agreed with me and one of them, I forget which, said your comments were sickening. I think the comment was yes it’s sickening how he attacks Rafa and his fans. I remember the whole exchange very clearly.
This was scarcely the first time you came up with this bilge.
You have done it numerous times but stopped for a while which is why I said it was disappointing you had started again.
So stop being so flagrantly dishonest about what you write here.
I will find the comments eventually.
It is double standards.I did want Foggy to beat Nadal,what’s wrong with that? But I don’t use language along the lines of ‘hope he gets blitzed’ which you’ve used about afew of Rafa’s opponents.Quite nasty really.
And when u bring out that other paragraph,compare it to the one I posted earlier about anti-Nole comments which u didn’t like either,double standards again?
Bollocks. The site was full of people viciously attacking your supposed fave player ( nole) and I say nothing against him. I mean nothing and you attack me and say nothing about their attacks on supposed fave player ! Come off it.
It’s also extremely noticeable that I said not one word in response to your attack. Not one. I just let it go. As per usual.
It’s you who is the initiator of these exchanges. And you made loads of comments before Rg last year about Rafa. It took a while for me to say anything.
It’s you who starts all this. Not me.
It will take me a while to find that set of comments because it’s so long ago but they’re there. As they have been before. And it wasn’t just me who was fed up with them.
Rafa pulls out of wimby and olympics
I don’t think he’s hurt. He probably did it to give himself the best chance for USO. Same reason Fed pulled out of the French, which some people didn’t like. But at these guys’ age, I think we have to cut them some slack.
Amy,if you wanna do that fine ,but this is getting ridiculous now.You’ll be arguing with yourself from now on
I’m off to watch some tennis
It’s you who starts it all. And it’s you who continues it.
I agree it’s ridiculous but that’s on you. You don’t know how to apologise and you can’t stop having a go for the sake of it.
You know very well what you have said on site.
The one time I was clearly in the wrong I apologised to you unreservedly and profusely 3 times. That’s the difference between us.
Talking of being in the wrong:
Lucky I am very sorry for what I wrote to you just after the sf.
I know you are a classy person which you have already showed by being polite when we spoke above.
I was waiting for the right time to apologise to you. I don’t think this is really but I am going to do it now anyway.
I do apologise unreservedly lucky. I know you are a classy person and a real rafan and I have a great deal of respect for your tennis brain.
I do apologise.
The other difference Amy is that all the foul mouthed abuse is coming from you,I just defending myself.
I really can’t see what’s so offensive to you about me saying I don’t like Rafa’s game as it’s based on physicality.Its not even enough to apologise about.Were it something really insulting,then I would.
And that really is my last word on this.I could go searching for the thread whereu said u hoped Zverev would break a leg (or similar) so he wouldn’t have to face Rafa .I could go on and on but too much to do in the real world and we need to move on,ok?
For what it’s worth,I hope Rafa gets back soon.
Was that about politics?I think I said I was a Boris fan and that was fatal.
Living in NI,we’re not too fond of him now cause of the protocol result of Brexit
That was to Amy a 7.45
Horrible attitude . Just horrible . One loss at his fav slam n he pulls out of the next . Olympics is ok but wimby too ? I mean seriously
Hand slams on a platter to novak without even fighting for it..yeah great
Relax Sanju!…I think it’s a gud decision..I don’t think Rafa is ready to compete at Wimby yet Sanju…I think the loss to Novak hurts him more than we thought…
Besides going to Wimby with less preparation mentally,physically & lack of confident is very dangerous…he could be thrashed by every tom,harry,john doe & that of coz it will hurt him & us more…Like he said,he’s 35 now Sanju…not younger anymore…About Novak will level his 20..well,if it’s destined for him to do that at Wimby…who r we to argue with the ‘power’up there Sanju?
I agree with Mira.
Rafa needs to fix his serve issue. I guess he needs time to fix that and without a good serve it’s difficult to win on grass. Also, he needs rest too and not over exert his back. If I’m not wrong, his serve problem was the result of his back issue, which he had since the beginning of the year (when he skipped playing the ATP Cup).
I think he’ll concentrate on the NA Hard Court season and tries to win at the USO.
I do think that Mira and Lucky make some valid points. It has helped me to calm down. It would be great if Rafa could fix his serving woes. It does throw his game off. I also know that they moved RG back a week and now there is less time between the two tournaments.
I am sure that the loss to Novak hurt a lot. Going into Wimbledon with little confidence and serve problems may not be the best idea.
What does concern me is that when Rafa does not play then he loses his rhythm and timing.
At this point I have so many feelings to sort out. I am disappointed that Rafa is taking time off again because he has played so little in the last year or so. But if he feels that his body needs it and it will help him come back ready to battle, then I have to hope for the best.
thank you sanju. this is what I’ve been saying. So horrible. I rest my case. Have absolutely zero expectations from him now on. Yet I am being to harsh as was said. he should pull out of the US open as well and maybe australian open next year to rest his body. Utter nonsense. I want even watch wimbledon right now as my favorite player will not be playing and djokovic will as usual win it.
Smart move by Nadal IMO. If he didnt beat Djok on clay he’s not going to beat him on grass. Better to reset, build some momentum during the US hard court season and wait for Djokovic to come off the boil. Nadal has the data, he knows what’s going on and what he needs and playing more tennis is not the solution. He needs a complete reset.
Nadal needs to hit the gym, bulk up a bit, put on a bit more weight, get plenty of rest and the enjoy the summer.
And then hit the US hard court season building some momentum during the masters events.
If He keeps playing he will want to retire after the US open. He’s not a spring chicken anymore. If he wants to keep playing past his mid-30s he has to listen to his body and the mind.
When you’re young you can just bulldog through your tough periods. It doesn’t work that way as you get older, you have less peak periods and have to reset more often.
Dull is not a factor at W, so not sure what you are talking about? He is not a factor anywhere actually apart from clay, but that changed as well, didn’t it?
Rafa wouldn’t just pull out of a slam because his feelings were hurt!
He played wimby during his catastrophic season in 2015 after he lost easily to Novak at RG.
There have to be underlying problems and factors. Especially if he pulled out of the Olympics! He is extremely patriotic and loves playing for Spain.
There has to be something or somethings wrong.
All this a day after Toni opens his mouth and says rafa may win wimby or uso .
Sigh. Uncle toni actually gave me hope and rafa himself said he is not injured. Uncle toni would not have been saying he may win wim if he was injured. he knows his nephew and was his coach since forever till 2017 ending. I’m sure if rafa won french open, he would never pull out of wimbledon (never did in the past), he would ride on that confidence to wimbledon believing he can win it.
I know I am going to be criticized for my comments and I stand by what I said and make no apologies about it. I’m so sad right now. This just adds to the horrible pain of him losing the french open. Can’t believe this.
I wouldn’t criticise you Happy.
I don’t know what is going on. But I do know he was suffering badly from nerves at RG. But he suffered worse nerves in 2015 and still played wimby after losing to Novak at RG whe n he played far worse.
I think there have to be other factors.
PS there is a difference between being suddenly injured and having long term problems which affect your game and self confidence.
He had to change his serve motion at AO because of a back injury. Then he couldn’t play because of the same injury. Then he started double faulting all over the place when he came back to the tour. This serve problem affected his whole game.
There is some kind of problem which needs fixing. I thought he was in pain in the latter stages of the sf. Honestly the AO is a disaster area for Rafa with injuries, especially back injuries.
Disappointing but not unexpected I always look forward to seeing my favourite at Wimbledon I couldn’t really care about the Olympics though been there done that 2 gold medals the USO is what’s important and he will have plenty of time to get ready for that
There’s lots of ambivalence about the Olympics even taking place anyway.I think it’s asking for trouble, but I do get this is what athletes train for,and so disappointing for it not to take place.
I personally love it, but not this year.
Happy,
Calm down! No one is criticizing you! I said that I agree with you! So stop it with this nonsense aabout getting at criticized. I am not okay with this decision from Rafa. Not at all, I find it very concerning.
Something must be wrong. This is not like Rafa. Not good. So please letās not go after each other right now. Things are bad enough hearing this. Rafa canāt sit around and not play. Then it will take even longer to get back into good form.
I am very disappointed.
It’s sad. So sad. It’s a sad, sad situation.
And it’s getting more and more absurd.
It’s unfortunate timing sanju. But Rafa is a fighter. He’s not some kind of baby who would pull out of a slam because of hurt feelings. He played all through 2015 when he was losing all the time. There have to be underlying problems. Especially if he is also pulling out of the Olympics.
I’m surprised Rafa pulled out of Wimbledon, since his last two results were semi-finals appearances – much better than the 2012-2017 results. I would’ve considered him as having as much of a chance as Fed (much moreso having seen Fed’s match v FAA), and grass is a surface which favours experience. Novak is deservingly the heavy favourite, but if he somehow lost then this slam would really be up for grabs. Who knows what the next gen will deliver.
I guess that FO took a lot of Nadal, maybe he’s really suffering with the knees & thinks he’ll be playing in too much pain to be a realistic contender. That would be understandable. Perhaps it’s all about preservation and timing things for the US Open, at which he still has a decent chance.
Some horrible people on this site š don’t know where to start.
Can’t accept others opinions without insulting or being combative some of you are a disgrace you call yourself Rafa fans, rafa is humble and polite even when he loses, get over it and act responsibly.