A page and forum to discuss all things Novak Djokovic.
Current ranking: 1
Last result: Banja Luka quarterfinals (lost to Dusan Lajovic)
Next tournament: Rome Masters
Copyright © 2024 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes
A page and forum to discuss all things Novak Djokovic.
Current ranking: 1
Last result: Banja Luka quarterfinals (lost to Dusan Lajovic)
Next tournament: Rome Masters
Copyright © 2024 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes
To add to my post AT 3:40 PM, Andy might have learned even more from BB.
Chicago Tribune, December 24, 1993: ¤¤ Pros Use Drugs, Becker Says.
FRANKFURT, Germany — The tennis season is so long and grueling that many players need drugs to get through it, according to Boris Becker, who said authorities in the sport have been able to keep it quiet.
Becker made his allegation in the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
“Why shouldn’t there be doping in a sport where there is so much money?” Becker was quoted as saying. …
“The question is whether the ATP would allow a positive drug test to come through, because the whole scene would fall into disrepute and the sponsors would really run away.”…¤¤
Read more:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-12-24/sports/9312240221_1_drug-abuse-atp-tests
From augusta’s link above @ 8:53 pm
Pros Use Drugs, Becker Says
December 24, 1993
FRANKFURT, Germany — The tennis season is so long and grueling that many players need drugs to get through it, according to Boris Becker, who said authorities in the sport have been able to keep it quiet.
Becker made his allegation in the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
“Why shouldn’t there be doping in a sport where there is so much money?” Becker was quoted as saying.
Becker said it was “a joke” that the Association of Tennis Professionals has never punished a player for drug abuse.
? Starting to feel rather sick.
Then there’s this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/04/19/the-sport-is-clean-novak-djokovic-doesnt-buy-andy-murrays-doping-suspicions/
Seems the Washington Post is having a field day with this story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/04/19/novak-djokovic-isnt-accused-of-doping-but-he-sounds-eerily-like-lance-armstrong/
http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/15452386/tennis-rod-laver-comes-goat-novak-djokovic-roger-federer-equal
“I don’t think you put one of those two above the other when you look at their performances,” Laver said to ESPN.com via phone. “You know what Roger’s record is. But the way that Djokovic has been playing over the last year or so, I would say that Djokovic and Federer are equals.
Seriously, Rod Laver???
Sometimes I am shocked at the things some of the legends say…
Plain stupid thing to say, dear Laver!
He seems so envious of both Fed and Rafa! Did he even include Rafa in the equation? So Novak is already surpassed Rafa according to Laver? With no RG title Novak can not even get close to be considered GOAT!
One may not like Fed but his records and his endurance in the game, his will to improve and keep on fighting at the high level are admiring!
Nothing is certain yet, dear Laver! I feel you will be soon changing the tune…
He’s not insulting anyone. All he’s saying is that there isn’t much difference in their peak levels which is a truism when you look at all players with double digit majors. I don’t think the guys today are significantly better than Borg, Sampras or Laver himself. Effectively, all he’s doing is trying to avoid another GOAT debate after being asked about it for the nth time.
I agree with Laver.
That’s why I’ve said he can pass fed and even the current goat Rafa if he wins RG this year to hold all four slams at the same time on three different surfraces which has never been done before.
Just goes to show that Rod knows GOAT isn’t just slam count and he’s not just another fed fanboy.
If Rafa wins RG, he just further cements his current hold on GOATdom.
Laver used to call fed goat so no jealousy lol.
Nowhere does he mention “peak level” or avoids GOAT talk. He never has lol. He’s always engaged in it openly.
Laver is saying that nole and fed are equals in the goat debate in his opinion
Nothing more. Nothing less.
@ hawkeye 12:25 PM,
this is exactly what I understood Laver was saying. He was certainly not avoiding the GOAT debate. In fact he seems to like giving opinion on the matter. I do not know about jealousy but you see these BIG names are kind of sensitive about their colleagues and tend to be biased…
anyway, I disagree with him as I do not consider Novak just yet to be on equal measures with Federer and Rafa…he may change it in the future but for now it is just the way it is…it’s not over yet for either Novak or Rafa I think…
BTW, if Federer goes to win the Olympic gold this year the GOAT debate will heat up again no matter what…
Agreed except I don’t think Sampras, Agassi, jmac, laver or most ex players have been sensitive about it. They’ve been very forthcoming especially the guys who’ve changed their opinions as players have added to their results.
These musings by ex players, pundits etc. are worthless. Look at the amount of words that have been used on the internet arguing about Federer’s GOATDOM because some clown flippantly declared Fed the GOAT because they were judging him at a moment in time, a time which is long gone, since he’s been owned by Rafa ever since they played their 1st match against each other. Even Federer now admits he is not the GOAT.
To those who go on and on and on about IF Djoker wins the FO and IF he wins 4 slams this year he will hold the calendar slam, I say, don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. We’ve had these ‘IFs’ and ‘Coulds’ since 2011 and I’m tired of reading about inflated balloons that end up being deflated.
Cheryl Murray did an appraisal of Djokovic in 2011 praising him for winning the FO that year, going on about what a great achievement for someone who grew up in a war zone, blah, blah, blah, because she thought it was a foregone conclusion. I remember pointing out to her that the article was a bit premature because Djoker hadn’t won the FO……….we are still waiting 5 years later.
Federer has never referred to himself as the GOAT at any point in time. And in any case, he still has the strongest case for it.
Also, Laver was mostly referring to Djokovic’s play at the AO which was very impressive and on par with anyone who’s ever played the game. I was quite amazed by what I saw because unlike FO 2008, Roger didn’t do much wrong tactically. With or without the FO, Novak is likely to add to his tally and has a better overall record than Nadal at three of the four majors already. Therefore, as much as I do not like his tennis, he is firmly in the debate.
‘…has a better overall record than Nadal at three of the four majors already’
that’s just your selective way of looking at it, Fedfan. ‘
I forgot to add 2015 for Novak’s play. Yeah, overall, he’s been playing at an incredibly high level for a long time. I don’t think he’s as good as Federer in the forecourt ( nor are Nadal or Murray) but he doesn’t have to be with the conditions today.
” don’t think he’s as good as Federer in the forecourt ( nor are Nadal)”
What???????????????????????????????????????????????????
rafa still has a goat lead on both of them atm.
Slim margins.
Until nole wins the FO, it’s still a two man debate between Rafger but I respect Laver’s opinion more than any anon internet poster (Myself excluded obviously).
I don’t think it’s necessary to go after Rod Laver for what he said. There is a tendency to overreact any time a former tennis great gives an opinion. Laver is the one who has famously said that there cannot be one GOAT. He said that a player can only be the greatest in his own era. I happen to agree with him.
Laver has earned the right to say what he thinks. Novak is going for his fourth straight slam at RG. Both Rafa and Fed tried to do it. But no one has done it since Laver. He also won the calendar slam twice. Oh and for those who say that was when there wasn’t hard court and blah, blah, blah, let me remind everyone that his peers were not able to do it.
If Novak can win RG and do something that neither fed or Rafa did, then he puts himself in the conversation. I have no problem with Laver saying what he did. If anyone has a right to say something, it’s the man who last accomplished that feat.
Of course, I am hoping that Rafa wins RG and the point will be moot!
Hawkeye,
Thanks for saying that you respect Laver’s opinion, especially over anonymous internet posters.
What he did speaks for itself. I idolized him growing up. He also was a gentleman and a great sportsman. He did not brag about his achievements.
I think that Laver respects all of the top players today. He is still a fan of the sport and we see him at slam finals even now. His records have stood for over 40 years and that is the true test of greatness.
I expect that many of Rafa and Fed’s records will also stand the test of time.
While I do not subscribe to the GOAT argument, I do respect your point of view in that regard.
AT 9:07 PM,
Aren’t you two “anonymous internet posters”? 🙄
Augusta,
Why would you even have to ask that question? If course I am included in that group! Honestly!
You are always looking to start trouble or instigate some kind of argument. Next time don’t make assumptions!
Better yet, why don’t you just ignore my posts altogether!
typical comment to incite an argument… my suggestion is to ignore…
Right on VR.
#PDNFTT
Thanks nny and I respect yours and anyone who has their own opinions on tennis here.
(not so much those that don’t which is why I don’t read them anymore)
Hawkeye,
You are welcome! I hear you and heartily agree! It’s about tennis for us! 🙂
I have always liked Laver’s views and don’t think there is any jealousy involved. He also has lots of respect for Rafa. He once called Rafa the best ever!
My problem is that these legends can sometimes simplify this matter so much! Laver has never quite been so stuck on number of slams, which is good because most legends do that to give simple answers. Only agassi has explored this in depth and spoke about the weaker competition federer had in his early years. Why can’t these legends say for once that these debates are really complicated and then talk about some factors! They are expects so it would be nice to hear some real analysis than simply telling us who has the highest no. of slams won !
I also did not like the fact that he did not even mention Rafa :s To me, Novak’s been part of this debate for a year now! I have a lot of respect for his records. But, just because Nadal has a bad year and people thought he was ‘done’, you start ruling him out of the debate?
Rafa’s not going anywhere and he will win slams. It may well be this year’s French Open.
Don’t forget Agassi and Sampras.
Agassi said Rafa is GOAT and Sampras said Fed is not ahead of Rafa in the GOAT debate.
They’ve both given in depth reasons to counter the slam count, Agassi referring to the golden era and Sampras the ridiculously lopsided h2h.
Hawks, yes, at least they spoke about different factors!
I did not mean to imply that Rid Laver is above any and all criticism. I do know that he has talked about Rafa in the past with a great deal of appreciation and respect. I don’t know why he did not mention Rafa. I would think that Laver would understand that one sub par year on rafa’s part doesn’t want much when compared with his stellar achievements. But I don’t think he meant any disrespect to rafa. He knows that Rafa should not be counted out after one bad year.
Rafa and Fed are on the top of the mountain. Their records speak for themselves. Novak wants to join them on the top of that mountain, but he’s not there yet.
I have special feelings for Rod Laver. He played in a time when the sport of tennis was divided between professional and amateur. Laver paid a high price for playing in professional tournaments and was banned from Wimbledon for a few years. They never made any decent money back then. Some of Laver’s records are not included on the record because of this business of professional and amateur tournaments. Thank goodness that the Open Era of tennis in 1968 finally resolved the conflict and brought the sport into the modern era.
I love Rod Laver.
There. I said it.
Nole gets it…
“It was a big task, but I managed to make that quick and crucial transition from being in self doubt to really be in self-belief and confidence.”
In addition to on-court drills and fitness, Djokovic has added yoga, meditation and other mental preparation techniques, such as visualization, to his routine.
“As you work on your muscles in the gym, mentally you also have to work,” he says.
http://www.si.com/tennis/2016/05/20/french-open-novak-djokovic-interests-personality-serbia
Hawkeye,
I appreciate you posting that info from Novak. I was wondering how he’s gotten to be do strong mentally.
I think it’s a great idea to use yoga and meditation to help with mental focus, calmness and good feelings.
Yup. I do yoga. At first I did it just to maintain/improve flexibility as I get older but was surprised at how it lowered my overall stress level and help me cope better with stressful situations.
For a professional tennis player, I think it would help enormously both physically and mentally.
considering his embarrassing on-court outbursts as of late, Novak definitely needs to work on his mental state…even more…
it’s easy to be mentally strong when everything is going your way and when playing well…once you start having difficulties (that is, when opponents begin to think they have a chance rather than just losing the match already in the locker room) and losing to nobodies, that is where the true inner-self shows up and the weaknesses (read: bad temper) emerge…it affects the game and the confidence dropping further…it all becomes a vicious circle…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAwkOqxoc68
Djokovic’s practice at RG 2016
Birthday cake and non-match adulation don’t always translate to match play fan favouritism as Nole and Rafa are both painfully aware.
RT @ATPWorldTour: The media watches on as Guy Forget presents @DjokerNole with a birthday cake at @rolandgarros. #ATP #tennis #RG16 https://t.co/L9PQWMgCy1
…in France.
Rafa has been adored everywhere.
hawkeye does not let the facts get in the way of a good story.
nadline gets it! 🙂
Hawkeye,
Thanks for that video. How did I not remember that his birthday is right at the start of RG?
You’re welcome nny.
The French fans can be a bit two faced showing lots of love outside of the match but cheering against players like Nole and Rafa during the match. Nole witnessed this in the finals last year and Rafa sees this when he gets sung happy birthday but then they cheer for Thiem against Rafa.
Everybody knows this.
At least the crowd will cheer for Rafa against Nole.
Hawkeye,
Yes, you make an excellent point! I do find this duality kind of strange.
I think that the fans at RG have softened somewhat in recent years towards Rafa. But it’s nothing like the adoration he gets elsewhere.
You are absolutely right about Rafa meeting Novak in the semis! The crowd will be behind Rafa for sure!
good points nny.
Nny and it is understandable somewhat because the vast majority of RG crowd are devout fed fans so one can easily see where their cheering against both Rafa and Nole originate.
Hawkeye,
Yes, another great observation about the motivation and the “why” of their behavior!
Still boorish though.
NNY, AT 3:38 PM
—I think that the fans at RG have softened somewhat in recent years towards Rafa.—
===
.
Hooligan-Fedfans have booed Rafa at RG only ONCE (!) – in 2009 – when he lost to Sod.
I have no idea why you think that Rafa has been treated badly at RG in other years. 🙄
AT 3:15 PM
—they cheer for Thiem against Rafa—
===
.
I watched the match. As a rule, the spectators applauded good shots (winners) and they almost didn’t applaud unforced errors, no matter WHO made them.
.
There are some weaknesses in hawk’s anti-Rafa-propaganda model. LOL
The French RG crowd are a boorish hypocritical bunch.
No hawkeye. it’s the Fedfans who root against Rafa on court; everyone else adores him. Most tennis will go to lengths just to see him even if it’s just to watch him brush his teeth. Ask Mike Bryan.
Happy Birthday, Nole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcS8yoP1hj8
Nice gesture. I hope the cake is gluten free.
It’s official…
Carole Bouchard @carole_bouchard 1h1 hour ago
Surprise : Djokovic just said he’s not eating meat anymore. He’s mainly vegan and adds eating fish here and there. Djokovic says this new diet has started a year ago already
am surprised it gives him enough energy. no wonder he gets tetchy…
roast beef,
american hamburger…yum, yum….
Does this mean he has to give up eggs?
come to think of it, you did not believe me when I first posted this news… 🙂
#howmanytimes
I think I questioned the reputation of your source.
Nole is a reputable source.
questioning the reputation of my source?! But Nole was the source…it was his interview in the Serbian tabloid…how else would they know about it?
#lousyexcuse
If mine is a lousy excuse, then yours is a lazy retort.
I believed that you heard Nole had become vegetarian.
I questioned your source.
I don’t recall you posting any quotes from Nole at the time.
#JeckylAndHide
nope…I referred to the article written in the Serbian tabloid in which Nole and Jelena were interviewed…and Nole said that he had become vegan…Jelena is vegan as well…I wrote about it, but did not have a printed version of the tabloid and honestly did not bother to look up on the net…
you were the first to doubt it…and I felt a little insulted but it’s your right to feel that way…and honestly I did not care that match about it to pursue the issue…now that you are bringing it up as OFFICIAL I just could not resist and enjoyed rubbing it in your face… 😉
no hard feeling, hawks…in a way I really enjoy these exchanges of diverging views… 🙂
I promisse to never bring this up again…except just to mention that Nole as vegan is not allowed to eat eggs but he can still use it… 🙂
Dunno why you’d be offended.
I wouldn’t trust anything printed in a tabloid.
There was zero on the Internet about it which was very strange. All I could find was that he was trying some vegan recipes and that he was opening a vegan restaurant.
So I would still have questioned the validity at the time had it come from a tabloid.
Nothing to do with right, wrong or otherwise.
I enjoy it too nats as long as it stays about tennis and players. 🙂
There is a lack of information in the English-speaking world.
Yet even the queen of misinformation herself can’t find anything credible on the Internet to support nats before this month.
“It’s the only data I’ve seen.”
Hahahahahaha
hawk calls himself ‘the queen’ AT 9:48 AM!
my post above is addressed at hawks 4:04PM
Nole would make a great coach or uncle.
“For me, training isn’t just about running myself ragged or repeating the same tennis skills over and over. The game looks like it takes place between the lines on the court, but it really takes place between your ears.”
Might have to pick this up…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11685957/Novak-Djokovics-health-blueprint-how-to-transform-your-body-in-14-days.html
Congrats to Nole for beating Fed (whose been on tour five years more than Fed) to being the first tennis player to $100M career prize money…
“Novak Djokovic overcame the rain and a tough opponent at Roland Garros to become the first tennis player to earn more than $100 million in prize money.
Djokovic had surpassed 17-time grand slam winner Roger Federer as the all-time prize money leader on the men’s tour in April after he won the Miami Open. The Swiss, who pulled out of the French Open with a back injury, had been leading that list since 2008.”
Huge achievement
Rafa surely would have been the first had it not been for so many physical injuries (and one long term mental problema).
But that’s part of Nole’s overall achievement staying so healthy.
Gotta be a record (2003-07 Weak Era excepted maybe)…
Ben Rothenberg @BenRothenberg 31m31 minutes ago Paris, France
Novak Djokovic qualifies for the London World Tour Finals in the middle of the French Open. He’s real good at the tennis, this guy. #RG16