Djokovic, Nadal, Federer: Best / Favorite?

I think Djokovic faltered because Medvedev was better than him on the day and is probably the best hardcourt player on the tour currently (he is in fact, a hardcourt specialist as his results on other surfaces are not great). Djokovic’s US Open record is by his standards (where many claim he is the hardcourt GOAT) fairly average. Australia is his playground, yet he has a losing record to Nadal at the US Open  and  3 titles to Nadal's 4. Djokovic is indisputably a stronger hardcourt player overall than Nadal, but the hardcourts of the US Open play differently to the ones in Australia and make him easier to beat there. Djokovic is far from unbeatable at the US Open and Medvedev is more than good enough to beat him there playing his best.  Which was shown.

Djokovic had just lost previously to Zverev in the Olympics (also on a hardcourt) another title he has desperately craved for years. No calender year Grand Slam at stake and he still lost a big title on  hardcourts  to a younger player. Could he not deal with the pressure  there, or are we supposed to believe he is some unstoppable monster  that can't  be beaten on a hardcourt? So I don't buy the excuse.The NextGen don't fear Djokovic on hardcourts,  especially ones that play more like US. Djokovic’s form going into the 2021 US Open did not suggest that Medvedev couldn't beat him, which was proved.

Claiming Medvedev "shat his pants" against Nadal takes away credit from Nadal. Medvedev didn't play poorly. Nadal just increased his level to sustain the fightback, but Medvedev kept it close all the way and still could have won in the 5th set. Medvedev played a great match and still lost. The 3 sets Nadal had to win were tight, not blowouts or Medvedev choking.


I know my point about more Clay slams US hypothetical. That's why this "if Djokovic played Australia" or "if Djokovic can't play because of Vaxx" stuff is meaningless. It's a tennis rule now to get jabbed at most tournaments to play, and you don't  follow it, it's the same as defaulting a match through Umpire abuse or whatever. And there is zero guarantee he'd win all these hypothetical grand slams trophies if he played. At his age, every slam could be his last,  as players decline quickly and the younger generation get stronger. You snooze (or don't get jabbed) you lose .

DaleCooper

I disagree with how you characterise the Nadal/Medvedev match.

Medvedev was not "clearly" the better player. Maybe in set 1, but that's  about it. Nadal was making nervous and uncharacteristic errors for the first two sets. Even playing at less than  his best level, Nadal was still the better player in the 2nd set and should have won it. It shouldn't have gone to a tiebreak,  but Nadal kept choking on his serve and gave Medvedev the chance to go 2 sets up. Players playing "better tennis"lose sets all the time. It's part of tennis.

To me, it's clear the Nadal/Medvedev match-up is on Nadal's racket. Medvedev needs Nadal to lose focus or make errors  he wouldn't usually make to be able to beat him. Same happened at the US Open 2019 final in reverse (though Nadal still won). Nadal played at his best level for the first 2 sets and won  them comfortably. Lost focus and concentration and allowed it to become a 5 set marathon.

Medvedev needs to redline against Nadal and have Nadal play poorly to beat him. Like most players on tour. Nadal is just a horrible match-up for him. Has nothing to do with "shatting his pants ". Especially when I believe mental strength is one of the strongest components of Medvedev's game.

Nadal's mental toughness has diminished with age. He is still a mental beast, but it's become super common to see him unable to close out a match because of nerves. 

The match-up with Medvedev is one sided because Nadal leads it 4-1. And  this is  against  older, slower, nervy Nadal. Medvedev plays Nadal tough, but Nadal wins in the end. That is not a unique match-up situation for Nadal. He's had it with Grigor Dmitrov, for example. Dmitrov gives him hard matches, but always loses.

Stan Wawrinka says Nadal is "incomparable" to any other tennis player in history.

Lost today .........he'll now lose his #1 ........in a few months the 1 court wonder will likely win RG...........this might be Djoko's low point...........oh mama, can this reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally be the end?

Djokovic loses in 3 set matches fairly often .......he's the GOAT at 5 set matches - and will eventually pass Nadal for majors but Nadal is a far better 3 set player it seems to me........w/ an Oympic medal to prove it

People who say Djoko would have won the tournaments he missed (not due to injury) are engaging in the "Mario Lemiuex is better than Gretzky" argument - which is demonstrably false (though Lemieux was of course awesome) - but people who deny that argument that Djoko was the favorite in both those tournaments, 5 sets .......are reshaping a false narrative too


Again, it's not "what if" with Djoko - it's only "if he eventually wins the most majors - he also wins most of the tie breakers too" arguments

I mean Djoko lost a 3 set match, if Australia was 3 set match Medvedev would have won Australia in '22 - he didn't .......tough break way it goes.......wouldn't make too much of it - but Djoko is at a near low point atm .......like I said earlier in the thread


Nadal plays Medvedev next btw tonight ........

GOAT Nadal cements his outstanding start to the 2022 season as the current best player on the tour by defeating the new World Number 1 Medvedev in straight sets in Acapulco.

Scary stuff from the 35 year old Spainard. Medvedev can destroy Djokovic in Grand Slam finals  and is the Best of the Next Generation,  but seems to have no answers for Nadal's game. Djokovic just got beat by the 123rd ranked player in the world, so he needs to prove himself again, as each season is a different animal. But right now, Nadal is king. Hopefully he is able to keep it up and win his 3rd title of the season, but even if he doesn't,  the events of this week have really legitimised his Australian Open win. Right now, Nadal is the best player in the world, regardless of ranking.

Just to be clear - I meant 3 set matches nowadays not over his career: if Djoko gets down in a 3 set match nowadays well - as you saw in the Olympics and Dubai he can be knocked off or throw in the towel.......to me he's the GOAT in 3 sets, 5 sets, TV sets, sets of baseball cards, boxsets of albums .........um, whatever - but nowadays he only cares about outlasting people in 5 sets IN MAJORS - he counts on you withering - and is quite susceptible to be picked off in 3 sets .....in 2022.

This is all that was said in my post Djokovic loses in 3 set matches fairly often .......he's the GOAT at 5 set matches - and will eventually pass Nadal for majors but Nadal is a far better 3 set player it seems to me........w/ an Oympic medal to prove it

.......just an observation - felt it was misrepresented a bit. My point was, I wouldn't sweat Djoko's loss here, but like I said - no number 1 now, will likely lose at RG and still needs tune-ups .........he's close to a low point atm.

Will be an interesting Wimbledon / US Open though .......

Shhhhhh buddy, there is no evidence of that so nothing to see here.............just move along........this thread is fine..........it was always fine ........Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia

Nadal wins his 3rd straight title of the year, all on hardcourts and remaining undefeated.

Nadal looked shaky dropping sets at Indian Wells and loses in the final to 20th ranked Taylor Fritz his first loss of the year........not gonna lie, it was getting quite tiresome seeing him dominate in 2022 and knowing inevitably he'll dominate the French if healthy.........a feather in Fritz cap

Nadal seems to have a breathing issue now so we'll see if he plays Monte Carlo next month - I think he will be #3 now by making the finals, Medvedev drops to 2 by being knocked out earlier and Djoko I assume regains #1 .......but again that's all dependent on when he plays, how Medvedev does and Nadal's health status .....