Novak Djokovic: Yes, The Inconsistency In The Tennis Balls We Use Is An Issue

Why not change all the courts to one surface and all the balls to one type of ball. Then you can change the game name from Tennis to Pickleball.

October 29th, 2023 at 10:27 am

We’ll exactly, what gives, the guy has 24 GS, for goodness sake

October 29th, 2023 at 10:48 am

This is why most folks prefer Federer and Nadal over Djokovic. Perhaps those two didn’t say anything controversial but they also didn’t say stupid things like this either. Djokovic is so desperate to achieve recognition beyond his 24 majors that he engages in issues that are ultimately irrelevant. His reasons for getting on the ATPs case about tennis balls are no more plausible than him refusing to be vaxxed. Would love to see stars proving that different tennis balls cause injuries. Bet there aren’t any. These are among the best athletes on earth and different tennis ball is going to injure them? Didn’t know tennis players had become so fragile.

Novak…Stick to what you do better than anyone else has ever done. Dont worry about legacies. Your no Althea Gibson… that’s for sure.

October 29th, 2023 at 4:08 pm

Want to send the Sampras family best wishes and to say positive.

October 29th, 2023 at 4:11 pm

Hmm, Federer and Nadal not complaining about tennis balls, let’s start with Federer, saying exactly the same as Nole:

https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/federer-upset-about-different-balls-at-french

October 29th, 2023 at 5:05 pm

Let’s go now to Nadal, another former GOAT (well sort of), as recent as this year AO (of course after losing matches in United Cup, not before):

https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/australian-open-2023-tennis-news-rafael-nadal-slams-dunlop-balls-what-balls-are-used-at-grand-slams/news-story/b69e7a6f2feb08f05c512613dbac6158

October 29th, 2023 at 5:08 pm

I am sending best wishes to the people of Gaza, my prayers and thoughts are with them.

October 29th, 2023 at 5:19 pm

Amazing, simply amazing.

SG1, smugly and arrogantly says “This is why most folks prefer Federer and Nadal over Djokovic. Perhaps those two didn’t say anything controversial but they also didn’t say stupid things like this either”.

So much sneering, such smarminess, just oozing with self-satisfied conceit.

And then within just two links WB shows that SG1 has zero credibility, zero reason to be so puffed-up and holier than thou.

I don’t think I’ve seen a slam down as clear cut and decisive as this for a very long time.

Bravo WB, bravo!

SG1, you look like a complete fool.

October 29th, 2023 at 6:57 pm

Yeah joining in the get well messages to Mrs Sampras

October 29th, 2023 at 8:06 pm

On the contrary Zed, I know precisely what to say to draw out the trolls. Thanks for demonstrating my point.

October 29th, 2023 at 9:06 pm

Woggy and Zed are like trained seals at Seaworld.

October 29th, 2023 at 9:36 pm

Hey SG1, you’ve been given two valuable lessons heref. Show some humility and gratitude. Peevish, ignorant, smarmy gits don’t fare so well in life, so learn from this if you can.

October 29th, 2023 at 9:49 pm

Hate cancer not only for it’s awful nature and the mortal struggles, but because it seems to show no reward of better health or prosperity favors good people over evil ones.
So we have 92 year old Nazis cheered by the Canadians and Ukies there at the “Big Meeting”. A successful man. A fine Canadian immigrant. Looking great, full head of hair, in excellent physical condition. No cancer there! Perhaps just long youth from the invigoration of atrocities.
I hope Mrs Sampras has great care and a chance of getting through ovarian cancer given medical advances..
But in a way, cancer is so common it is difficult to feel ‘extra compassion’ for a celeb you don’t even know – given the people you do know and often feel guilty you have times when you don’t feel you care enough about them and their fight for life or reaching a state when no chance exists of beating it. Only trying to have a good death.

* Congrats to Sinner and FAA in their victories, and Ben Shelton looked good at the Japan Open. Looking for some great matchups in Paris then the ATP Finals.

Israel-Gaza? Fault on both sides. Especially Israel in the early days when it lied and said since the Palestinians all left voluntarily after hearing “Arab radio broadcasts” – they owed the Palestinians nothing for the stolen lands and businesses they grabbed in Palestine. Richest people per capita on the planet and too cheap to pay off the refugees to go and too cheap to bring Egypt enough to take them
But Hamas is in the bad situation of having things got more than a little out of hand. A brilliant tactical operation falling to ISIS level depravity, raping women, decapitating babies. And then screeching that any Israeli reprisal has to be “proportional” and put “innocent civilians off limits”
No, Hamas and the Gazans that elected them don’t get to say the Israelis must behave better than they were. There are no “innocent civilians” nor are all soldiers, by some leftist definition “guilty soldiers”.
You just have enemy and allied combatants and non-combatants. And neutrals.
If you want to win, you have to break the will to fight in both enemy combatants and non-combatants. We roasted millions of enemy Japanese non-combatants alive. To help win the war.

October 29th, 2023 at 10:40 pm

SG1 – “Novak…Stick to what you do better than anyone else has ever done. Dont worry about legacies. Your no Althea Gibson… that’s for sure.”

First, don’t compare men and women in sports.
Second, don’t say something to the effect that Novak and no other player can leave a legacy as big as a trail-blazing Negro female champion, because they weren’t black and didn’t play in America in the 50s.
I’m sure Althea is or was a fine person, but making a legacy being about racial 1sts – is like saying no one in F1 will ever have the legacy as Lewis Hamilton.

Djokovic was one of the bigger, and earliest stars in tennis in creating a tennis foundation
Djokovic was one of the biggest persons that put E Europe on the map as a place producing great athletes.
Djokovic left a mainly good legacy in honing fitness and nutrition into competitive elements of training and prep that can’t be ignored.
Djokovic is the name 100s of millions trying a gluten free diet know.
Djokovic is another person noted for high intelligence and ‘certain gifts’ that comes with social ineptness and “trying to hard to be liked”. Which to me is better than being stupid and not caring or even able to know if he is liked or not.

October 29th, 2023 at 11:03 pm

“trained seals at Seaworld”

LOL, weren’t you one of the same trained seals who was applauding a literal Nazi murderer along with the Canadian parliament?

Zero self awareness, I will repeat my previous assessment, you are a complete fool.

October 30th, 2023 at 1:44 am

Zed, forget about Canadian with Eastern European background, it’s not a first time that he made fool of himself, though I was really surprised with uncalled hate and bitterness towards Nole in his post, I thought he is smarter than that.

Think about January, I will be in your beautiful city on Sunday the 14th, and we are coming in almost full strength, 3 of us. We can catch up same afternoon (since this time we are staying only until Wednesday and they are working days) with families in “Chevapi Grill Balkan Kitchen” in South Melbourne, my friends told me it’s really good tucker and service, otherwise we can catch up any day/night in the pub before Wednesday as long as Nole isn’t playing.

Check the restaurant:

https://www.chevapigrill.com.au/

October 30th, 2023 at 3:39 am

BTW, I almost forgot, the seals are beautiful and smart creatures, smarter than Canadian with Eastern European background, I take it as compliment to put alongside them.

PS
Trust me, you will love Balkan food…..and beer.

October 30th, 2023 at 3:51 am

Quite a visceral reaction from just a few sentences….bunch of trained seals LOL. So damned predictable.

October 30th, 2023 at 6:44 am

Woggy… I’d like to apologize for thinking that you are the most stupid poster on this site. I was wrong. Yup, I can admit when I’m wrong.

CF1… your last post has to be the dumbest thing written in the history Tennis X. Congratulations. I mean… what’s the likelihood of actually finding the most stupid person on earth. Congratulations Tennis X. Tell CF1 what he’s won Bob.

October 30th, 2023 at 7:35 pm

WB, Yes your friends are correct, it is an excellent restaurant and you will leave very satisfied. We’ve been a couple of times and will probably go again in the near future (we were going to go last Saturday but something came up).

I’d love to meet with you there, maybe even bring my wife if she’s available. We can talk about the tennis and the plight of Canada under the control of the crazed Nazi WEF stooges which it seems SG1 fully supports.

We have already purchased tickets for Jan 20 in Rod Laver Arena (had to not only purchase for my wife and I but also my adult kids and their partners. The bank account has taken quite a hit but if you love them you pay and pay and pay LOL).

p.s. Melbourne has lots of great restaurants very similar to Chevapi Grill Balkan Kitchen. Two of my favourites are “Little Bad Wolf” and “The Balkans Corner” but both of those are outer-suburban so probably not suited to you as you would be staying the city. I love to eat and I love to drink, I’ll die early but I’ll die happy.

October 30th, 2023 at 8:41 pm

Awww, poor SG1 is losing it!
Here is a stat from writer John Berkok:

“With 397, Novak Djokovic now has as many weeks at No. 1 as 18 former ATP No. 1s combined
Edberg, Courier, Kuerten, Murray, Nastase, Alcaraz, Wilander, Medvedev, Roddick, Becker, Safin, Newcombe, Ferrero, Muster, Rios, Kafelnikov, Moya and Rafter had 397 weeks between them.”

Greatness speaks for itself.

Hating on Djokovic is like small dogs and piglets that are ankle biters. Pesky, more than an irritant than anything, but launching them through the air with a boot at times deters them.

October 30th, 2023 at 9:55 pm

Happy halloween folks!

October 31st, 2023 at 1:31 pm

Happy Halloween to you too Tennispompom.

I was sad to see Carlos out in the first round of Paris, I was hoping that the tension over YE#1 would remain for bit longer.

Of course, the final outcome was always likely to be Novak taking his 8th YE#1 but it would have been exciting if Carlos had progressed further in Paris. It’s not over yet of course but Novak’s sitting pretty.

Online I’m reading a lot of comments that show me that a lot of Carlos “supporters” are not really that, they are not so much Carlos supporters as they are Novak haters. They so badly want someone, ANYONE, to stop Novak that they will praise anyone who has a chance of doing that. What a sad group of little people they are hey?

My tip to the haters is that only one person will stop Novak and that person is Novak. He is the master of his own destiny, that’s the power you have when you are the greatest of all time.

Novak will stop winning when he decides it is time to stop winning, when he is ready to move on to the next exciting phase of his life.

Will that be in one year or 5 years? I don’t know, probably he doesn’t really know either but he WILL grow tired of it. The winning will no longer be enough to compensate for time away from those he loves.

And THAT’S when the haters will get their wish, their wish for Novak to stop winning :)

October 31st, 2023 at 8:08 pm

CF1… you just keep getting your arse handed to you by the Canadian with Eastern European background. Must be quite humiliating. Don’t worry though. The jack arse troll brigade of WogTurd and Zed can keep you company.

Remember… the first step in fixing a problem is admitting you have one (or in the case of the troll brigade, many). Look at the bright side. There’s nowhere to go but up from where you are.

October 31st, 2023 at 8:08 pm

Your constant nitpicking about Djokovic and just throwing shade of the sake of throwing shade, makes you an ankle-biter. Something you were a little too dense to get, the 1st time I said it.

I’m quite happy with WB and Zed. Both are what I call nationalist fans. But interesting guys and – this too might be something you want to consider for yourself – Happy Guys living life!
Don’t choke on you own bile like Giles did.

October 31st, 2023 at 9:13 pm

“Online I’m reading a lot of comments that show me that a lot of Carlos “supporters” are not really that, they are not so much Carlos supporters as they are Novak haters. ”

Zed, you didn’t have to go online, it was enough to check Alcaraz “fans” on this site to come to the same conclusion, mostly disgruntled Rafa fans and some Federer leftovers on this site, one thing in common, they hate Nole😉
BTW, Sinner is improving on daily basis, I am glad for him, we picked the right one to follow after Nole, methinks.

November 1st, 2023 at 12:44 am

WB, Yes Sinner is just getting better and better.

I expect many epic battles between he and Alcaraz over the coming 10 or 15 years. Right now Sinner has the head to head lead and has proven that he must be taken seriously.

November 1st, 2023 at 3:08 am

Hi Zed, just bear in mind that Nole could still – just – lose the YE No.1 to Alcaraz/ Unlikely, but he’s capable of it….

I felt rather sorry for Alcaraz, ambushed in the first round. He’s discovering that winning year in year out requires a rare kind of single-minded endurance and is probably asking himself if he really wants that kind of life for another two decades. Only Federer, Djokovic, to some extent Nadal and Rod Laver had the kind of determination to keep going for so long.

I hope Alcaraz does go for it and survives injury free, because he seems such a pleasant (and very talented) young man. I like him, he learns quickly! Carlos deserves better supporters and I wish him lots of luck, except when he’s playing against Djokovic or Murray :-)

Novak will hopefully continue to play for a while yet. Murray surprised me by coming back after injury and years of absence – good for him, that takes some endurance!!! Or perhaps his four kids at home have inspired his return to tennis – does he get a better night’s sleep on tour?

As for the Novak-haters, I suspect they will miss Djokovic when he eventually retires. Djokovic hasn’t been too helpful to the haters, he only loses a handful of matches per year, which probably sustains them. Just imagine living a life where the only joy is schadenfreude experienced 2 or 3 times a year, LOL!

Once Djokovic stops competing, they won’t even have those few losses to look forward to, because Djokovic’s records will remain unbroken for decades and decades.

November 2nd, 2023 at 2:45 pm

Well, the way Nole is playing atm he is set to joing Alcaraz in bombing out of Paris, he is unrecognisable.

November 2nd, 2023 at 3:37 pm

Applause, tennispompom! The great undiscussed thing in the usual GOAT and greatness discussions is just the gift of a mind and body in it for the long haul that can maintain consistent excellence over time.

In this sport, besides Federer and Novak, you have had several players competitive for the long haul that remained “names” and top pros with mental and physical skills that were kept into their 30s – think Ken Rosewall, Laver, Connors, Lendl, my man David Ferrer, Feliciano, Santoro. Iron men. Though Connors with destroyed hips wishes he left the game sooner when docs said he was done and surgery (at that time 40 years back) wasn’t as good.

But none at the consistent champion-level excellence of Federer and Djokovic. Rafa and Andy were phenomenal champions but both were told at a junior level they had congenital foot, ankle, knee issues that made a long career unlikely. Both defied the odds and deserve recognition as legends. Rafa is a near peer and I won’t argue with a Rafa fan – that without those injury absences – Rafa may still be leading in Slams..Woulda shoulda talk though.

=========================
Andy is done. A little painful to watch him slowed down, unable to get to balls he used to be able to return with ease.
Wishing more in Rafa’s comeback but I think Nadal will be a slowed down shadow.
================
I believe this is Novak’s last chance to finish #1 for a year.

November 3rd, 2023 at 1:28 pm

CF1,
Sounds a bit like you’re disagreeing with yourself! On the one hand the perfect mind and body for tennis longevity are a “gift”, on the other hand some of the greatest didn’t have the perfect mind and body for any sport, but they overcame the problem… Which is it? I think it’s somewhere in the middle, which allows me to agree with you, at least in part – thank goodness.

Defects impacted not just Rafa and Andy, but also Rod Laver – who was feeble and scrawny as a youngster, and Novak – who had congenital issues with the structure of his nose, so he couldn’t breathe properly until he had the operation to fix it. Probably many others too, had some physical issues to deal with. I read about the Doherty brothers, Laurie and can’t recall the other one’s first name now, they were plagued by injuries and sickness, but they achieved so much in their relatively long careers for their era.

Djokovic lead the way on maintaining and improving his “gift”, sorting out his nasal structure, dropping gluten, adopting a scientific diet, practice and meditation regime, pacing his life and schedule for the long term, teaching himself to be strong, resilient and unflappable. Rod Laver must have done something similar in his day.

Brains and brawn aren’t enough – single-minded determination and sacrifice are essential.
———-
You’re right about Andy, but I admire him for persevering simply because he loves tennis. And I love to watch him play, even when he’s losing.
Nadal may come back, but I have the feeling he’s leaving it for too long. It’s almost as if he’s lost the hunger for winning.
———-
I hope you’re wrong about Novak’s chances for next year’s number 1. For a guy who won three majors and reached the final of the fourth this year, he should be the undisputed no.1 with no one close to him in ranking points. The reason why he’s not yet certain of his No.1 ranking, is that he wasn’t allowed to play Indian Wells and Miami, and he skipped three other Masters, he only played 12 tournaments (incl. Paris) this year. Alcaraz is close in points because he played 18 tournaments so far. True, he skipped one major, but he played all nine Masters and the maximum permitted number of ATP 500’s.

Ranking points are mostly about quantity – “never mind the quality, just feel the width!”… Still, I hope that Novak goes for No.1 next year. Perhaps he’ll play more Masters, or perhaps he’ll sacrifice those for the sake of a shot at Olympic gold.

November 4th, 2023 at 8:02 am

I couldnt let this discussion about balkan food/tennis pass without recommending the Lygon Steakhouse Restaurant. They dont know how to maintain a website but their kajmak and lepinje are to do die for

https://web.archive.org/web/20230605004035/https://lygonsteakhouse.com/

To this day the culinary experience remains bittersweet. Sweet in that the mixed meat grill was heavenly and bitter for having witnessed the long line at the italian restaurant opposite. I truly regret that the people in the queue went without real cuisine that night

By the way, my girlfriend and I also enjoyed the Chevapi Grill Balkan Kitchen

November 5th, 2023 at 7:10 am

@ king marko, thanks for the tip, when you are in Sydney try “Fabrika by Madera”, little bit pricey (particularly being suburban), but nevertheless great food.

November 5th, 2023 at 5:16 pm

Thanks king marko, my wife and I will go there soon. We are trying hard to get out and enjoy life rather than spending all our nights at home. The House Specials section of the menu seems to be where all the gems are plus the salads too. I can see why I missed Lygon Steakhouse in my searches as the restaurant’s name would not disclose the hidden delights in their menu. Please give more restaurant tips if you have them.

WB, we will be visiting Sydney a lot more over coming years because our boy will be studying Med at Sydney U for the next four years (and then he’ll be an intern and a resident of course so realistically we are talking seven years in Sydney at least). This January is going go be a lot of back and forth as we settle him into an apartment. Next year We will be true empty nesters with all our kids living in other states.

Tennispompom and chrisford1, I take delight from your posts. You are such insightful people and you both write so well.

One day Novak will no longer play tennis and that day is probably not too far in the future. I, for one, feel blessed to have witnessed such an era. When I was a kid I looked forward to each and every Borg/McEnroe match and thought “it can never get better than this” how wrong I was.

November 5th, 2023 at 9:11 pm