2023 Tennis Season

[jon]

Boy the French Open really snuck up. You can definitely feel the shockwaves of no Nadal being there. It’s at the point where if Djokovic gets knocked out it becomes in effect as compelling as a pickle ball tournament. I have to admit I am being a little devious here knowing that Djokovic in these next years can get a stranglehold on the slam race and basically be the best ever. Remember, I saw him play in 2011……well, I left in a rain delay almost a set in, and he was playing the legendary Mardy Fish. There was no one there and I was rooting for him and he looked at me. Ok, maybe my credibility just went out the window. What I’m trying to get at, is that he wasn’t really popular back then, coming off of just his 2nd major win. Nevertheless, I was a witness to the greatest tennis player of all time. I expect an easy win here to pass Nadal and hopefully never get caught.

[VideoGameCritic]

I'm been watching. I love Djokovic but I think #1 Alcaraz might give him a run for his money.

I have to admit I am really sad not seeing Nadal out there. This was "his" tournament. Hard to believe he won it just a year ago, because since then he's been a complete wreck physically.

On the ladies side I saw Danielle Collins lose to Jessie Pegula AGAIN. That girl has got her number. No favorites on the ladies' side but after watching a few rounds I'll find someone to root for.

[jon]

I know we've all mentioned it, but Djokovic is by far the most relatable of the big 3. I mean, he actually seems like someone that you could have a beer with so to say. I mean, look at how honest he's been with the media over the years. Federer and Nadal have always said the right thing, never coming even close to any sort of controversy. But Djokovic has too many to even name, and quite serious. We've seen who he really is maybe more than almost any athlete if you think about it. He'd get mad when fans would boo him because of perceived fake injuries and alienated people. Gave complete honest answers always. Then there was him not wanting his perhaps overbearing parents there. And one of the more human things, when he just had a breakdown and stepped away from trying to be this perfect athlete. And he was getting with supermodels. Compare that to Federer and Nadal (who I both really like by the way). They seem so inaccessible.

[DrLitch]

Djokovic looks like he still has many years left in him. Wear and tear is taking a toll on Nadal. I read somewhere he is planning on retiring next year, perhaps one last tilt at the French Open.

I will be rooting for Djokovic in the French Open. It is probably the tournament that is most difficult for him to win. He has an amazing record at Wimbledon (tied with Sampras) and Covid pretty much killed his chances of adding US Open wins (I believe he is now allowed to play this year at the US Open). Perhaps he can actually make a Calander slam and history as only the second player to achieve it after Laver. He has the AO in the bag. Wimbledon is winnable. US is winnable. But FO is not his best surface. If he wins it he has a chance of scooping up all 4 slams in one year.

It does feel like an end of an era though. I got used to seeing Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Wawrinka, Del Potro, Berdych, Thiem, and Cilic. And an occasional Roddick stint deep into a tournament. All such great players. Murray, bless him, is too beat up to compete like he used to. Nadal is pretty much only one or two slams away from retirement. Federer and rest of those players are retired or on their last legs. Djokovic going strong. A new era beginning, and I still have not found someone new I can support.

[jon]

Of course it’s headline news (on ESPN) that Djokovic got booed today. What is up with these fans? It’s ridiculous. What does this guy do to deserve that? It’s not like 15 years ago with the valid questions about his injuries. That hadn’t happened in forever. Do these fans even care that he’s basically carrying tennis at this point.

Do they not want him to break the tie with Nadal? Without him it’s basically a glorified pickle ball tournament. I’ll agree with Dr. Litch that there’s hardly anyone young worth rooting for. I mean I warmed up to Kyrgios but he’s not exactly setting the world on fire. I say forget those fans. Let Djokovic give it to them and break the record in front of them. And then win the calendar year grand slam. At 36 he’s playing at an amazing level still. That was the age I went from being delusional that I was good at basketball to accepting I was terrible.

[VideoGameCritic]

I'm surprised to hear he got booed. I wonder if it's because he made some political comments, which in this day-and-age is the equivalent of "stepping in it".

[DrLitch]

I generally only skim through online articles and associated forum comments. While he does have his fans It does seem like a lot of folks really hate Djokovic. Nothing ever jumps out as an obvious reason for hate. Vitriolic comments usually include cheater, drug user, liar and so on. I have also seen many commenters accuse Nadal of being a "Roid" user which is utter nonsense. Being a competitor to a favorite player is probably enough basis for hate. Djokovic's record is quite amazing though and it appears even as things stand he has edged out in front of Federer and Nadal based on records.

[jon]

Djokovic demolished the poor guy and is into the quarters with ease. He’s either lost no sets or 1 this tournament. I’m pretty sure if he wins he’ll play Alcaraz in the semis which is basically a final.

About the booing and it’s not just this tournament in his career. If you think about most of the majors he’s won he’s had the crowd at least 80%-90% against him playing against Nadal and Federer. I can’t think of anyone in tennis let alone any sport who’s never let if affect their play. He’s unbelievably clutch and has been basically since he kind of choked away the first 2 sets against Federer in the 2007 U.S. Open Final. Think of all the match points and championship points he saved against Federer which won him 2 majors. The championship points he won, on Federer’s serve no less, in the 2017 Wimbledon Final basically tilted the major race in his favor to a huge degree and was Federer’s last deep run. He’s won so many what would usually be nerve racking 4 and 5 set matches over the years where he’s had to come back from behind. He never gets rattled and that’s a huge reason he’ll probably end up as the best ever once he wins literally only 1 more major. Will anyone catch up to him is a big question but the odds are against it.

[DrLitch]

I know Djorkovic had a bit of temper when he was younger. But Federer was hardly an angel. I remember in his younger years Federer had temper tantrums that would shame a two year old. There was one match against Henman he was acting like a real brat and then at the end of the game it was all tears. Safin was popular with folks and that guy was crazy on court - who knows how many f bombs he used and rackets were smashed. Maybe Djokovic needs a better Spin Doctor.

Think of all the match points and championship points he saved against Federer which won him 2 majors.

I remember him crushing a return winner from a Fed first serve with Fed at match point. Djokovic went on to win the tournament, US Open, if memory serves me right. The guy is a mental beast as you noted. Particularly since 2011. Not just mentality though, it was rare to see Djokovic outplayed, and if he was, i.e. as in US Open 2021, he was physically spent. Nothing he could do against Wawrinka though, that guy was in God mode in the 2016 US Open tournament.

[jon]

I know Djorkovic had a bit of temper when he was younger. But Federer was hardly an angel. I remember in his younger years Federer had temper tantrums that would shame a two year old. There was one match against Henman he was acting like a real brat and then at the end of the game it was all tears. Safin was popular with folks and that guy was crazy on court - who knows how many f bombs he used and rackets were smashed. Maybe Djokovic needs a better Spin Doctor.

Think of all the match points and championship points he saved against Federer which won him 2 majors.

I remember him crushing a return winner from a Fed first serve with Fed at match point. Djokovic went on to win the tournament, US Open, if memory serves me right. The guy is a mental beast as you noted. Particularly since 2011. Not just mentality though, it was rare to see Djokovic outplayed, and if he was, i.e. as in US Open 2021, he was physically spent. Nothing he could do against Wawrinka though, that guy was in God mode in the 2016 US Open tournament.

Before I get to Federer (and you made some great points about him which no one seems to mention) I want to mention a couple things about Djokovic. First off, early in his career he was graceful in defeat unlike Federer. Djokovic before he even won a major would spend some time at the net congratulating the guy who beat him.

Quite a few years ago Djokovic made an effort to create a fund that could help players outside the top 50 for instance literally survive. And he took money he made and put that into it. None of the other top players supported it because Djokovic had been so “controversial” in the past. To this day the ATP has done nothing to adopt what Djokovic was so passionate about, finding a way to fund the players who were spending their life savings trying to survive playing outside the top 50 for instance all the way down to guys playing in challengers. To this day Djokovic is still trying to make that happen.

About Federer, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record. But this image of him being this humble, graceful player is at odds with his early career. I don’t want to be too critical of him, but before he won his first major he was a terrible loser, smashing rackets, crying, and shaking hands with the guy who beat him for literally a split second and going on to get his gear. It was only after he started winning majors that he started being humble and spent the time to be gracious in defeat. And this gets back to the courts being too fast for him. From the time he beat Sampras in 2001 in the Wimbledon 4th round there was a full 2 years until he won his major and of course my hypothesis is that the courts slowed down for that to happen. He was after the Sampras win expected to win majors soon but during those 2 years after he was viewed as a huge disappointment and would lose to any really good serve and volley player as well as aggressive offensive baseliners like Hewitt and Nalbandian. If you think about it, during those 2 years Hewitt won 2 majors, and they were basically the same age. Guys were winning majors back then at that age. So Federer’s behavior early in his career is totally at odds with his behavior after he started winning majors.

And all the top players not supporting Djokovic’s effort to fund players who didn’t make much money was pretty eye opening. And of course it’s not enough to outweigh his ridiculously unwarranted bad image.