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Perhaps no one apart from sports bettors can appreciate the significance of keeping an eye on the top athlete or team in a sport and the opponents who could take their place at the least expected of times.
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In this article we take a look at the five players (mostly long-standing rivals), who could potentially throw a spanner in Djokovic’s well-oiled ascent to the top and send him tumbling down a couple of notches.
With the prestigious French Open coming up next, the only title Djokovic has yet to claim once in his career, one of these stars could deal him a seriously devastating blow.
Roger Federer
bellartefutsal.com
At 33 years of age, Federer is still going strong and he recently added even more victories to his 1000+ record of professional wins throughout his career
Federer is a formidable opponent who has already beaten Djokovic many times in the past. Ranked No. 2 in the world, the Swiss superstar is the player best poised to steal Djokovic’s thunder.
Kei Nishikori
The Japanese sensation once battled a string of injuries, but they have not stopped him from giving some fine performances on the court recently. Nishikori advanced to the quarterfinals in Miami and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Nishikori is an incredibly talented player, very fast, and can keep any of the other guys at bay thanks to his well-honed technique. This is not an opponent Djokovic can underestimate, as one mistake could spell disaster for the Serb.
David Ferrer
Ferrer has yet to experience the sort of breakthrough that propels him out of the shadows of the ATP World Tour and into the limelight he really deserves. Ranked seventh in the world, the 32-year-old Spaniard has managed to overcome any physical limitations through his sublime work ethic.
Ferrer is well positioned to give Djokovic a tough time on the court, especially on clay, and he will never stop his pursuit toward the very top of the sport—as unlikely as it may seem.
Andy Murray
The Scot is determined to assert his dominance on the court, especially now that he has clocked 500 victories and counting.
Murray is a formidable opponent and, like Djokovic, doesn’t want anything more in the world than holding the French Open title in his hand come June. The two men will battle it out till the last serve and Murray is being increasingly touted as a possible surprise finalist in the upcoming Grand Slam.
Rafael Nadal
ibtimes.com
Nadal is gearing up to clinch the French Open crown for a 10th time, but circumstances don’t seem to be in his favour.
The Spaniard and world No. 5 had endured a horrible nine months in which he failed to win a single tournament, but that cold spell came to a merciful end in Buenos Aires after defeating Juan Monaco in the final
Whether the ongoing slump has sapped at Nadal’s confidence and will affect his performance at the French Open remains to be seen. What is certain is that in the weeks leading up to Roland Garros, Nadal needs to build momentum and prove that he still has what it takes.
Conclusion
There is no question that Djokovic got to the top because he truly deserves it. He acknowledged the many defeats and setbacks that paved his way to No. 1, describing them as a “learning experience” that helped him “grow mentally, physically and emotionally as a player”.”
But the spot belongs to nobody forever and sooner or later a new contender will dislodge whoever is sitting there and take his place. Djokovic has some worthy opponents vying for his throne and in 2015 they will all get a chance to launch their offensive against him and become the new No. 1.
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I like Fed at the French….but Joker stays #1 in 2015.
I don’t see anyone dethroning Novak from the #1 spot in 2015. But 2016 could be a whole different story entirely.
Fed is not winning RG. It remains to be seen if Rafa can get it together. Rafa is always the favorite and a formidable foe at RG. It’s on his racket and up to him.
Ferry and Murray can do nothing to hurt Nole…Fed might though…and Rafa if Nole runs into him will certainly be the biggest obstacle…nothing new there…
Does anyone think that Djokovic could beat Fed’s Slam record?
He could benefit from a Fedal decline and lack of other serious contenders as Fed did in the past
I don’t think Nadal will now.. more’s the pitty
Novak right now and for a while is / was enjoying a perfect storm in terms of his opponents: Roger is a threat but not enough, Rafa is injured often and sometimes lacks confidence, Andy has his surgery and has yet to have a single year that resembles his potential, and the others… just can defeat him once in a long time. As a result Novak in some ways is enjoying not a ‘weak’ era but something like that still. Not as weak you could say as Roger pre-Rafa, but we’ve not seen it since Roger pre-Rafa.
Until something about all this changes Novak might just rack up 2 slams a year if not more sometimes. Of course, the unexpected is to be expected in tennis. Such as a much-more-than-expected resurrection of Rafa slams outside the French, or who knows what else.
The question who will be the next No 1 is one of the most interesting poll questions here for a while… truly tough to answer. And more so if you ask who will be the next No 1 for a longish stretch.
A lot about this will depend on Novak himself.
For example: can he keep staying motivated and uninjured? Answer: likely for a long time.
What other factor may make it hard for him to stay at No 1? Hard to answer, especially as none of the younger guns seem to be anywhere near him. Some of them may yet improve quite a bit, e.g. Nishi, but still will not be near enough. And I can’t imagine Rafa, Roger or Andy at No 1 for a longish stretch (anymore).
It just might boil down to something about Nole himself. It might be something a little unexpected, this being sports, I mean tennis, after all.
chloro,
I enjoy reading your thoughts. I do agree that this is an interesting question worth discussing. My sense is that it’s up to Novak. He is in his prime and capable of staying at #1 unless he gets burned out or loses focus or whatever. It is not easy to stay at the top. Fed and Rafa made it look easy, but we know better. The pressure is enormous.
I don’t see any of the younger players challenging for #1 any time soon. Of course, they will continue to improve. I don’t even see any of them being a threat to win a slam.
I don’t see Fed or Rafa being at #1 for a long stretch anymore. I think Andy had a tough time returning from the back surgery. He’s playing much better this year, but doesn’t seem to have it all together yet. I do not see him being #1 for a long period of time. He’s done well to get his ranking back up to #3. He’s back in the top four where he belongs.
One can never be certain when it comes to sport. It looked like Novak was going to dominate after 2011, but then Rafa found the answers and got the better of him. Rafa’s magnificent comeback in 2013 certainly reminded everyone to never write off a great champion.
In the end, it will be up to Novak. Can he handle the pressure and still play well enough consistently to stay on top? We will have to wait and see.
Thank you,nny
According to his friend Janko Tipsarevic, Djokovic’s appetite for victory is infinite.
”If you ask me personally, his goal, even though it seems far from now, is to pass (Roger) Federer,” Tipsarevic told the ATP website. ”I think that his goal is to be the best player of all time.”
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/04/monfils-reaches-2nd-round-at-monte-carlo-masters/54616/#.VS6JgfnF8TU
I think he can.
#DoYou???
He can… which version of the question?
Surpass Roger in number of slams? Possibly, but he needs to actually win many slams, one at a time, for many slams yet.
Surpass Roger in other ways? Harder to answer, which of the other records of Roger does he need to better, besides 1000’s trophies?
Best player of all time? A whole ‘nother question, that.
It is far from certain Roger or anyone else can be called that right now or ever. I don’t know what all Novak would have to do to deserve this accolade … it is far more debatable, if it even makes sense, than ‘best or possibly best of his era’. And that latter is, for now, debatable between Roger and Rafa.
I think in this context Tipsy’s talking slams. It sure ain’t gonna be popularity.
Probably right. Many people seem to equate most slams with best of all times.
Most things in life are not that simple.
”I think that his goal is to be the best player of all time.”
He can be, why not? Pete Sampras was “crowned” GOAT before Fed was and this was even though he had a huge gaping hole in his resume: NO FO! So, yeah, Novak can also be GOAT without a single FO.
Yes he could but without a FO it would be more difficult. He would have to make up for it in other ways. Like Pete did. Pete had the most slams, most weeks at No. 1, record six consecutive year end No. 1’s (still stands today).
The exact opposite order to Ricky’s list.
I disagree that Federer is Nole’s top threat because for all intents and purposes, we are talking slams. Fed has made one final in his last 10 attempts and as it stands for the remainder of this year, Fedole can only happen in finals so not sure if he’s much of a threat to Nole for 2015.
Rafa is his biggest threat IMO because he still has the skills to beat him. All it takes is confidence. Rafa is 4-0 against Nole in Slams going back to 2012 FO including the last time they played on Nole’s favourite surfrace and is still obviously Nole’s biggest threat at this year’s French.
It is surprising that people are talking of Nope beating Rogers slam record when he has 9 more to go there and that would mean being at the top for 3-4 more years and winning 9 out of next 11 or 15 ifu take 2017 or 2018
Is that even possible ?
It is surprising talk of Rafa touching Fed has completely died down and hardly anyone is giving him a chance
I give Rafa a definite chance. Hilarious how quickly fans write off their own favourites who, in turn, prove them wrong time and time again.
Nope still has a chance to win the calendar slam this year which would put him at 12. Average two per year from 2016-18, and he will tie Fed when he is 30 yrs old. Certainly possible. Conversely he could win 3-3-2-2 from 2015-18 and tie him without the calendar slam.
Other than a return-to-form Rafa, I don’t see much coming up the ranks to stand in his way.
You never know in tennis. It’s certainly possible Novak might win another 8 slams… and then again who knows what might happen at any give slam and for Novak himself. I don’t find it difficult to believe he has the hunger to get that far. WIll he still in 3 years? Probably, if all remains the same.
It’s also certainly possible Rafa will get 3 more slams if he finds his mental form again often enough and for another say 3 years. Not for sure but certainly possible. He just might get one more non-RG slam, and why not two more RGs if his career continues long enough.
April 16, 2015 at 12:49 pm
I give Rafa a definite chance. Hilarious how quickly fans write off their own favourites who, in turn, prove them wrong time and time again.
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I repeat. You wrote Rafa off when you said him losing to Raonic would prevent Fedfans being happy (by Fed beating Nadal had they played in the next round).
Hilarious!
But then again, maybe you are not a real Rafan.
April 16, 2015 at 3:59 pm
You wrote Rafa off when you said…
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This is your IMAGINATION & MISINTERPRETATION & INTENTIONAL LIE!
Your are permanently spreading your imaginations, it’s not the first time!
No, this is your imagination and self-required misinterpretation & necessary lie.
I just agree with Rafa and Uncle Toni.
#MethinksSheDothProtestTooMuch
#TwistedWeb
hawkeye,
I really agree with your comment @ 12:42 pm. Novak ain’t Pete Sampras. For one thing, Sampras had the record for Wimbledon titles until Fed tied him. Also he had the record for most weeks at #1 until Fed surpassed it. So he made his own mark. The absence of the career slam is the hole in Pete’s resume for sure. But that does not take away his greatness or what he accomplished.
As you said, Novak would have to make up for it with other records.
sanju,
I don’t know that it’s surprising with talk about Novak possibly beating Fed. He’s in his prime at #1 with no one who can catch him this year. He’s playing really well and has had a great start to this year. People were talking about Rafa possibly doing it when he was still a ways off. So why not Novak?
As far as not giving Rafa a chance, I think the issue now is his troubles and his struggles. He’s got to get back that confidence and mental toughness. If he can come out of this and find his best game, then he is still a threat to equa or surpass Fed.
Reblogged this on Tennis Abides and commented:
An interesting read
cant Compare Pete Sampras with Djokovic. Sampras’s had an unbreakable serve, his 2nd serve was as good as Novak’s first.
Djokovic has won most of his majors at Australian open which I consider to be a lesser slam, its not as big as Wimbledon. or US open. Pete won 7 wimbledon titles in 8 years still a record. .People dont even know how tough it was to dominate on Grass when matches were decided by very few points most sets were decided by a tie break or a single break of serve. Djokovic broke Nadal 3 times in a single set at us open 2011 and still lost the set in the tiebreak. Pete also won 5 us opens Djokovic just 1 Pete was ranked # 1 for most of his career 286 weeks in total Djokovic and Nadal combined haven’t spend as much time as no 1. plus 6 years in a row as year end no 1 this record has stood the test of time. anyone who wins more majors than Pete doesnt become a better player, its not as simple as that there are other factors involved total weeks as # 1 year end no 1s and a whole lot more.
Djokovic can win most of the titles on Hard courts this year, but he isnt unbeatable on clay and grass, last year he almost lost to 33 year old Federer at wimbledon, and this year he will lose before the final at Wimbledon. On clay Nadal can definitely beat djokovic. lets not hype this so much its not as if Djokovic will win a true grand slam this year and no one can stop him. the most majors he has win in a year since 2011 is 1 he hasnt even won 2 majors in a year in the last 3 years 92012, 13 and 14) What tells us that he will win all 4 this year? Djokovic lost to Nishikori at Us open when he had a golden opportunity to win US open.