38 more weeks-Can he do it?

I can see now, thank God you never lived these times.I would repeat once again, she was first male/female player who was literally attacked on a tennis court.

This is something that has haunted her until she retired from tennis.It's completely different from psychological point of view.

I just saw that you an Indian, I mean there's a lot smart people there...you should have a better perception of things.

I'm talking Tennis sustenance, not personal demons. As a human, I'd rather have a career-threatening knee-injury than be stabbed in my office. But, in terms of a Tennis career, rather have an injury, like a stabbing, that one could possibly come back from (however difficult that might be) than to be pushed out by a career-ending injury where you have no choice in the matter and have no hope of a comeback.
 

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
Try reading some about Nadal and come back. Right now I'm talking to a brick wall.

And you just take it as certainty what he writes in his book. Well, it can't affect him THAT much if he can still compete at this level, I mean damn he's won at least 1 major in the last 8 seasons, come on what are we talking about here?

You know what a serious injury is? One that virtually ends your career. Safin in 2005. Kuerten in 2002. Hewitt in 2006. I don't recall Nadal considering retirement yet so this arguement is void.
 
I'm wondering, why does it bother you so much to acknowledge that Graf benefitted from her greatest rival's absence? I'm not saying that Seles would've won the next 20 majors but since there's absolutely nothing suggesting a Seles meltdown, it gives us a reason for discussion. And that's the whole point. Nobody will take away those majors from Graf just like no-one will add some to Seles' resume. But doubts will NEVER be erased.



No of matches (mileage). Nuff said. He still gets injured from time to time, though. I'm actually quite surprised that Djokovic doesn't get injured more often than he actually does.

I've already admitted that Graf's career probably did benefit from the stabbing. But why can't a career not benefit from a freak-incidence (Seles's stabbing) and still be the greatest career of all time? Just like a career can benefit from the regretful injuries of another player (Nadal) and still be the greatest of all time?
 

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
I'm talking Tennis sustenance, not personal demons. As a human, I'd rather have a career-threatening knee-injury than be stabbed in my office. But, in terms of a Tennis career, rather have an injury, like a stabbing, that one could possibly come back from (however difficult that might be) than to be pushed out by a career-ending injury where you have no choice in the matter and have no hope of a comeback.

Once again, how can you compare Seles to Nadal?

We talk so much about Nadal being "injured" in 2009 (his level of play decreased fo so) but the guy still reached the US open semis, failed to lose before the semis of the last 3 Masters of the year (something he's never done before) and never dropped out of the top 3. You're comparing these stats to Seles who DIDN'T PLAY A SINGLE TOUR MATCH. For 3 years.

I mean seriously...
 
And you just take it as certainty what he writes in his book. Well, it can't affect him THAT much if he can still compete at this level, I mean damn he's won at least 1 major in the last 8 seasons, come on what are we talking about here?

You know what a serious injury is? One that virtually ends your career. Safin in 2005. Kuerten in 2002. Hewitt in 2006. I don't recall Nadal considering retirement yet so this arguement is void.

Only a ******* can insist on giving Nadal ZERO credit and presume everything Nadal says is a lie. Only a *******.
 

dimeaxe

Semi-Pro
I'm wondering, why does it bother you so much to acknowledge that Graf benefitted from her greatest rival's absence? I'm not saying that Seles would've won the next 20 majors but since there's absolutely nothing suggesting a Seles meltdown, it gives us a reason for discussion. And that's the whole point. Nobody will take away those majors from Graf just like no-one will add some to Seles' resume. But doubts will NEVER be erased.



No of matches (mileage). Nuff said. He still gets injured from time to time, though. I'm actually quite surprised that Djokovic doesn't get injured more often than he actually does.

Don't be surprised.He does stretching before tournaments and matches, I remember once a journalist asked him something about his elasticity and etc. after he mentioned that he played exhibition match with Agassi in '06, just before Wimby, and Andre told him that he never did that in his career:)
 
Once again, how can you compare Seles to Nadal?

We talk so much about Nadal being "injured" in 2009 (his level of play decreased fo so) but the guy still reached the US open semis, failed to lose before the semis of the last 3 Masters of the year (something he's never done before) and never dropped out of the top 3. You're comparing these stats to Seles who DIDN'T PLAY A SINGLE TOUR MATCH. For 3 years.

I mean seriously...

Seles's injury took weeks to heal. Nadal's is likely permanent. The reason Seles didn't come back is purely psychological. She wasn't forced out of Tennis the way Nadal almost has been on several occasions now. I give Seles tons of credit for coming back, even if it was 3 years later. I find it pathetic that people like you can't give Nadal even half that credit for showing more heart than Seles ever did.
 
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tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
I've already admitted that Graf's career probably did benefit from the stabbing. But why can't a career not benefit from a freak-incidence (Seles's stabbing) and still be the greatest career of all time? Just like a career can benefit from the regretful injuries of another player (Nadal) and still be the greatest of all time?

It's all a matter of opinion in the end. Would you call Serena the GOAT even though she's way behind in numbers?

Glad we agree on something at least, though, as it's getting late here, gotta say never thought I'd have such a long arguement with a fellow *******.
 
It's all a matter of opinion in the end. Would you call Serena the GOAT even though she's way behind in numbers?

Glad we agree on something at least, though, as it's getting late here, gotta say never thought I'd have such a long arguement with a fellow *******.

I'm not a *******. Whatever you like to believe.

Serena, right now, is far from being the GOAT, IMO. Falls short on atleast 3 of my GOAT criteria.
 

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
Only a ******* can insist on giving Nadal ZERO credit and presume everything Nadal says is a lie. Only a *******.

I'm only starting to believe him now when I don't see him in action. Everything else is just pure bull**t. You're SEVERELY injured = you're out of the game. And one more time take a look at Hewitt in 2006, Kuerten in 2002, Safin in 2005, Ancic a couple of times. I don't need to read well documented doctor's scripts to believe that they're actually injured cause I see it with my naked eye. Nadal has been a whiner ever since I remember. But again, I'm starting to believe him now when he's out of the game.
 

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
I'm not a *******. Whatever you like to believe.

Serena, right now, is far from being the GOAT, IMO. Falls short on atleast 3 of my GOAT criteria.

A matter of opinion. I don't have my WTA GOAT but here's hoping Serena wins another 5-7 majors so she can end the discussion once and for all.
 

BauerAlmeida

Hall of Fame
Oh, so if Seles had bullfighting as one of her pastimes (which would make a stab by a bull more predictable) and was stabbed, that would somehow detract from Seles's greatness as a Tennis player? Just because one could have predicted she would be stabbed? You're getting ridiculous. Nadal had to put extra pressure on his knees because of the condition with his foot, not because he enjoyed mutilating his legs.

This. What happened with Seles is terrible, but it happened. You can't deny Graff's greatness because of it.
 
A matter of opinion. I don't have my WTA GOAT but here's hoping Serena wins another 5-7 majors so she can end the discussion once and for all.

Even if Serena won 7 more Slams, or 10 for that matter, I'd put Graf over her. Serena has not shown the necessary versatility, consistency, sustenance, peak-level-of-play, or brilliance that Graf has. I think only Navratilova compares and competes.
 
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Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
I'm inclined to agree with tennispro here simply because a stabbing, and bad knees from a grinding style of tennis are in fact totally different. Nadal has to play this way because if he doesn't he won't be half as successful, and I doubt he could totally reinvent himself now even if he wanted to anyway. I guess at the end of the day you have to be good enough to take advantage of these types of situations, so fair play to Graf and Federer for that.

For example there's not really a law that says Federer had to win Wimbledon in 2009 just because Nadal didn't play. He could've, should've lost to Roddick, but he never. He won it because he was good enough to win it.

Same deal with the French. Do I think Federer could've beaten Nadal at the French in 2009? Absolutely not, but it doesn't mean an asterix should be put by his win there. He proved his greatness and consistency with that win more than any other. If we look back at the alternative, and the matches he "should've" lost, he might not be arguably the "GOAT" today. In fact, he'd be labelled as a choker if he lost any of his matches after Nadal had lost, and very few people, if any, would debate that. I'll take a FO win with an imaginary asterix by it anyday.

If we want to get into the asterix debate, I could just as easily say Nadal should have an asterix by his 2011 French Open win, but really he won it fair and square, just as Federer did.
 
I'm inclined to agree with tennispro here simply because a stabbing, and bad knees from a grinding style of tennis are in fact totally different. Nadal has to play this way because if he doesn't he won't be half as successful, and I doubt he could totally reinvent himself now even if he wanted to anyway. I guess at the end of the day you have to be good enough to take advantage of these types of situations, so fair play to Graf and Federer for that.

For example there's not really a law that says Federer had to win Wimbledon in 2009 just because Nadal didn't play. He could've, should've lost to Roddick, but he never. He won it because he was good enough to win it.

Same deal with the French. Do I think Federer could've beaten Nadal at the French in 2009? Absolutely not, but it doesn't mean an asterix should be put by his win there. He proved his greatness and consistency with that win more than any other. If we look back at the alternative, and the matches he "should've" lost, he might not be arguably the "GOAT" today. In fact, he'd be labelled as a choker if he lost any of his matches after Nadal had lost, and very few people, if any, would debate that. I'll take a FO win with an imaginary asterix by it anyday.

If we want to get into the asterix debate, I could just as easily say Nadal should have an asterix by his 2011 French Open win, but really he won it fair and square, just as Federer did.

While you said you were inclined to agree with tennis_pro, your post sounds like the person you agree most with is me :)
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
I still get where tennispro is coming from though. With Nadal, you could tell he would have injury problems, thus that is not Federer's problem when he wins a major where Nadal is injured or doesn't play. With Seles, she was dominating, (3 slams two years in a row are Federer-like numbers regardless of the 1 slam years sandwiched in between them) and nobody could've predicted what would happen to her, regardless of whether or not she retired before she got stabbed, or she had bullfighting as one of her hobbies. Federer gets more credit because it is Nadal's fault he's injured whereas it is not Seles's fault she got stabbed. Seles getting stabbed was not Graf's problem either, but they are different cases. Also worth pointing out that Nadal had more problems than Federer on HC's.
 
I still get where tennispro is coming from though. With Nadal, you could tell he would have injury problems, thus that is not Federer's problem when he wins a major where Nadal is injured or doesn't play. With Seles, she was dominating, (3 slams two years in a row are Federer-like numbers regardless of the 1 slam years sandwiched in between them) and nobody could've predicted what would happen to her, regardless of whether or not she retired before she got stabbed, or she had bullfighting as one of her hobbies. Federer gets more credit because it is Nadal's fault he's injured whereas it is not Seles's fault she got stabbed. Seles getting stabbed was not Graf's problem either, but they are different cases. Also worth pointing out that Nadal had more problems than Federer on HC's.

Except that it's really not Nadal's fault he gets injured. His foot condition forced him to either wear those special shoes (which put extra pressure on the knees) or quit Tennis. He had already developed his playing style then so it wasn't realistic to reinvent himself. The rest is history.
 

smoledman

G.O.A.T.
The stabbing is undoubtedly the worst thing to ever take place on a Tennis court. And sure, Graf's career probably did benefit from it. But you can't say for sure. Just because Seles rules for 1 or 2 years doesn't mean she would have or could have sustained it. Again, she very well could have. But we're talking "what if"s here. It didn't work out that way, through no fault of Seles's. I could just as easily say I would've won 30 Grand Slams if I hadn't broken my leg in 10th grade or something. Look at Hingis. She was touted to be the next big thing in 1997 and look at her career after that. It's like they say, "if your aunt had bollocks, she'd be your uncle." But you don't call your aunt "aunt-who-could've-been-my-uncle" with an asterix next to your uncle now, do you? If you do, no argument, you win. If not, acknowledge that Graf achieved more in Tennis than any woman in history and also displayed a level of play that is pretty much unmatched. And move on.

Seles' stabbing was a minor physical injury, but a deep psychological wound. If Seles was made of sterner psychological stuff, she would have been back by the 1993 US Open and kicking ass.
 
Seles' stabbing was a minor physical injury, but a deep psychological wound. If Seles was made of sterner psychological stuff, she would have been back by the 1993 US Open and kicking ass.

Yeah, that's what I mean. She could've still been a challenge to Graf, however tough that might have been.
 

Alchemy-Z

Hall of Fame
something I made goofing off today

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