What Novak needs to realize about RF

[oneness]

That makes a lot of sense but their anxiety for their man to win should not interfere for everybody else and their development. It is that dangerous type of loyalty that made life worse for example Monica Seles once she found the blueprint on beating Steffi Graf. Fans must learn how to grown with the sport once Fed retires or can't go to the finals on a consistent basis. Federer has done it all and will go down as an all time great, right now it is Novak's peak and his turn. Sensible should respect that he is in his prime.

True and thats why it is funny to me when some fed fans claim that their fan base as a whole love fed's tennis and that they love and know what good tennis is all about and that it is not true for nadal fans,.. and what is hilarious is only the fanatic trolls in the Internet forum claim that, not the decent fed fans.

Too much attention paid to trolls today, off to bed.

 

[kOaMaster]

Novak tries too hard.
Why worry? Let the tennis speak for itself.
I'm pretty sure Novak will be remembered as one of the legends and appreciated everywhere he goes. Fully deserved.

These are just stupid statements he makes and it doesn't help the case.
Plus: I don't think there has been a "peoples favourite" like Federer since Björn Borg. (please vero/octobrina, don't come with that stupid facebook-crap)

 

[junior74]

People wanted another set of tennis, and Federer played outstanding at the moment. Federer magic makes crowds go wild, understandibly so.

 

[Rozroz]

Novak tries too hard.
Why worry? Let the tennis speak for itself.
I'm pretty sure Novak will be remembered as one of the legends and appreciated everywhere he goes. Fully deserved.

These are just stupid statements he makes and it doesn't help the case.
Plus: I don't think there has been a "peoples favourite" like Federer since Björn Borg. (please vero/octobrina, don't come with that stupid facebook-crap)

i think Novak starts to realize he can just keep his cool and do his job.
at least from yesterday.
he was collected, managed to handle the pressure to a decent degree,
and didn't let the crowd damage his head too much.
it seems that Boris or fatherhood are fixing this atm.
also - i noticed he "clapped" on at least 4 of Fed's winners, even in tight situations (while Fed never does that at all )

 

[kOaMaster]

He wasn't exactly cool yesterday, was he?
But yeah, I think this is a process of maturing. Novak did much worse earlier in his career, also Federer had his quirks...

 

[Russeljones]

also - i noticed he "clapped" on at least 4 of Fed's winners, even in tight situations (while Fed never does that at all )

You don't have to clap, nor does clapping mean genuine appreciation. I bet he is seething inside while doing that.

 

[Rozroz]

You don't have to clap, nor does clapping mean genuine appreciation. I bet he is seething inside while doing that.

why being so negative on this?

if i was able to clap on any amazing shot my partner hits on very tight situations, whether genuine or not, it's certainly shows a good amount of being classy, a good sport and so on.. i don't even care if Novak does this to look good for the crowd. he still manages to do that and it's not always easy.

hey, he's still far from being a perfect sport, but at least he manages to look genuine after a good rally and appreciate a good winner, and not many players do that today.

imo he looked pretty honest yesterday.

 

[Russeljones]

why being so negative on this?

if i was able to clap on any amazing shot my partner hits on very tight situations, whether genuine or not, it's certainly shows a good amount of being classy, a good sport and so on.. i don't even care if Novak does this to look good for the crowd. he still manages to do that and it's not always easy.

hey, he's still far from being a perfect sport, but at least he manages to look genuine after a good rally and appreciate a good winner, and not many players do that today.

imo he looked pretty honest yesterday.

Your partner? I don't think you begin to realize the fierce determination it takes for these people to go out there and perform like that for years and years. Being classy is certainly a consideration that doesn't belong in this conversation. When your opponent knows you don't mean it, is it classy to do it? It's a rhetorical question. It's like the let apology, people say sorry but they are celebrating the point, because they live and die by the points.

 

[RF-18]

Well it starts to get different when the whole crowd start cheering on a double fault.

But I agree, djokovic should just deal with it. I think he knows already who he is up against and I think he got a meltdown yesterday for the way he gifted that 2nd set especially TB

 

[rh310]

The worse thing he is doing is comparing his standards to Federer. Non of the players of the past wanted to love or admired like a god like Fed.

If anything his friend Andy Murray has resisted being that loved and admired from the fans in Great Britain.

It is part of the PR machine and if Novak understands the system then he should not be bothered by it.

Mmmmm...nothing personal, but I'm not thinking your opinion is particularly rational and I'm not going to talk to you about this any more.

 

[junior74]

why being so negative on this?

if i was able to clap on any amazing shot my partner hits on very tight situations, whether genuine or not, it's certainly shows a good amount of being classy, a good sport and so on.. i don't even care if Novak does this to look good for the crowd. he still manages to do that and it's not always easy.

hey, he's still far from being a perfect sport, but at least he manages to look genuine after a good rally and appreciate a good winner, and not many players do that today.

This is about acceptance. Djokovic is getting really good at it. It has nothing to do with sportsmanship, but with winning strategies, positive thinking/ body language, being present and so on.

 

[Russeljones]

This is about acceptance. Djokovic is getting really good at it. It has nothing to do with sportsmanship, but with winning strategies, positive thinking/ body language, being present and so on.

Very well put. He is doing it for himself. It's his way of shrugging off a set-back.

 

[Steve0904]

Howard Bryant of ESPN...there as well...

"Djokovic has the credentials, the game and the personality to be the people's champion, but that title belongs to Federer. Each point won by Federer was met with an uproarious cheer from the crowd. The pressure was not simply being put on Djokovic by Federer -- but by the reminder that he is not Federer.

Djokovic won points to polite applause. He lost points to ferocious applause.

As the second set moved to a tiebreaker, Djokovic double-faulted three times, essentially handing Federer that portion of the match. In the third, Djokovic's hand shook as he drank water. He smashed a racket in frustration. Pressure, without a crowd to lift him, was taking away his championship.

Novak Djokovic understands why he wasn't a crowd favorite in the Indian Wells final.
"I don't know what to say," Djokovic said. "I can't identify the emotion that was behind it, but it was a little bit of everything."

After the match, Djokovic was philosophical on where he stands with the fans.

"Well, first of all," Djokovic said, "with all the success that [Federer] had throughout his career, he's somebody that's been around on the tour for so many years, plus he's a great guy on and off the court, and I'm sure its normal that he has the support, major support anywhere he goes, especially in the United States.

"So, I don't get upset with that, even though in the moments of the battle, you're sometimes looking for the support of the crowd. I did feel I had my support, but the majority was on his side. That's something that's normal. I don't really get upset for that. I expect that.

"I have to earn my majority of the support here or at any tournament with the time spent on this level, with the titles, and with my responsibility as somebody that is on top of the men's game. On and off the court, I have to carry myself in the right way and then hopefully one day the people will get to recognize that even more and more."

This past week, Federer said tennis is now living in the age of Djokovic. That's no understatement. Djokovic won the first major of the year and now the first Masters 1000, just as he did last year. He has a 4,000-point lead in the rankings over No. 2 Federer and leads Nadal and Murray by 7,000 points. Djokovic is proving a calendar Grand Slam, which hasn't been done since 1969, appears to be possible.

The pressure was suffocating, and Djokovic defeated it. He has won everything except the French Open and maybe, more importantly, the true hearts of the public."

The two bold parts in the middle there are telling I think. As far as the first one goes, it sounds like Novak is trying to convince himself that he "doesn't let it affect him", but it's quite obvious it does. As the saying goes: "Actions speak louder than words," and that is quite clearly the case here and always has been IMO.

And for the second bold part, I really don't think he understands that no matter what he does, he'll never earn crowd support over Federer at like 99% of the tournaments. It's just the way it is, and he has to deal with it. Harsh, but true. To his credit, he's done that very well despite some of the times when he snaps.

 

[Deleted member 688153]

Robert de Niro (and his wife), Sharapova:twisted: were in his box at us open final 2007
edit: Kanye West was in his box at RG 2011 I believe

That's what his PR team needs to work on. :lol:

But Nadalovic tend to attract the young and modern fans/supporters.

Federer tends to attract the establishment (e.g. Will and Kate).
It's because Federer is from a different time in so many ways, when the game was so beautiful.

I can respect the modern game for sure, but I am sometimes sad that tennis is not played like it used to be and that I could not grow up in an era when it was.

 

[Rozroz]

Your partner? I don't think you begin to realize the fierce determination it takes for these people to go out there and perform like that for years and years. Being classy is certainly a consideration that doesn't belong in this conversation. When your opponent knows you don't mean it, is it classy to do it? It's a rhetorical question. It's like the let apology, people say sorry but they are celebrating the point, because they live and die by the points.

again, not accurate.
after a grueling point, if i did a lucky net, i personally feel disgusted i won the point this way, and i'll tell it to my opponent.
it doesn't concern the scoreboard.
hey, it's ok you don't like Novak.
i don't particularly like him, but he admired opponents winners most of his career if i recall correctly, so it's pretty genuine imo.
the way he needs to deal with the crowds is another story.

 

[Alchemy-Z]

that's always what bothered me about Novak....you are a #1 multi-slam player...why do you let crowds bother you?

 

[Cortana]

The problem is not that Federer has more fans. The problem is that they are cheering when Djokovic makes DFs and other errors. Even applauding after the first service.

 

[Russeljones]

again, not accurate.
after a grueling point, if i did a lucky net, i personally feel disgusted i won the point this way, and i'll tell it to my opponent.
it doesn't concern the scoreboard.
hey, it's ok you don't like Novak.
i don't particularly like him, but he admired opponents winners most of his career if i recall correctly, so it's pretty genuine imo.
the way he needs to deal with the crowds is another story.

Not accurate because you are equating your club tennis experience to that of a competitive match at the top level of the sport. I am surprised at how naïve you are.

 

[junior74]

after a grueling point, if i did a lucky net, i personally feel disgusted i won the point this way, and i'll tell it to my opponent

I don't feel disgusted at all when I win the point with a little help from the net. I am happier than ever, because I know my opponent is disgusted, hence the game will be easier to win.

This is what Rozroz needs to realize about junior74

 

[Rozroz]

Not accurate because you are equating your club tennis experience to that of a competitive match at the top level of the sport. I am surprised at how naïve you are.

quite the opposite! you miss the whole point
it's just proves how much HARDER it is on pro levels to keep doing that.
and even at pro level
i'm 100% sure some of appreciations are actually genuine.

i'm not saying Novak will clap at match point or similar situations of course.
but he's doing it on pressured points, not always when he's in comfortable score in the match.

if we take it to the opposite extreme,
would you prefer Federer fistpumping on a let? because it's genuine?
come on..

hell, i don't need to convince you. let's agree to disagree.

 

[Rozroz]

I don't feel disgusted at all when I win the point with a little help from the net. I am happier than ever, because I know my opponent is disgusted, hence the game will be easier to win.

This is what Rozroz needs to realize about junior74

i didn't say i wasn't happy i got another free point!
i was saying that when a rally is over like that, and i gained a point with a lucky get that hit the net, at that second it feels disgusting.

after the moment has passed, i go back to being competitive.
and i'm super competitive btw.

 

[Russeljones]

i didn't say i wasn't happy i got another free point!
i was saying that when a rally is over like that, and i gained a point with a lucky get that hit the net, at that second it feels disgusting.

after the moment has passed, i go back to being competitive.
and i'm super competitive btw.

Can you, competitively, use the 'Shift' button?

 

[Rozroz]

Can you, competitively, use the 'Shift' button?

Trying My Best With My Non Native English

 

[Russeljones]

Trying My Best With My Non Native English

Sorry, I don't mean to hassle you, it just makes it a lot easier to read when the sentences start with a capital letter. Not my native language either!

 

[Rozroz]

Sorry, I don't mean to hassle you, it just makes it a lot easier to read when the sentences start with a capital letter. Not my native language either!

 

[BretH]

The crowd desperately wanted a third set and a closer match. It was hard to tell with TennisTV barfing but I'll bet the cheering was a little more even-sided in the third, even if Federer was the clear favorite.

 

[millicurie999]

It will take him a couple of years to find his form and win some titles.

Kei will be the rockstar because people will like him because he is subdued and his tennis is exciting enough for people to root for him. That is what tennis fans love in a way.

Raonic has no real personality yet and his tennis is not helping. He will become the living image of a servebot.

But his hair certainly does. Maybe he can build on that :twisted:

 

[marc45]

Well it starts to get different when the whole crowd start cheering on a double fault.

But I agree, djokovic should just deal with it. I think he knows already who he is up against and I think he got a meltdown yesterday for the way he gifted that 2nd set especially TB

I said earlier I was surprised the crowd cheered when Nadal double-faulted, against Raonic!...had to be because they didn't want Nadal to advance to play Fed...I mean, could there have been that many Raonic fans there?...I know there were some Canadians there, but hard to believe that many...and Canadians are never rude, right?

 

[marc45]

But his hair certainly does. Maybe he can build on that :twisted:

man, that hair situation with him is worth a story on its own, like the sleeve...he lost the Bob's Big Boy curl but now it looks like a shellacked helmet, wasn't moving at all...Nadal can take some solace that by the third set he finally was able to knock a few of Raonic's hairs out of place

Richard Krajicek used to have the best hair along those lines but Raonic may be passing him

 

[mule250]

I think it must be said that Fed is looked at like the underdog these days as well. Everyone loves an underdog, so that might get him a bit extra fans (combined with his already huge following)

 

[Elektra]

The two bold parts in the middle there are telling I think. As far as the first one goes, it sounds like Novak is trying to convince himself that he "doesn't let it affect him", but it's quite obvious it does. As the saying goes: "Actions speak louder than words," and that is quite clearly the case here and always has been IMO.

And for the second bold part, I really don't think he understands that no matter what he does, he'll never earn crowd support over Federer at like 99% of the tournaments. It's just the way it is, and he has to deal with it. Harsh, but true. To his credit, he's done that very well despite some of the times when he snaps.

Exactly and that was the point I made in the thread. Novak is going against a brand/PR machine in tennis anytime he is facing Roger. He has to understand that and not take it personally. He will get full respect because tennis fans do not forget.

 

[bullfan]

That is also part of the pressure of being #1. People want to see the #1 player beat.

Hopefully things will get better for Novak in Miami. It is a more diverse area then Indian Wells which is 99% red/Republican area.

Now he can see why Serena never came back for 14 years.

People travel to IW for the tournament. People didnt want to see Roger get beat as number 1. Im not sure you know what youre talking about. Your generalizations are just gross and inaccurate.

 

[rh310]

Exactly and that was the point I made in the thread. Novak is going against a brand/PR machine in tennis anytime he is facing Roger. He has to understand that and not take it personally. He will get full respect because tennis fans do not forget.

Oh, what crap. Federer is simply better liked as a tennis player than Novak is.

Tennis fans respond to what they see on the court, year after year. Novak is still overcoming his early "quitter" reputation, and is still struggling to overcome the "prima donna" reputation he has now.

 

[kOaMaster]

Exactly and that was the point I made in the thread. Novak is going against a brand/PR machine in tennis anytime he is facing Roger. He has to understand that and not take it personally. He will get full respect because tennis fans do not forget.

Wow, it must really bother you to plot those conspirations.

 

[Djokovic2011]

Oh, what crap. Federer is simply better liked as a tennis player than Novak is.

Tennis fans respond to what they see on the court, year after year. Novak is still overcoming his early "quitter" reputation, and is still struggling to overcome the "prima donna" reputation he has now.

How long do you think it will take for him to overcome it? I mean jeez, how much more does he have to do? :neutral:

 

[Deleted member 688153]

How long do you think it will take for him to overcome it? I mean jeez, how much more does he have to do? :neutral:

It should get a lot better when Federer retires, but folks are just invested in Fedal at the moment.
I wouldn't blame the crowd too much.

 

[Deleted member 688153]

I think it must be said that Fed is looked at like the underdog these days as well. Everyone loves an underdog, so that might get him a bit extra fans (combined with his already huge following)

Yes, I think there is an amount of underdog status which is helping Roger these days too.

 

[Starfury]

Yes, I think there is an amount of underdog status which is helping Roger these days too.

Not just the underdog status. 90+% of fans do not want to see Federer lose. Even if they want their guy to win, they'd still prefer there'd be an option for Federer not to lose.

That's why he can go to France, win the Davis Cup and the home audience's sentiment is that "at least we saw Federer win".

 

[JanowiczJ]

That's the negative side of not being branded by Nike. I've met some people that don't know much about tennis but they wear proudly their RF cap. Same as Rafa's Bull.

Same happens in the NBA, players that sign to other brands don't get the same publicity as the ones who are signed by Nike. Rose, for example, was the most disliked MVP I've ever seen.

 

[pame]

i think Novak starts to realize he can just keep his cool and do his job.
at least from yesterday.
he was collected, managed to handle the pressure to a decent degree,
and didn't let the crowd damage his head too much.
it seems that Boris or fatherhood are fixing this atm.
also - i noticed he "clapped" on at least 4 of Fed's winners, even in tight situations (while Fed never does that at all )

Actually there are matches which show Fed clapping his racket in appreciation of a good shot, so it's not true to allege what you have. What I've seen happening is that usually you see it in an additional replay from a different angle. Fed doesn't do an obtrusive, "look at me I'm clapping the opponent" type of action.

 

[pame]

I can't think of any other sport I've followed where fans are so uptight about their fave not being as popular as another player. Wow