Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XVI
- Thread starter MiamiScreamingEagles
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Beau Knows
Registered User
Hard not to wonder if things could have been different if he had shut it down last year. Throughout his career Rafa has suffered so many injuries and often seemed to come back earlier than he should have, it's hard to keep getting away with doing that to yourself in your mid-30s.
If next season is indeed his last, it's fitting that Roland Garros will be featured so prominently, with the Olympics being held there.
If next season is indeed his last, it's fitting that Roland Garros will be featured so prominently, with the Olympics being held there.
- Dec 10, 2007
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Rafael Nadal to miss first French Open since 2004, says 2024 will 'probably' be final year of career
Nadal, who will turn 37 in June, announced that he's winding down his tennis career.
sports.yahoo.com
He thinks he'll play in 2024, but he won't be able to.
I think a very likely scenario (assuming his body holds up), is one final RG next year and then retire after the Olympics in Paris.
Rafa sounded close to despondent. What I took from that press conference was that Rafa will be taking significant time off, maybe as much as three or four months, in hopes that his injuries improve sufficienctly so that he can have what would amount to a "farewll tour" year in 2024 after which he would retire. So not a retirement announcement per se, though it may come to that sooner rather than later as his body has probably taken as much punishment as it is going to allow. His days as a top ten player are almost certainly over. It doesn't sound like there is a chance in hell that he plays Wimbledon this year. For the foreseeable future and maybe permanently, the Big Three is down to a Big One.
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Caught up with the Tsitsipas/Coric match. Stef looked impressive in a straight set win. He struggled to get first serves in (48%) but when he did he won 90% of the points. Even his backhand looked like a weapon for once as he managed six winners off that wing. He looks to be perfectly primed for a run in Paris.
- Dec 10, 2007
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Former world No. 1 Simona Halep hit with second doping charge amid suspension
Halep has been suspended since October after allegedly testing positive for a banned substance.
sports.yahoo.com
What a match. Late in the second set and continuing throughout the third set, Rune was "in the zone" in a big way, at one point winning 27 out of 33 points. Ruud played superb tennis in the first set and parts of the second up to his 4-2 lead. But, man, Holger was awesome from that point on.
I agree that Carlitos is the faster, more spectacular and immaginative shot maker, but other than that I really don't see a whole lot of daylight between him and Rune. Love to see them clash in the French Open.
Daniil with an impressive straight set win over Tsitsipas who had played extremely well all week. The sets were virtual carbon copies of one another: in each, Medvedev broke for a 2-love lead only to have Stef even in mid-set but come a cropper in the eleventh game. Obviously Medvedev's hatred of clay was all in his head--he looked very comfortable and confident out there.
Not sure I wanna be Rybakina or Sabalenka next season. Thats gonna be serious serious points to have to defend. I still think Iga wins RG assuming she is healthy
Medvedev wins Rome and looks damn good doing it, 5 and 5. it was a wily performance and Rune came close to matching it but when Holger couldn't serve out the second set, his spirit as much as his game was finally broken. Daniil is definitely in the conversation for Roland Garros now. Getting back to #1 no longer seems the long shot it did at the beginning of the year either.
Hadoop
Registered User
So for those Roger fans who woke up to Novak being the undisputed GOAT in tennis, it seems even in retirement Federer still enjoys more/unparalleled fanfare.
How else do you explain 100 million+ Youtube views for a Tourism Switzerland commercial featuring Roger, when the number of travellers to Switzerland is only 17.5 million annually and the country itself has only 8.7 million people?
How else do you explain 100 million+ Youtube views for a Tourism Switzerland commercial featuring Roger, when the number of travellers to Switzerland is only 17.5 million annually and the country itself has only 8.7 million people?
There's no rule that says the person who wins the most has to be the most popular. Federer and Nadal have always been more likeable than Djokovic. It's not that complicated.
Also, Switzerland is a spectacularly beautiful country. I've seen a bunch of tourism videos and I've never seen one with Federer.
MsMeow
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- Nov 4, 2005
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So happy to see that Milos is back! I know he's a lot older but at least he can hopefully just enjoy what's left of his career and he really has no expectations.
I believe Djokovic is the GOAT. But I also recognize that in Roger and Nole's case, there are people who make a distinction between BOAT (best ever) and GOAT (greatest ever). I think it is impossible to argue against the former and I would not argue against the latter, either. The evidence is now overwhelming, and it was already evident before Nole's latest GS victory.There's no rule that says the person who wins the most has to be the most popular. Federer and Nadal have always been more likeable than Djokovic. It's not that complicated.
Also, Switzerland is a spectacularly beautiful country. I've seen a bunch of tourism videos and I've never seen one with Federer.
However, for a chunk of fans, sports fans in general for the most part rather than specifically tennis fans, Roger will remain greatest in their estimation. Their definition of greatness is broader than just wins on a tennis court, I've talked with friends of mine who hold this belief. They usually mention some combination of the following that they think supports Roger's greatness in tennis history as opposed to Nole's:
Contributions to growing the game
Public demeanor and bearing
International impact and recognition
Level of engagement in his career
Aesthetic purity of performance
Spirit of camaraderie generated
Pure likeability and general sportsmanship
Got there first
I'm not unsympathetic to the point of view that greatness relates to more than just pure athletic achievement; I just don't agree with it in this case. That being said, I do think distinctions can be drawn between "best" and "greatest" in sports arguments. They are kind of fun, actually.
On the Swiss tourism viewership thing, Roger clearly makes an enormous difference. I compared Roger's three top Swiss tourism videos to the three highest viewed that I could find without Roger in them. Here's the rounded-off results:
Roger Swiss tourism videos: 238 million
Non-Roger Swiss tourism videos: 8 million
Beautiful as Switzerland is, that is a humongous difference.
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Those are all good points. I avoid the GOAT discussions, in any sport, because it's generally (or should be) subjective. Today, GOAT seems to mean "whoever won the most whatever". So you get Brady and Novak and Serena (Margaret Court doesn't count because "reasons").
I watch sports for enjoyment, particulary tennis which I played in HS and college. I started watching during the heyday of the Aussies- Laver, Rosewall, etc... My criteria is simple, who played the best tennis that I've ever seen? Who made me wish I could do the things they do? I never had any desire to play like Connors (who Novak reminds me of) but I would give years off my life to have been able to play like McEnroe (without the tantrums of course). Or Federer. Or Laver. To me, those three played the best tennis I've ever seen.
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Milos took the first set 6-3. Some people on twitter say he looks really good. The rest of the tweets are about betting
And it's a straight sets win for Milos!
Just watched the match, and, what an amazing way to re-enter the game after a two year layoff, especially against a good top 40 opponent. All the flaws were still in evidence, but the strong suits, serve and forehand, ruled the day in very dominant fashion. Genuinely impressive.
