2024 ATP Finals Day 4: Sick Alcaraz v Rublev, Zverev v Ruud; Sinner A Winner

I hope for a Alcaraz / Sinner final to end the year, the two best players this season, seems fitting 🎾🤗

November 13th, 2024 at 9:54 am

Having said that though, Alcaraz seems a bit under the weather, and Zverev seems to be playing really well, Rudd beat Alcaraz too, sooo I think it would depend on the Zverev / Alcaraz match, an open tournament for sure

November 14th, 2024 at 2:16 am

Rafa is in Malaga now for his last matches. He is awaiting Carlos as his doubles partner. 20 years since Nadal exploded into national recognition by becoming the #1 clay courter in Spain. To the consternation of Alcaraz’s present coach, Juan Carlos Ferrer, who was none to happy he got demoted from #1.
Spains’s DC captain at the time was right, Nadal was Spains DC future. Along with Ferrero, Verdasco, Ferrer, and 5-6 others nearly as talented as Ferrero and Ferrer, they had a Spanish Armada and Spain excelled. David Ferrer was a total beast in DC play.

Novak Djokovic will be there to help send his greatest rival off. Probably get some tennis in as an injured warmup partner.

November 15th, 2024 at 2:42 pm

Federer was his greatest rival

November 15th, 2024 at 5:07 pm

Au contraire, Alison! Of course it is in the eye of the beholder, but if you take away the opinions of the Big 3 and look at stats, you get

Djokovic vs. Nadal (H2H statistically the top, and closest rivalry).
Nadal vs. Federer (The Nike-endorsed rivalry that faded somewhat)
Djokovic vs. Federer. (The closest to me. Closer but for Novaks Houdini escapes.)

All wonderful rivalries, and other nice ones existed in their era, too, with other ATP players.

In 2013, at the US Open, the last time he ever beat Novak off clay – Rafa was more honest. “, “Very, very emotional. All my team knows how much this means to me. Probably nobody brings my game to its limits like Novak Djokovic.”

Rafa got stuck calling Federer his greatest rival, which Federer was, before Djokovic put it all together in 2011, and their careers show the two, and their coaches, said even when Fed was playing well in the late 2010s – the Serb-Spaniard rivalry was tops in anticipation and prep and close matches.
What would you do if you were a nice man like Raphael? Diss Roger and Nike and say you have a new #1 rival. No way!

November 15th, 2024 at 7:20 pm

Novak Nadal H2H – 31-29 played 60X
Novak Federer H2H 27-23 played 50X
Nadal Federer H2H 24-16 played 40X.

Nice numbers.
Tied in 4th Place are
Novak-Andy Murray 25-11 played 36 times
Lendl-McEnroe 21-15 XXXXXXXXX

Rivalries may be subjective, but they can also be a mark of great players with consistent excellence and how one distinguishes a career by H2Hs across all competitors they faced. Rafa’s H2H was he beat almost everyone in H2H over 5 matches. And Novak beat everybody but Andy Roddick (who jokes he retired so he could brag about that H2H forever, before Novak caught up to him).

And objectively, the burden of proof is on the person that says a 24-16 rivalry of 40 matches was a better rivalry for Rafa than playing 60 matches with a 31-29 tally.
And while a 31-29 record is just too close to say in any analysis is proof of one player being better than the other, the inside story is of Djokovic dominating Nadal off clay since 2013 and Rafa always healthy for clay season, but Out-of-Service in 1 or both hardcourt seasons.

Anyhow, quibbles.
The main thing is both young men had fantastic success in a profession where they both ruled places and times and became richer than their wildest dreams. And both got better and richer and likely got a chronic injury or two from their often gladiator-level bouts.

November 15th, 2024 at 8:12 pm

You say potato I say poTaTo, you think the Novak Rafa rivalry is wonderful, mainly because your idol has the upper hand, fair enough,why wouldn’t you your bound to, I’m glad it’s over everything gets old, and not everyone goes woopie doo about it, I prefer Federer Nadal the two most loved players to ever play the game, I’m more sad about that being over, you have your opinion I have mine,and we are both entitled to it

November 16th, 2024 at 5:37 am

Anyway it’s a WTFs thread not a Novak love fest 🙄🎾

November 16th, 2024 at 5:42 am

I didn’t get what I wanted which was a Alcaraz / Sinner final to end the year, a new rivalry to get excited about, and a refreshing change from a Serbian and Spaniard love fest, Zverev and Sinner should be exciting though, Zverev has won this before so that could give him confidence should it happen, Zverev needs to take it to the GS now too 🎾

November 16th, 2024 at 5:51 am

Whatever the numbers, who over came out on top, Federer and Nadal were always the box office draw 🎾😀

November 16th, 2024 at 5:54 am

Serena once said, I love playing Maria, hmm you can see why, can’t you, Maria never said if she felt the same lol, you can see why can’t you, hmm when a rivalry becomes one sided you can see why one player enjoys playing the other, why wouldn’t they, when they have such a monopoly and hold all the cards 🤔

November 16th, 2024 at 6:04 am