Interesting Trivia and Nadal

McEnroeisanartist

Hall of Fame
Since 1973, only one player who was ranked #1 at year end for one year, and whose year end ranking fell out of the top 3 of another year, was able to get back into the top 2 of a later year. In other words, the player ranked #1, then fell out of the top 3, then got back into the top 2.

Andre Agassi was #1 in 1999, fell to #6 in 2000, and got back to #2 in 2002.

In other words, it looks very unlikely that Nadal will ever finish a season ranked in the top 2 again.

Note: there have been only two players who were ranked #1 at year end for one year, whose year end ranking fell out of the top 3 of another year, and were able to get back into the top 3 of a later year. Ilie Nastase was #1 in 1973, fell to #10 in 1974, and was #3 in 1976. Lleyton Hewitt was #1 in 2002, fell to #17 in 2003, and was #3 in 2004.
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
Is the OP suggesting that because something has rarely if ever been done before, it's very unlikely that it can be done?? Records are broken all the time in sports, not least in tennis in recent years. Your line of reasoning ought to suggest that records should very rarely be broken. Statistics are merely statistics, they are not natural barriers to an achievement. (And for Nadal, there is a natural, not statistical, barrier -- his health problems.
 

tacou

G.O.A.T.
The trivia is interesting but it has nothing to do with real life. Very few players have reached #1 period, and it makes sense that most players who lose #1 will then begin the downward trend to the later stages of their career.

If Nadal's injury is healed and he plays a full 2013 even close to his standards, he will finish #3 at least.
 
Some of your threads are great. But sadly, this one is a bust. The imporatance or rarity of the achievement is neither interesting nor something for the books.
Just sayin'
 

Towser83

G.O.A.T.
Nadal fell out of the top 3 because he didn't play for about 5 months. so if his injury proves to be a very serious one, yes could be he never gets back in the top 2. But if he returns to good health and plays a full year there's no reason he can't. also he is getting older so maybe he won't but his fall out of the top 3 is coincidental because it was due to injury not poor play.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Since 1973, only one player who was ranked #1 at year end for one year, and whose year end ranking fell out of the top 3 of another year, was able to get back into the top 2 of a later year. In other words, the player ranked #1, then fell out of the top 3, then got back into the top 2.

Andre Agassi was #1 in 1999, fell to #6 in 2000, and got back to #2 in 2002.

In other words, it looks very unlikely that Nadal will ever finish a season ranked in the top 2 again.

Note: there have been only two players who were ranked #1 at year end for one year, whose year end ranking fell out of the top 3 of another year, and were able to get back into the top 3 of a later year. Ilie Nastase was #1 in 1973, fell to #10 in 1974, and was #3 in 1976. Lleyton Hewitt was #1 in 2002, fell to #17 in 2003, and was #3 in 2004.

Has a man ever won slams on clay, grass and hardcourt in a Calendar Year before?
 

Gonzo_style

Hall of Fame
Nadal fell out of the top 3 because he didn't play for about 5 months. so if his injury proves to be a very serious one, yes could be he never gets back in the top 2. But if he returns to good health and plays a full year there's no reason he can't. also he is getting older so maybe he won't but his fall out of the top 3 is coincidental because it was due to injury not poor play.

Well said Towser, I totally agree. We cannot know if he'll come back again in the top 2, but he certainly has a good chance for that.
 

underground

G.O.A.T.
You mean if Federer didn't win WTF in 2011 he would end the year with #4 and would have never got back to #1 this year?! :shock:
 

McEnroeisanartist

Hall of Fame
Thanks. stats are good but sometimes statistics don't really prove anything.

Yes, I agree. I don't think I was trying to prove anything. I was showing that it would be quite an achievement for Nadal to finish a year ranked in the top 3 again, or top 2, given how few times it has happened in history.
 
It is a good thing that someone who wants to learn about Rafael Nadal will not go about it by reading your threads about him, because all they would infer is that his achievements are slight and his future is filled with doom. Don't get me wrong, I love stats and it is the primary reason I even visit such forums, but the trend with you is impossible to ignore.
 

McEnroeisanartist

Hall of Fame
It is a good thing that someone who wants to learn about Rafael Nadal will not go about it by reading your threads about him, because all they would infer is that his achievements are slight and his future is filled with doom. Don't get me wrong, I love stats and it is the primary reason I even visit such forums, but the trend with you is impossible to ignore.

Nadal has had some amazing achievements that I can not imagine will ever be be surpassed in my lifetime. Of course, his achievements often fail in comparison to Federer's, who many consider his greatest rival. I don't know if his future is filled with doom, but I think if you look at history, we should expect Nadal to be a lesser player, if and when he returns.
 

Mustard

Bionic Poster
Even better, has a man ever lost to another man in 3 straight slam finals?

Yes. Fred Stolle against Roy Emerson (1964 Wimbledon, 1964 US Championships, 1965 Australian Championships). Stolle had also lost to Emerson in the 1964 Australian Championships final, and went on to lose to Emerson in the 1965 Wimbledon final.

Stolle got some revenge by thrashing Emerson in the semi finals of the 1966 US Championships, and then won the final against John Newcombe. Stolle then turned professional a few months later.
 

Crisstti

Legend
Some of your threads are great. But sadly, this one is a bust. The imporatance or rarity of the achievement is neither interesting nor something for the books.
Just sayin'

His threads have been declining, and his bias is showing very heavily...

Nadal fell out of the top 3 because he didn't play for about 5 months. so if his injury proves to be a very serious one, yes could be he never gets back in the top 2. But if he returns to good health and plays a full year there's no reason he can't. also he is getting older so maybe he won't but his fall out of the top 3 is coincidental because it was due to injury not poor play.

Yeah, this.
 

McEnroeisanartist

Hall of Fame
I always saw his bias, and knew why he was starting threads like this about Nadal. He's as transparent as a plate glass window.

Clarky, what is my bias? That I think Federer is the greatest player of all time and that Nadal is a great player, but as far achievements go, in my humble opinion, don't come close to Federer's. Okay, you got me.
 

Crisstti

Legend
I always saw his bias, and knew why he was starting threads like this about Nadal. He's as transparent as a plate glass window.

It's just fine to have some bias about these things, I guess we all do, but he's run out of actually interesting statistics and it's becoming increasingly evident the point of his threads...
 

Clarky21

Banned
Clarky, what is my bias? That I think Federer is the greatest player of all time and that Nadal is a great player, but as far achievements go, in my humble opinion, don't come close to Federer's. Okay, you got me.


Everyone knows what it is so I feel no need to explain it.


How about you actually create a thread about Nadal's stats that isn't a negative one? And how about you create a thread about Fed's stats that is not a postive one? I doubt you will ever do that.
 

McEnroeisanartist

Hall of Fame
Everyone knows what it is so I feel no need to explain it.


How about you actually create a thread about Nadal's stats that isn't a negative one? And how about you create a thread about Fed's stats that is not a postive one? I doubt you will ever do that.

I suppose I do have a bias, I am hard pressed to think of a meaningful positive statistic about Nadal that isn't equaled by Federer. Consecutive match wins on clay? Similarly, I am hard pressed to think of a Federer statistic that is a negative won. Most matches lost in one year after having a match point by a great player?
 

Clarky21

Banned
I suppose I do have a bias, I am hard pressed to think of a meaningful positive statistic about Nadal that isn't equaled by Federer. Consecutive match wins on clay? Similarly, I am hard pressed to think of a Federer statistic that is a negative won. Most matches lost in one year after having a match point by a great player?



There are negatives for Fed too, even though he's GOAT. Nobody is perfect.

There are also positives for Nadal like winning MC 8 straight years, and winning RG a record breaking 7 times out of 8 tries. You only focus on the obscure negative junk that just pushes your agenda.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Even better, has a man ever lost to another man in 3 straight slam finals?

That just goes to show, even the most prime of Djokovics can't beat Nadal at Roland Garros. It has become more clear than ever that the loss to Soderling in 2009 RG was the result of Nadal's parents separating. Nadal has to go bonkers to lose at RG.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Clarky, what is my bias? That I think Federer is the greatest player of all time and that Nadal is a great player, but as far achievements go, in my humble opinion, don't come close to Federer's. Okay, you got me.

Actually, in terms of achievements, Federer has never been close to Nadal at any of the slams. Nadal is 52-1 at Roland Garros (and that's about to get a whole lot better as clumsy young oafs like Raonic become the main challenge, rather than Prime Djokovic). Federer at Wimbledon is trash compared to this. Federer has lost in the QFs of Wimbledon twice in the last 3 years. Federer has lost in the First Round of Wimbledon 3 times! And at the Australian Open and US Open Federer has been horrendous compared to Nadal at Roland Garros. Federer can't even say he's the greatest of all-time at a slam. And Federer couldn't even win slams on clay, grass and hardcourt in a Calendar Year. Nobody ever has, apart from Nadal.
 

cork_screw

Hall of Fame
In other words, it looks very unlikely that Nadal will ever finish a season ranked in the top 2 again.

.

Just because it's a very unlikely act to accomplish doesn't mean that it's unlikely Nadal can accomplish it. Nadal is a very special player with very unique circumstances that forced him to miss half of the year.
 

kOaMaster

Hall of Fame
Actually, in terms of achievements, Federer has never been close to Nadal at any of the slams. Nadal is 52-1 at Roland Garros (and that's about to get a whole lot better as clumsy young oafs like Raonic become the main challenge, rather than Prime Djokovic).

yes he has, in all but the FO he's been far better than nadal. nadal is the king of clay but how would this "overachieve" anything federer did in the rest of the four grand slam tournaments where he has done significantly more than nadal?
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
March 2010: Nadal ranked number 4.
June 2010: Nadal ranked number 1.

The big jump this year will more likely come at the US Open, obviously.
 

McEnroeisanartist

Hall of Fame
8 years, 2003-2010. 10 consec. years and counting Fed has finished in the Top 3.

Nadal could only manage 7 years straight in the Top 3.

8 consecutive years in the top 2 by Federer is unreal. I was thinking Nadal would tie this, if not break this, but obviously he could not keep up.
 
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