Biggest Comeback After >6 Months Absence?

[Phoenix1983]

Of Open Era players, Muster's comeback was the most impressive for me.

Such a tough *******.

[kishnabe]

Originally Posted by Atherton2003

Clisters came back after having a baby...so can Nadal.

I think he is 6 months in.....he will be due in March.

[Moose Malloy]

krajicek was absent 6 months and a few days in 1992/1993, won his 1st return tournament on clay at barcelona.

impressive, beating Santoro, Chesnokov, Bruguera, Agenor & Carlos Costa. didn't drop a set.

its a shame tennis didn't receive as much coverage back then.

[luishcorreia]

Agassi?
10 chars

[Harry_Wild]

Originally Posted by kOaMaster

No matter how great Nadal was - I now really doubt whether he can make his comeback even closely successful compared to what he did before.
This is not mainly because of his age but more of the fact he was absent for such a long time. No matches, no competition, for many many weeks no training and last but not least, not being on the tour and perhaps having a life outside of that surely must change Nadals point of view somehow?

So my question is - as I am only medium familiar with tennis history:
What was the greatest comeback by any tennis player after being absent for more than 6 months?
This means no matches at all, not just skipping the grand slams or dropping out of the rankings!

Kim Clusters - 2 U.S. Opens and 2 other Grand Slam Finals

[psYcon]

Ivanisevic comeback as a wild-card into Wimbledon and win the whole thing in 2001.

[bluetrain4]

Wouldn't it be Agassi? Wasn't he out for six months at some point, and then he packed in all those Slams in the latter half of his career.

Serena's been out for months at a time several times, but was it ever six months? I remember her coming into 2008 or 2009 AO really out of shape and having been out for a while and winning and then regrouping and winning more Slams in the ensuing years. But, I don't think she was off for six months.

Seles of course, was out from Spring of 1993 to the summer of 1995 after the horrific stabbing, and came back and immediately won a Tier 1 and made the USO final, then won the 1996 AO, and also made the 1996 USO and 1998 FO finals, and also had a lot of other "good" Slam performances (QFs or better) thereafter, though she obviously never returned to pre-stabbing form.

[Jack the Hack]

Originally Posted by bluetrain4

Wouldn't it be Agassi? Wasn't he out for six months at some point, and then he packed in all those Slams in the latter half of his career.

Serena's been out for months at a time several times, but was it ever six months? I remember her coming into 2008 or 2009 AO really out of shape and having been out for a while and winning and then regrouping and winning more Slams in the ensuing years. But, I don't think she was off for six months.

Seles of course, was out from Spring of 1993 to the summer of 1995 after the horrific stabbing, and came back and immediately won a Tier 1 and made the USO final, then won the 1996 AO, and also made the 1996 USO and 1998 FO finals, and also had a lot of other "good" Slam performances (QFs or better) thereafter, though she obviously never returned to pre-stabbing form.

Serena Williams has been off the tour for 6 months or more three times, and made comebacks.

• First, after winning Wimbledon in 2003, she injured her knee in practice and required surgery, causing her to miss the remainder of the year. During this absence, her sister Yetunde was murdered, which was an emotional hurdle as well. Williams didn't return to the tour until the end of March, 2004, where she won the Miami tournament. She was out for 8 months total.
  
• Second, Williams was off the tour from mid-January to mid-July 2006 as well (a 6 month layoff) due to reoccurring knee and back injuries, related to the issues she had in 2003 that caused the first surgery.
  
• Third, Serena was out of competition from July 2010 until mid-June 2011, almost a full year. She injured her foot in a bizarre accident at a restaurant after Wimbledon where she lacerated a tendon stepping on a broken wine glass, which required surgery and caused her to miss the rest of the year. Then, while still recovering from surgery, she ended up having a pulmonary embolism in her lung in March of 2011. She didn't return to the tour until the Eastbourne tournament, as a warm-up for the 2011 Wimbledon, where she was the defending champion. She ended up losing that year to Bartoli in the round of 16. However, as we all know, she went on to make the US Open final later that summer, and then won both Wimbledon and the US Open this year.

As you pointed out, Serena has also had shorter absences from tour due to other injuries and motivational issues. I'm not a fan of hers, but I have to respect the resiliency with these comebacks. Nobody on the men's tour has ever been able to do what she's done in this regard.

[SLD76]

Originally Posted by reaper

Tommy Haas is a player who has twice had more than 12 months off due to injury, was never able to win a Grand Slam tournament, and never got to number 1. His highest career ranking was in 2002. In 2012, at age 34 and 10 years past his peak as a player he was able to get back to number 21 in the world. His record is decidedly modest in comparison to Nadal. It suggests that as a much younger man, and a vastly superior player coming off a shorter lay off, Nadal should be able to get back to the very top. Knee and desire permitting.

its not the age its the, mileage.

[veroniquem]

It has to be Agassi. Dropped out of the top 100. Came back and got back to #1 at 28/29 years old.

[Sabratha]

What about Haas?

[veroniquem]

Originally Posted by Mustard

Thomas Muster spent a few weeks after the 1st April 1989 in despair, thinking his career was either over or would never be the same again. His coach, Ronnie Leitgeb, had a specially designed chair made for him, and convinced Thomas to get back on court hitting balls using the chair, and that he'd soon be back on the tour giving everything he's got. Muster was convinced, and threw everything into his rehabilitation and comeback. It's amazing what Muster was able to do from April 1989 to December 1990. He was fanatical about getting over the injury, hitting balls, getting fit, getting back on the tour, and then winning big clay tournaments, big Davis Cup matches etc.

Leitgeb once said of Muster "He's lazy, until you convince him to do something. Once you do, he is fanatical about doing it with 100% desire and enthusiasm."

Nice story. At 22, though, one would expect any player to still have hope in the future. He was young enough that it made sense for him to try everything he could.

[veroniquem]

Originally Posted by Sabratha

What about Haas?

Haas hasn't done that much since he came back. I'm sure Rafa will want a much more convincing return.

[Sabratha]

Originally Posted by veroniquem

Haas hasn't done that much since he came back. I'm sure Rafa will want a much more convincing return.

I think the fact that he's gotten back into the top ten/top twenty numerous times in his injury ridden career is enough to say he's made a "big comeback". Especially since he wasn't playing for a year at a time. Nadal will make a more convincing return to the tour because he has not been out that long realistically. There are a few players that have been out longer and have ended up near the top of the game again.

[veroniquem]

Originally Posted by Sabratha

I think the fact that he's gotten back into the top ten/top twenty numerous times in his injury ridden career is enough to say he's made a "big comeback". Especially since he wasn't playing for a year at a time. Nadal will make a more convincing return to the tour because he has not been out that long realistically. .

Also because he's the better player of the 2 obviously.

[cc0509]

Originally Posted by Sabratha

I think the fact that he's gotten back into the top ten/top twenty numerous times in his injury ridden career is enough to say he's made a "big comeback". Especially since he wasn't playing for a year at a time. Nadal will make a more convincing return to the tour because he has not been out that long realistically. There are a few players that have been out longer and have ended up near the top of the game again.

And because he is not really seriously injured!

Watch his magical injury-free clay return.

[Clarky21]

Originally Posted by cc0509

And because he is not really seriously injured!

Watch his magical injury-free clay return.

You are going to be in for big surprise when Nadal comes back. He's going to be a total mug who wins nothing. Count on it.

[cc0509]

Originally Posted by Clarky21

You are going to be in for big surprise when Nadal comes back. He's going to be a total mug who wins nothing. Count on it.

I think it is you who will be surprised! He will be running around on that clay like nothing happened, unless he is not able to eat his special spinach.

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by bluetrain4

Wouldn't it be Agassi? Wasn't he out for six months at some point, and then he packed in all those Slams in the latter half of his career.

Agassi was in a slump in 1997, but he did play regularly. Here are Agassi's 1997 results:

SF in San Jose
R32 in Memphis
R32 in Scottsdale
R64 in Indian Wells
R64 in Miami
Won 2 Davis Cup matches against Schalken and Siemerink
R16 in Atlanta
R32 in Washington
R32 in Los Angeles
R64 in Cincinnati
QF in Indianapolis
R16 at the US Open
R64 at Stuttgart Indoor (a masters series event from 1996-2001)

It was after Agassi lost to Todd Martin at the 1997 Stuttgart Masters that Brad Gilbert told Agassi to either start over and totally dedicate himself, or to pack it all in. Todd Martin was only ranked at number 64 at the time, yet beat 102 ranked Agassi 6-4, 6-4, which meant that Agassi's ranking would fall further. By the 10th November 1997, Agassi's world ranking was at number 141 in the world.

Agassi then played 2 challenger events before the end of the year, finishing as runner-up in Las Vegas (which pulled his ranking up to 122), and then winning Burbank (pulling his year-end ranking for 1997 up to 110).

[Rjtennis]

Originally Posted by The_Order

Mac NEVER dominated a major like Rafa dominates RG. No comparison. He'll win it, or rather you tell me who will beat him up there???

Nole could easily take him if Rafa is not near 100%. It's possible (but not likely) he could beat Rafa even at 100%. Rafa will need to come back well in advance of RG if expects to win the title. I think he will do it, but it's definetly not given by any means. Also, I think Nole's primary goal this year with be to win RG and complete a career GS.