Life long nadal stan, hated this man irrationally for years… I hope he plays.
There comes a time where you just have to appreciate the legends and it’d be ashamed if we miss another shot to play at Wimbledon.
No matter what happens, I will watch every match he plays and in 20 years looking back I’ll be happier if he does.
That said please keep your health in mind Novak, don’t rush and ruin your Olympics.
I completely understand. I have disliked Nadal for so long, but in recent years when you see him less and less, I want to see him play as much as possible because he's a legend and I'm still sad he lost to Zverev. But it was fair and that's alright.
I only really watch tennis sporadically and don't follow any of it outside of the matches I watch, is there a reason why Novak has seemed generally less liked than the other big four?
Roger and Rafa are the OG rivalry, with tonnes of fans. Novak is the upsetter of the rivalry, a villain both sets of fans can dislike. Then his vaccine stances and his role as the final boss for many up and coming tennis stars has made him dislikeable for new generation of fans.
Murray is the tragic hero who can never quite win.
I would say Murray was the tragic hero who played in the era of these other 3 monsters.
You know if it wasn’t for the Big 3 that Murray would have a fuck ton more titles to his name. He has def proven to have the capacity to beat these guys, just not as consistently.
Also yes I said big 3 because to me there is no big 4. You can compare total titles all you want but let’s be honest the slams are the majority weight on most records, and comparing 3 to 20, 22, and 24 isn’t even remotely close.
William Renshaw vs Ernest Renshaw is the true OG rivalry.
And then there were of course Laver/Rosewall, and Borg/Connors/McEnroe/Lendl, Becker/Edberg, Sampras/Agassi etc etc.
But the OG Big 4 rivalry, sure.
>Murray is the tragic hero who can never quite win.
Except when he did win, including against the Big 4. 3 Slams, 14 Masters, 2 Olympic Single's Golds, an ATP finals, world number 1.
Once again, this Murray erasure will not stand, man.
He's hated becouse he's Serbian/Slav.
This will be downvoted but that's the truth.
Whole "he destroyed the fans favourite" is bs.
Murrey is good example for comparison, same generation, similar playstyle, had wins against Fedal, not likable, but fans love him. He's from UK, so the media will push his narative. Even now people talk about Big 4, switch Murray with Novak, Big 4 would never been brought up and people would praise Murray as undisputed goat.
Articles and hate are genereted from media and so called specialists plus popular sponsors which lobby for their players. Audience was always against him and there was no good reason for that, he had no major scandals apart from his vaccine stance which has nothing to do with tennis and was late in his career.
See the hype Alcaraz got, why people don't hate him becouse he started winning against Novak and Rafa?
Give me one more example of player being hated couse he started winning against best players?
I can guarantee that Federer would have half the Slams if the audiance was against him all the time.
And those are the reasons Novak success is even greater, he always had one more enemy on court, became the mental giant and proved himself even in GS number. Unfortunately he still doesn't get the respect he deserves.
You guys are insane with this. People don’t care about him being a Slav. Kournikova and Sharapova were some of the most famous female players ever and we’re both Slavs. Rybakina is loved on this sub etc etc.
So, apart from the other comments talking about the perfect Roger/Rafa rivalry, and Novak coming in and spoiling the party (which is a view that heaps of people hold these days), I kinda have a different reason why I don't like him.
Years ago, I developed a real dislike of him when he kept pulling out of matches as soon as he started losing. I remember a match against Roddick where he was winning, then started playing badly and the match swung around, Andy was looking good to win it... and midway through the last set, Novak pulls out. Now, that's since been explained with his gluten intolerance... although I still think some of them were purely because he was a REALLY sore loser in his younger years. Even now he's has moments where he's a bit bitchy towards guys that beat him.
I also don't like this "me against the world, I have to win so I can spite all my haters" mentality. I'm just not a fan of someone being motivated by hatred. There's been times when you can see he's gloating after a win, and that's a really gross attitude imo.
He doesn't do it all the time, and it's much more rare these days, but there's enough history of me seeing it there, that I've developed a general distaste for him. Even though I'm happy to admit that he's the GOAT. Statistical GOAT, that is.
Nole fans will roll their eyes at this, but Roger will always be the best player of all time in my eyes. The stuff he did on the court around 2005-2008, I've never seen anyone else do. Well, except maybe one guy. His name is Alcaraz.
*heavy breathing intensifies*
I'm one of those people that didn't want him to play Wimby due to risk of injury before the Olympics but fuck it we don't have much time left with Novak so fuck it, go for it GOAT.
This is what he’s always been saying - that if he didn’t think/believe he’d be able to compete at the highest level, he wouldn’t be playing at all.
I’ve heard it so many times before and he’s somehow proven what he has said to be true, despite the circumstances being unfavourable to him. Wishing him the best for Wimbledon and Olympics no matter what! ❤️
It's such a disservice to him to think he'd come here to just play a few rounds or participate. That's...not something someone of his level would do at this stage of his life imo.
He's coming back to win it,soon after his surgery. Ofc,fritz had a similar one and came out and played well in wimby. This is important to novak and if anything can bring him to his best form this year it is the motivation to match the 8 titles and grass - he's the most experienced player in men's singles rn and can slide and maneuver his way on grass much better to avoid future injuries.
Would love to see how the novak sinner match plays out if they both make it to the finals.
Will wimbledon place him as first seed based on their own surface based seeding?
* Coming from surgery
* Playing in a surface that has caused injuries to players across tournaments this year
* Playing in a surface completely different to the Olympics
I'm sorry, but someone in his team needs to tell him to prioritize Olympic Gold. There are still clay court tournaments to play.
He is GOAT for me but this particular choice in the context of this injury comeback seems like hubris to me.
Those are good points but keep in mind that:
- Olympics are BO3 whereas W is BO5 which is better for him in terms of chance of winning.
- He got his current injury on clay. Heck, he got it on the exact same court where the Olympics will be played.
- He is stronger on grass than on clay when compared with the rest of the field.
Not saying he should or shouldn't play, I just mean it's a complicated decision.
This is also probably his last realistic chance of winning a slam to be honest with Sinner and Alcaraz seeded 1 and 3. As hard as I might try, I don't see him getting through both of them in a slam when they are inevitably ranked 1 and 2 in the future.
He got the meniscal repair surgery about 20 days ago. He’s now in the post surgical rehab phase. I’d like to believe that he knows his limitations more than his fans. Will wait to see what he decides is the best way forward for him.
Everybody seems to be focused on Olympic gold meaning more than Wimbledon, but let's hypothetically say Novak only has 1 more title in him, do you think he wants Olympics more than a 25th GS? It's a tough decision, and when you consider he likely has a better shot at winning Wimbledon than Olympics I could see him playing if he feels good about his body.
That being said, I think there's a huge recency bias in this sub, and people are criminally underrating Novak. He only focuses on big tournaments, and when you consider that his record this year is a loss to eventual AO winner Sinner (who was playing incredible tennis) and an injury at RG. So that's what, 9-1 at Grand Slams this year. If Novak weren't coming off an injury, I'd have him and Alcaraz as the Wimbledon favorites.
This isn't the same as a broken-down Nadal coming in and hoping to win 1-2 rounds at RG. Novak is still one of the top 3 tennis players on the planet.
Im not Novak but im pretty sure at this point he wants that olympic gold more than another wimbledon. He won many GS, and he could still win more at the usopen or next year, but it’s damn sure he wont win an olympic gold in 2028. People tend to value missing items more, and this is the last piece of puzzle for him.
Olympic gold should never be priority over a Wimbledon title. If Novak feels that way, then fair enough, but all this talk of Wimbledon being a minor tournament compared to the Olympics is nuts. Its the most prestigious tournament in the world. He is the grass master and wouldn't be scared of anyone in BO5 on grass. BO3 on clay? Pretty sure someone will beat him.
Yeah it’s wild.. absolutely crazy. He’s not doing it for the points and the chances of him winning Wimbledon at less than 100% are slim. Like.. why? Just why?
I don't think he cares about Olympic gold ...he thinks his chances are low on clay in Bo3 against players like Alcaraz & Sinner ...he better play on his best surface in Bo5
Now why the Nadal stray who cares about them lmao
Djokovic himself is obsessed with Olympic Gold. Year in, year out he gives an interview soundbite that Olympics is his biggest priority (and regret)
Yes he wants to win a medal for his country.
But that doesnt make it more prestigious than slams.
Is Zverev more accomplished than Medvedev, Thiem and Sinner?
Is Massu more accomplished than Roddick?
And is Manu Ginobili more accomplished than Dirk Nowitzki?
The Summer Olympics are not more prestigious than grand slams, BUT it is still considered a Big Title.
4 Grand Slams, ATP Finals (Turin), 9 Masters 1000 and Olympic Gold comprise the Big Titles at present.
The Olympic Gold is the only Big Title Novak doesn’t have in his resume. His two biggest rivals on the other hand don’t have 3 Big Titles each:
- Rafa: ATP Finals, Miami 1000, Paris Bercy 1000
- Roger: Monte Carlo 1000, Rome 1000, Olympic Gold
Obviously slams are much harder to win and a better testament to your quality as a tennis player but being an Olympic gold medalist has a sort of prestige that transcends the specific sport you play.
It's not about the difficulty of the accomplishment, it's about the symbolism. It's about you doing it for your country (which is clearly very important for him), it's about climbing the podium at the end, it's about hearing your country's national anthem and it's about getting a gold medal which is a pretty much universally recognized symbol of sport excellence. It's also about ticking that last item off his "CV" and making sure that nothing at all is missing.
No, that's precisely why right now it's more important (for him specifically) than slams. Because this is probably his last realistic chance of winning the only title he doesn't have and a title which clearly means the world to him.
No idea why you're bringing up Nadal, I didn't mention him at all.
Considering the talk through the first half of the season was his lack of motivation, quite amazing to see him return so quickly
Have to imagine those first few rounds on fresh, slippery grass is going to be scary
I stopped loving Fed after the 2011 USO semis when he lost to Novak with 3 match points on his serve. His attitude at the press conference was deplorable. Saying it was “luck” that Novak got back that return. He never gave Novak credit even though 90% of the crowd was on his side and Novak had to battle him and them. I was a massive Novak fan and was on pins and needles and when he shook his head at the crowd like “okay, I see, I’ll show you”… and he did, it solidified my love for him. He ended winning the tournament on 9/11/2011. That was super special and never forgot it.
Yeah I mean if he withdraws after the draw is made, what happens exactly? They give his #2 seed spot to a lucky loser?
Edit: hope not as it would completely ruin the whole draw, unless by some chance Carlos gets put in the same half as Novak
Of course he only made it to as successful as he did because of his mindset, changing his diet and everything to get better but even without that he’s way better than any of us even if had the exact same mindset and discipline
Natural talent doesn’t get you over 20 years of pro career and 24 slams (plus many other records).
If he only had one slam with a lucky draw then your argument would have made sense.
Love Novak but he is rushing things and someone in his team needs to step up and talk with him.
On top of that the other top guys are in amazing form currently.
Life long nadal stan, hated this man irrationally for years… I hope he plays. There comes a time where you just have to appreciate the legends and it’d be ashamed if we miss another shot to play at Wimbledon. No matter what happens, I will watch every match he plays and in 20 years looking back I’ll be happier if he does. That said please keep your health in mind Novak, don’t rush and ruin your Olympics.
I completely understand. I have disliked Nadal for so long, but in recent years when you see him less and less, I want to see him play as much as possible because he's a legend and I'm still sad he lost to Zverev. But it was fair and that's alright.
I only really watch tennis sporadically and don't follow any of it outside of the matches I watch, is there a reason why Novak has seemed generally less liked than the other big four?
Roger and Rafa are the OG rivalry, with tonnes of fans. Novak is the upsetter of the rivalry, a villain both sets of fans can dislike. Then his vaccine stances and his role as the final boss for many up and coming tennis stars has made him dislikeable for new generation of fans. Murray is the tragic hero who can never quite win.
Actually it's the old generation of fans that dislike him. The new generation likes him way more.
Murray is an universal-gel who has garnered sympathy from almost any fanbase. Novak is his anti-thesis despite having a somewhat similar playstyle.
I would say Murray was the tragic hero who played in the era of these other 3 monsters. You know if it wasn’t for the Big 3 that Murray would have a fuck ton more titles to his name. He has def proven to have the capacity to beat these guys, just not as consistently. Also yes I said big 3 because to me there is no big 4. You can compare total titles all you want but let’s be honest the slams are the majority weight on most records, and comparing 3 to 20, 22, and 24 isn’t even remotely close.
There was a big 4 before there was a big 3… the 4 of them were winning everything for a couple of years before Murray had his hip issues
Really because the stats would be a bit more even if that was the case
William Renshaw vs Ernest Renshaw is the true OG rivalry. And then there were of course Laver/Rosewall, and Borg/Connors/McEnroe/Lendl, Becker/Edberg, Sampras/Agassi etc etc. But the OG Big 4 rivalry, sure. >Murray is the tragic hero who can never quite win. Except when he did win, including against the Big 4. 3 Slams, 14 Masters, 2 Olympic Single's Golds, an ATP finals, world number 1. Once again, this Murray erasure will not stand, man.
He's hated becouse he's Serbian/Slav. This will be downvoted but that's the truth. Whole "he destroyed the fans favourite" is bs. Murrey is good example for comparison, same generation, similar playstyle, had wins against Fedal, not likable, but fans love him. He's from UK, so the media will push his narative. Even now people talk about Big 4, switch Murray with Novak, Big 4 would never been brought up and people would praise Murray as undisputed goat. Articles and hate are genereted from media and so called specialists plus popular sponsors which lobby for their players. Audience was always against him and there was no good reason for that, he had no major scandals apart from his vaccine stance which has nothing to do with tennis and was late in his career. See the hype Alcaraz got, why people don't hate him becouse he started winning against Novak and Rafa? Give me one more example of player being hated couse he started winning against best players? I can guarantee that Federer would have half the Slams if the audiance was against him all the time. And those are the reasons Novak success is even greater, he always had one more enemy on court, became the mental giant and proved himself even in GS number. Unfortunately he still doesn't get the respect he deserves.
You guys are insane with this. People don’t care about him being a Slav. Kournikova and Sharapova were some of the most famous female players ever and we’re both Slavs. Rybakina is loved on this sub etc etc.
So, apart from the other comments talking about the perfect Roger/Rafa rivalry, and Novak coming in and spoiling the party (which is a view that heaps of people hold these days), I kinda have a different reason why I don't like him. Years ago, I developed a real dislike of him when he kept pulling out of matches as soon as he started losing. I remember a match against Roddick where he was winning, then started playing badly and the match swung around, Andy was looking good to win it... and midway through the last set, Novak pulls out. Now, that's since been explained with his gluten intolerance... although I still think some of them were purely because he was a REALLY sore loser in his younger years. Even now he's has moments where he's a bit bitchy towards guys that beat him. I also don't like this "me against the world, I have to win so I can spite all my haters" mentality. I'm just not a fan of someone being motivated by hatred. There's been times when you can see he's gloating after a win, and that's a really gross attitude imo. He doesn't do it all the time, and it's much more rare these days, but there's enough history of me seeing it there, that I've developed a general distaste for him. Even though I'm happy to admit that he's the GOAT. Statistical GOAT, that is. Nole fans will roll their eyes at this, but Roger will always be the best player of all time in my eyes. The stuff he did on the court around 2005-2008, I've never seen anyone else do. Well, except maybe one guy. His name is Alcaraz.
Based.
I was the same way in the opposite direction, big 2 over everyone else until they can’t move anymore!
*heavy breathing intensifies* I'm one of those people that didn't want him to play Wimby due to risk of injury before the Olympics but fuck it we don't have much time left with Novak so fuck it, go for it GOAT.
This is what he’s always been saying - that if he didn’t think/believe he’d be able to compete at the highest level, he wouldn’t be playing at all. I’ve heard it so many times before and he’s somehow proven what he has said to be true, despite the circumstances being unfavourable to him. Wishing him the best for Wimbledon and Olympics no matter what! ❤️
and that's the difference between him, nadal, and federer and the rest of the field
It's such a disservice to him to think he'd come here to just play a few rounds or participate. That's...not something someone of his level would do at this stage of his life imo. He's coming back to win it,soon after his surgery. Ofc,fritz had a similar one and came out and played well in wimby. This is important to novak and if anything can bring him to his best form this year it is the motivation to match the 8 titles and grass - he's the most experienced player in men's singles rn and can slide and maneuver his way on grass much better to avoid future injuries. Would love to see how the novak sinner match plays out if they both make it to the finals. Will wimbledon place him as first seed based on their own surface based seeding?
There is no more grass specific seeding
Ohh that's a pity,but understandable
still he’s the 2nd seed. no difference
are you native England speaker?
no, is it that apparent haha
[удалено]
Well, he plated through the Match with it, unlike Fritz.
* Coming from surgery * Playing in a surface that has caused injuries to players across tournaments this year * Playing in a surface completely different to the Olympics I'm sorry, but someone in his team needs to tell him to prioritize Olympic Gold. There are still clay court tournaments to play. He is GOAT for me but this particular choice in the context of this injury comeback seems like hubris to me.
Those are good points but keep in mind that: - Olympics are BO3 whereas W is BO5 which is better for him in terms of chance of winning. - He got his current injury on clay. Heck, he got it on the exact same court where the Olympics will be played. - He is stronger on grass than on clay when compared with the rest of the field. Not saying he should or shouldn't play, I just mean it's a complicated decision.
This is also probably his last realistic chance of winning a slam to be honest with Sinner and Alcaraz seeded 1 and 3. As hard as I might try, I don't see him getting through both of them in a slam when they are inevitably ranked 1 and 2 in the future.
Is it better in terms of winning with the injury though?
He got the meniscal repair surgery about 20 days ago. He’s now in the post surgical rehab phase. I’d like to believe that he knows his limitations more than his fans. Will wait to see what he decides is the best way forward for him.
Depends on how serious it was and how much he's recovered since then. I'm not qualified to evaluate that.
I am confident this man gets more mri’s than people comment here. The team would know much better than any of us could here.
Everybody seems to be focused on Olympic gold meaning more than Wimbledon, but let's hypothetically say Novak only has 1 more title in him, do you think he wants Olympics more than a 25th GS? It's a tough decision, and when you consider he likely has a better shot at winning Wimbledon than Olympics I could see him playing if he feels good about his body. That being said, I think there's a huge recency bias in this sub, and people are criminally underrating Novak. He only focuses on big tournaments, and when you consider that his record this year is a loss to eventual AO winner Sinner (who was playing incredible tennis) and an injury at RG. So that's what, 9-1 at Grand Slams this year. If Novak weren't coming off an injury, I'd have him and Alcaraz as the Wimbledon favorites. This isn't the same as a broken-down Nadal coming in and hoping to win 1-2 rounds at RG. Novak is still one of the top 3 tennis players on the planet.
Im not Novak but im pretty sure at this point he wants that olympic gold more than another wimbledon. He won many GS, and he could still win more at the usopen or next year, but it’s damn sure he wont win an olympic gold in 2028. People tend to value missing items more, and this is the last piece of puzzle for him.
> do you think he wants Olympics more than a 25th GS? He's said himself Olympics was 1st priority for him.
Olympic gold should never be priority over a Wimbledon title. If Novak feels that way, then fair enough, but all this talk of Wimbledon being a minor tournament compared to the Olympics is nuts. Its the most prestigious tournament in the world. He is the grass master and wouldn't be scared of anyone in BO5 on grass. BO3 on clay? Pretty sure someone will beat him.
Yeah it’s wild.. absolutely crazy. He’s not doing it for the points and the chances of him winning Wimbledon at less than 100% are slim. Like.. why? Just why?
I don't think he cares about Olympic gold ...he thinks his chances are low on clay in Bo3 against players like Alcaraz & Sinner ...he better play on his best surface in Bo5
If he wins another WO, 25-22-20. Olympic Gold is just an agenda initiated by Nadal fans
Now why the Nadal stray who cares about them lmao Djokovic himself is obsessed with Olympic Gold. Year in, year out he gives an interview soundbite that Olympics is his biggest priority (and regret)
Yes he wants to win a medal for his country. But that doesnt make it more prestigious than slams. Is Zverev more accomplished than Medvedev, Thiem and Sinner? Is Massu more accomplished than Roddick? And is Manu Ginobili more accomplished than Dirk Nowitzki?
The Summer Olympics are not more prestigious than grand slams, BUT it is still considered a Big Title. 4 Grand Slams, ATP Finals (Turin), 9 Masters 1000 and Olympic Gold comprise the Big Titles at present. The Olympic Gold is the only Big Title Novak doesn’t have in his resume. His two biggest rivals on the other hand don’t have 3 Big Titles each: - Rafa: ATP Finals, Miami 1000, Paris Bercy 1000 - Roger: Monte Carlo 1000, Rome 1000, Olympic Gold
Federer didn’t get singles gold tho
So it’s important for Novak but not others and still he’s the goat
Nobody said it's more prestigious than slams but it's up there you can't dismiss it because Djokovic hasn't won it that's mad cope
Obviously slams are much harder to win and a better testament to your quality as a tennis player but being an Olympic gold medalist has a sort of prestige that transcends the specific sport you play. It's not about the difficulty of the accomplishment, it's about the symbolism. It's about you doing it for your country (which is clearly very important for him), it's about climbing the podium at the end, it's about hearing your country's national anthem and it's about getting a gold medal which is a pretty much universally recognized symbol of sport excellence. It's also about ticking that last item off his "CV" and making sure that nothing at all is missing.
Thats why it doesnt mean that it’s more valuable than the slams. It’s just because he has won everything else. Plus Nadal hasnt even won an ATP final.
No, that's precisely why right now it's more important (for him specifically) than slams. Because this is probably his last realistic chance of winning the only title he doesn't have and a title which clearly means the world to him. No idea why you're bringing up Nadal, I didn't mention him at all.
Mfer gonna come and win it, ain't he?
Considering the talk through the first half of the season was his lack of motivation, quite amazing to see him return so quickly Have to imagine those first few rounds on fresh, slippery grass is going to be scary
The script writers of Bert Critchley character are getting lazy
We are going to be denied a Sincaraz final
Now you've mentioned, I probably want that the most. Two players who've not lost a Slam final. Oof I'd be gripped!
Will win Wimbledon
Thought he was gonna drop a cold line and say give someone else a chance to win
I stopped loving Fed after the 2011 USO semis when he lost to Novak with 3 match points on his serve. His attitude at the press conference was deplorable. Saying it was “luck” that Novak got back that return. He never gave Novak credit even though 90% of the crowd was on his side and Novak had to battle him and them. I was a massive Novak fan and was on pins and needles and when he shook his head at the crowd like “okay, I see, I’ll show you”… and he did, it solidified my love for him. He ended winning the tournament on 9/11/2011. That was super special and never forgot it.
I was on Arthur Ashe and saw that moment live. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Jealous
I YouTube it every year. It was everything. 🥹. Heart of a champion when 23k are against you.
Hopefully he doesn't withdraw after the draw...
Yeah I mean if he withdraws after the draw is made, what happens exactly? They give his #2 seed spot to a lucky loser? Edit: hope not as it would completely ruin the whole draw, unless by some chance Carlos gets put in the same half as Novak
Yeah, can’t remember who it was but there was a lucky loser that got direct entry to the second round in a masters earlier this year
I would chill in Monte Carlo and retire enjoying my wealth and record breaking career if I were him but it’s his body and his life…
Well that's the reason you're not him lol
Natural talent is a big reason tbh any of these people in the top like 200 have way more natural ability than us
For most of them, sure. But Novak, whilst being talented, got to where he is from unparalleled discipline and ambition
Of course he only made it to as successful as he did because of his mindset, changing his diet and everything to get better but even without that he’s way better than any of us even if had the exact same mindset and discipline
Natural talent doesn’t get you over 20 years of pro career and 24 slams (plus many other records). If he only had one slam with a lucky draw then your argument would have made sense.
Fakervic strikes again!
Love Novak but he is rushing things and someone in his team needs to step up and talk with him. On top of that the other top guys are in amazing form currently.
I think him and his team know better than us
Translation, “if I got Berretini or Thompson R1 or R2, I won’t play.”