Anybody follow pro tennis?

[ARrocket]

I'm watching Bernard Tomic playing Verdasco at the Australian Open, looks like he might win! This kid is only 19 and already went to the quarters are Wimbledon last year. I think he'll be world #1 in a few years .

 

[Nicholas]

I'm not a regular tennis follower, but Novak Djokovic is pride of my nation. Great guy.

 

[ARrocket]

Yeah after a tournament he played in Cincinnati that I attended he spent a good amount of time signing autographs and posing for pictures with the ladies.

 

[Gaucho]

Don't think Tomic will make #1. He is good, but still a long long way to go.

I don't think he is fast/athletic enough.

 

[ARrocket]

I just don't see anybody else that will take over, granted Djokovic is still only 24, so who knows.

 

[Gaucho]

Yeh, Djok, Murray and Nadal will still be around for many years yet. Perhaps there will be a short window after this for Tomic to have a chance (like in the period where you had Hewitt, Kuerten and Rios taking #1 between the Sampras and Federer eras), but otherwise, there will be a lot more talent that develops by the time the current crop of top few guys go downhill.

 

[Vantagepoint34]

Novak is pretty dominant right now. Tomic has a future in the top ten though not so sure he'll be number one.

 

[ARrocket]

Just a thought but Rafa's playing style is so hard on his body that I can see him only having 2-3 more years at the top. Already he's getting injured more and more, especially towards the end of each season. Just another reason I love Federer!

 

[Gaucho]

I wouldn't say his playing style is hard on his body, Federer does an aweful lot of running also. He is just more graceful than Nadal who is more explosive. Nadal is just unfortunate to be injury prone, but either way, you have him, Djokovic and Murray who could all still have a long time left yet and all are far better than anyone else on tour (Federer excluded of course).

 

[azanon]

I don't really see a dominant player over the next 3 years or longer. I could list at least 10 guys who could legitimate win each of the grand slams.

There are several guys that have quite a bit of parity right now. Del Potro has the firepower to win a major, so does Tsonga (though he lost recently). Murray's a great player, but he doesn't have that killer spirit needed to win majors.

Djokovic strikes me as one of those top players that will have a short-lived peak, will always be good, but won't dominate for years on end. I could see his career being similar to Lendl's.

 

[mind]

yup love tennis.
Just federer playing 2 more years I think. Till then the top 4 men will stay the same. Djokovic will only become better, Nadal will become worse and murraty will stay at the same level. Federer will also keep up the good playing I think.
I think djokovic is going to take this grandslam, he's so good lately.

 

[SW15]

I enjoy playing tennis much more than I enjoy watching it. It's appropriate to revive this with Wimbledon going on.

Rafa's playing style is so hard on his body that I can see him only having 2-3 more years at the top.

Rafael Nadal had another 10 years near the top after this, winning 2 majors in 2022 before injuries finally caught up with him.

Novak is pretty dominant right now.

Still dominant in 2023.

Djokovic will only become better, Nadal will become worse and murraty will stay at the same level. Federer will also keep up the good playing I think.
I think djokovic is going to take this grandslam, he's so good lately.

Djokovic did win the 2012 Australian Open when that was written.

Nadal and Federer kept playing well for a while after early 2012.

 

[IKO69]

When Federer retired I kind of stopped following. He was essentially my Tennis idol.

I saw a couple of women's matches during the Wimbledon tournament. I like Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina's style of play but they fell short.

I will catch the Djokovic - Alcaraz match today.

I like the sport and I play sometimes (Extreme novice - I suck)

 

[SW15]

I like the sport and I play sometimes (Extreme novice - I suck)

Tennis isn't an easy game to learn. It takes some time to learn how to hit consistent rallies with others and then even more time to get good enough to hit winners at the right time in points.

One sport I found difficult to learn was bowling. I found the learning curve with bowling to be rather difficult. Bowling isn't fun if your score are under 100 or even 150. Tennis isn't fun unless you're getting in some good rallies.

Wimbledon tournament.

Grass court tennis is unique. A good portion of the history of tennis has been played on grass.

Americans are now more familiar with playing tennis on some asphalt/concrete type surface known as a hard court. The majority of my playing experience has been on the hard courts. Most recreational/weekend warrior type tennis players in the USA won't play on grass courts. Grass courts are less than 1% of all courts in the USA.

The U.S. Open was played on grass courts until 1974.

 

[BadBoy89]

I watch religiously.

Funny Federer only won 4 Slams in his 30s

Novak has won 11 in his 30s, going for 12.

 

[9-3enthusiast]

Wimbledon happening here in UK right now - The Men's final is today....
Alcaraz Garfia vs Djokovic - Just about to start I think....
It's 'Live' wall-to-wall on the BBC for the entire 2 weeks of the tourny...


Not my thing really - It coincides with the Tour de France, I watch Grand-Tour pro-cycling live as much as I can.
Watching the TdF live right now as it happens - A big mountain stage today, finishes at the ski station in Saint-Gervais on Mont Blanc.
Pogacar and Vingegard been trading 'blows' in all the mountain stages since the start - Great race between them yesterday, and anticipating fireworks again today.

 

[SW15]

I watch religiously.

Funny Federer only won 4 Slams in his 30s

Novak has won 11 in his 30s, going for 12.

Novak Djokovic is the outlier in performance after turning 30. Most tennis players aren't at their best after turning 30. Since 2000, there have been more good players winning major tournaments (Grand Slams) after age 30 in both men's and women's professional tennis.

Roger Federer winning 4 Grand Slams after turning 30 is quite good historically after age 30. There are also plenty of tennis players who don't win 4 Grand Slams for their entire career. Federer won 16 Grand Slams while in his 20s. Federer was a very competitive player in his 30s.