What if you switched the age of Federer and Djokovic in their h2h matches?

[NatF]

The thing is Djokovic and Delpo are more likely to peak at the same time. There's no way he's just as much competition to Federer when he burst on to the scene in 2009 when Federer had already won most of his slams.

Del Potro's best year was 2009, which was a year Federer was #1. Other prime years include 2012 and 2013;

- He played Federer 8 times in 2012, Djokovic 4 times
- He played Federer 3 times in 2013, Djokovic 5 times

He's easily as much competition for Federer as for Djokovic.

It's a shame you're not spreading this critical thinking on MTF

 

[mike danny]

The thing is Djokovic and Delpo are more likely to peak at the same time. There's no way he's just as much competition to Federer when he burst on to the scene in 2009 when Federer had already won most of his slams.

But have they?

When Fed was winning slams and was world no.1, he faced Delpo 5 times in 2009, Nole just once and also faced Delpo a whooping 8 times in 2012, while Nole faced him 4 times.

Only in 2013 did Djoko face Delpo more times than Fed.

Delpo is from Djokovic's generation, but has played more matches with Federer. Fed rad a rivalry with him in 2009, while he was still in his prime, so Delpo was part of Fed's competition too. They met at 3/4 slams that year after all, all matches in QF and beyond.

 

[mike danny]

Del Potro's best year was 2009, which was a year Federer was #1. Other prime years include 2012 and 2013;

- He played Federer 8 times in 2012, Djokovic 4 times
- He played Federer 3 times in 2013, Djokovic 5 times

He's easily as much competition for Federer as for Djokovic.

It's a shame you're not spreading this critical thinking on MTF

I remember a time in 2012 when Fed and Delpo met each other in 4 consecutive tournaments: AO, Rotterdam, Dubai and IW, Fed winning each time in straight sets. I was feeling sorry for Delpo, poor guy couldn't catch a break. He got Federer every time.

 

[cockneyDjoker]

Del Potro's best year was 2009, which was a year Federer was #1. Other prime years include 2012 and 2013;

- He played Federer 8 times in 2012, Djokovic 4 times
- He played Federer 3 times in 2013, Djokovic 5 times

He's easily as much competition for Federer as for Djokovic.

It's a shame you're not spreading this critical thinking on MTF

Yes I hear what you're saying. The fact is that Federer's prime was 2004-08 Before Delpo was a force. He denied Federer at the USO with arguably his finest performance but the fact is that Federer had already broken Sampras's slam record by then. In contrast all the times he played Novak was during Novak's prime 2011-14.

That's the difference

 

[tennisaddict]

Delpo is closer to age to Djokovic than he is to Federer. So that's why he's part of the Djokovic era and not Federer

Face it Federer's main rival off-clay was Roddick. That's NOT a strong era.

Delpo won a major during Fed's era. He has been injured for multiple years in Novak's.

Delpo is Fed's contemporary.

 

[tennis_pro]

Yes I hear what you're saying. The fact is that Federer's prime was 2004-08 Before Delpo was a force. He denied Federer at the USO with arguably his finest performance but the fact is that Federer had already broken Sampras's slam record by then. In contrast all the times he played Novak was during Novak's prime 2011-14.

That's the difference

Because Del Potro was such a factor in 2011, 2014 and half of 2013.

 

[cockneyDjoker]

Because Del Potro was such a factor in 2011, 2014 and half of 2013.

He would've been if he wasn't injured.

 

[KINGROGER]

Because Federer sucked Djokovic probably wins nearly all if not all the matches, let's say baby Fed shows some magic in one of the matches, h2h is 9-1 to Djokovic.

1. 2006 Monte-Carlo Masters Masters
2. 2006 Davis Cup
3. 2007 Australian Open
4. 2007 Dubai Championships
5. 2007 Canadian Open
6. 2007 US Open
7. 2008 Australian Open
8. 2008 Monte-Carlo Masters Masters
9. 2008 US Open Major
10. 2009 Miami Open Masters
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This is where it starts to get interesting:
11. 2009 Italian Open Masters - 2003 Fed vs 2015 Djokovic, both played well but I give the edge to Djokovic
12. 2009 Cincinnati Masters - it took a GOATing Nalbandian to took out prime Fed, Federer
13. 2009 US Open Major - 2003 Fed vs 2015 Djokovic, Djokovic
14. 2009 Swiss Indoors - edge to Fed but Djokovic didn't even play so hard to tell, Federer
15. 2010 Canadian Open - Federer all the way
16. 2010 US Open - Federer even more
17. 2010 Shanghai Masters - Federer withdrew in 2004 but Djokovic sucked in 2016, I'll give it to Djokovic because he played
18. 2010 Swiss Indoors - both didn't play but I'd take 2004 Fed over 2016 Djokovic, Federer
19. 2010 ATP World Tour Finals - Federer without a doubt
---------------------------------
This is probably where Federer gets the age and probably doesn't lose more than 2-3 matches until Djokovic retires. We'll see what Djokovic does but if the trend continues I'm 100% he wouldn't touch 2005+ Fed on any surface because Fed was so good back then. By the time Federer declines in 2015 Djokovic will be 34 years old himself.
20. 2011 Australian Open
21. 2011 Dubai Championships
22. 2011 Indian Wells Masters Masters
23. 2011 French Open Major
24. 2011 US Open Major
25. 2012 Italian Open Masters
26. 2012 French Open
27. 2012 Wimbledon
28. 2012 Cincinnati
29. 2012 ATP World Tour Finals
30. 2013 Paris Masters
31. 2013 ATP World Tour Finals
32. 2014 Dubai Championships
33. 2014 Indian Wells Masters
34. 2014 Monte-Carlo Masters
35. 2014 Wimbledon
36. 2014 Shanghai Masters
37. 2015 Dubai Championships
38. 2015 Indian Wells Masters
39. 2015 Italian Open Masters
40. 2015 Wimbledon Major
41. 2015 Cincinnati Masters
42. 2015 US Open
43. 2015 ATP World Tour Finals
44. 2015 ATP World Tour Finals
45. 2016 Australian Open

So the h2h would stand at:
9-1 to Djokovic in the first 10 matches
6-3 to Federer in the next 9 matches
23-3 to Federer in the next 26 matches because I'm very generous to Djokovic.

Overall h2h - 30-15 to Federer
Slam h2h - 10-5 to Federer

It wouldn't be nearly as interesting as it was the other way round because Djokovic would've dominated the first 10 matches of the hypothetical rivarly but once a 22-23 year old Federer reached his prime and started facing a 28-29 year old Djokovic on a consistent basis it would've been curtains for Djokovic.

Excellent post and spot on analysis too.

Djokovic is very lucky he came into his prime as Federer was exiting his. As I've said before, if Djokovic was born in 1981, he would be a 3-4 slam guy at most. His strong years came as Fed declined heavily, Nadal declined on grass and then clay, as Nadal barely ever shows up on HC to be a viable rival there.

 

[tennis_pro]

He would've been if he wasn't injured.

Same way Safin was such a big rival for Fed after the 2005 AO?