Come on mate…
Mysterious year off…
STEP AWAY!
Was wondering when you would show - worried that you might have taken a nasty fall from that bandwagon in the 4th set.
What, and miss Federer sweeping the 5th? TICKETS, PLEASE!
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What a specimen
He’s the best ever, in any sport. If he wasn’t injured on and off for those 5 years he would have won a bunch more.
The amazing thing about him now though is that he’s a better player at 36 than he was at 26. Back then, he was mainly a slice backhand, control the tempo kind of guy, now he has so much more variety and comes at players so much harder.
Phelps?
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Would have to be up there.
I don’t follow the olympics but his story is obviously very well known.
For mine the cultural impact should be factored in not just sporting achievement. Thats just me though.
Usain made sprinting fun again.
Injured? Apart from the 2nd half of 2016 when he injured a knee removing a child from the bath and the odd muscle tweak here n there, he’s been surprisingly injury free. Those 5 or so years you’re referring to had saw him playing at his full capacity. He was still very good, consistently making semis and finals of Slams but his contemporaries had worked him out to some degree. Murray, Del Potro, Djokovic and Nadal in particular. S Warwrinka to a lesser degree. Raonic. He also stubbornly refused to change his racquet that had served him well early in his career but was starting to cost him. But the remarkable thing about him is that he didn’t just go away. As you said, he changed. Changed his coach(s), changed his style of play, his racquet, scheduling, rehab regime… Pretty much everything. To be as hungry at 36 as he was at 22 is amazing. To be prepared to change the way he operates at around 30, an age when most others are leaving the sport displays a mental strength that only a 20x Slam champion possesses. He’s in a class of his own on so many fronts it’s unbelievable.
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Problem with GOAT claims is that when he and his main rival (Rafa) were both at their peak, Rafa absolutely owned him.
How can you say he’s the greatest of all time when he can’t even get the better of his contemporaries?
It’s only 20-16 in Roger’s favour. Arguably Rafa could be ahead with a better injury run.
I think regardless of if Rafa had a better head to head record, you have to give the edge for Roger. Anyone can win a slam, winning them outside your window regularly (22-27) cements your greatness. I also think a lack of competition in the past 2-3 years has helped Roger. Djokovic has had a shocking injury run as has Rafa, whilst Murray hasn’t been at his best for as long as those 2.
The final was all about serving. Whoever served the best won that particular set.
Slams are not won by the best player but the best and fittest player. Fed’s greatness is partly due to perfect technique which minimises physical stress and has allowed him to play for so long and even outlast much younger opponents in 5 set finals.
Djoker, Rafa, Murray & Fed took tennis to a whole new level. It’s not like the Sampras era when agassi was the only other elite player and even he had some obvious limitations. Fed has won 20 slams during a golden era for elite tennis players and when there were really only 3 slams available to be won each year as rafa owns the french.
Djoker took tennis to a new level but Fed evolved and went past him by sustaining his physical and mental fitness as his rivals fell away.
Maybe the Laver era was the last golden era although I only saw the end of that and I’m not sure how good the non-Aussies were back then.
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20 Grand Slams suggest he got the better of his contemporaries anyway you want to spin it.
The fact that he won his first Slam 15 years ago and he’s still winning them now indicates he goes alright against any generation.
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I think the last few years has shown just how much the game needs the “big four” in terms of producing quality tennis. The game has become more unpredictable without them, but I’d dare say the quality seems to have dipped Federer aside who is relishing their absence. Berdych/Cilic/Raonic etc are good players, but not great players. Dimitrov is classy but not consistent. I think the game has suffered without them.
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De Minaur locked in an absolute dogfight with Zverev in the first Davis Cup match.
The kid is special
Fantastic Davis Cup rubber. De Minaur showing some huge heart against Zverev. 6-6 in the 5th and unfortunately probably won’t see the remainder as our flight is about to start boarding and we have to leave the lounge
Damn. Forgot about this.
Could have watched a few hours of it. 