You are right. Young players play like thoughtless machines. Usually they are forced to play tennis when they are 4 years old by their crazy parents.
You do realize that 99% of the professional tour are millennials, right? Nadal and Djokovic included..
Yeah, very true. I think the issue with younger players breaking through is that the older players are more established, they have everything down to a T. They're already built themselves up physically, mentally and developed their games. Today's tennis is probably the most competitive yet, every player is strong with hardly any weaknesses, they have every stroke down, everyone is super fit. Pretty much the days of teenagers winning grand slams are over.
If you watched Federer from 2005 and Federer now you would see that he is much slower now. His serves are slower too. It looks as if he moved now in slow motion. From 2010 to 2017 he won only 1 grand slam. He was not in good physical form. And at this age he wins next grand slams. It only means that his opponents are very weak. We cant see in younger generation any player like Federer, Djokovic, Nadal. Lack of control is obvious. Young players throw the racket at the ball. It is a great error.
The technique hasn't plateaued, but it evolved with Federer, not after him. Self-development and evolution proves to build a lot for the player through playing years. One cannot just give an 8 y.o. perfect technique to play all his life. Smart players develop - as did Roger, Rafa and Novak.
There is no credibility crisis. In that period he won only 1 grand slam(Wimbledon in 2012). 1 gand slam during 4 years. 15 times he couldnt do it. He won Wimbledon where there is no real tennis.
In 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016 he won only 1 grand slam.
Not 4 years so even worse than I said at the beginning. He was not top player and suddenly he can win grand slams when he is weaker and older. His opponents cant play on high level. It is the only explanation. Great crisis in tennis. Federer worse and worse and he wins more grand slams.
To win Wimbledon there is no need to play backhand and forehand. I remember boring matches of Sampras, Becker, Ivanisevic, Cash, Cilic....and others on Wimbledon. Real tennis is on clay courts. Even on hard courts only on the highest level it resembles tennis.
Funny enough, clay is a surface where those pushy shots you love so much play the worst. Best clay players are ones who can not only get to balls (which is easier on clay), but use the slower bounces to setup on almost all shots and hit full power. While faster surfaces favor different game and allow more compact swings to utilise their pros.
Maybe you are very young and you dont remember why they slowed the surface on Wimbledon and Australian Open. Nobody wanted to watch boring matches. I remember match Sampras- Ivanisevic. The most boring match in the history of tennis. On clay courts you have to hit topspin backhand and forehand. You have to hit it not only once. I dont watch Wimbledon because it is not tennis. Federer and Sampras won Wimbledon many times though their backhands were really weak. We cant be surprised that Sampras, Becker, Edberg never won Roland Garros and Federer did it only once when Nadal was injured. Without backhand you cant win on clay. Since they slowed the surface at US Open Federer havent won it even once.
On clay you only need a topspin forehand and backhand; nothing else. You can win on clay with a poor serve, no transition game, and no net game. At Wimbledon, especially in the old days, you need at least one ground stroke, a serve, the slice, volleys, and transition shots. You might prefer topspin groundstrokes, but not everyone does. Others like watching a variety of shots. That doesn't make one automatically more entertaining than the other, it just means they are meant for different people.
I began new thread because the last one was blocked. In 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016 Federer won only 1 grand slam. There were 24 grand slams during that period.
On hard courts and at Wimbledon Raonic, Cilic, Anderson, Isner can even win though they cant play tennis(I mean backhand and forehand). They have no chance at Roland Garros. Their primitive tennis is not good enough. Good players dont waste energy trying to serve 220 km/h and running to the net because they dont have to.
There is some place for agreement between us. There are two different sports. Tennis and tennis. They have the same name and the same players play in tournaments but in those different sports we use different tools. On clay courts we play backhand and forehand. On fast surfaces serve and volley are enough. Many times even volley is not important. I am a tennis player and not a tennis player.
Finally you actually make some sense, except for using "serve and volley are enough" when usually that style requires more shots than just having a topspin forehand and backhand.
In Poland the indoor seasons begins now. Nobody treats it the same as clay court season. We usually play on fast surfaces only waiting for spring when we can return on clay courts. There are not too many tournaments in indoor season. I try to change my technique during winter. If I play in some tournaments during winter it is only to test new technique. You cant be surprised that for me Federer is not a great player. You can be surprised that Nadal also is not. Nadal backhand is weak too. Whoever would like to copy it couldnt win anything without great physical strength. Nadal and Federer were successful because they had forehands. In tennis you dont have to have good technique. Sometimes one good weapon is enough. If I try to remember best players Corea, Djokovic, Kuerten, Agassi, Wawrinka, Murray might be good examples.
Dynamics and strength of 25 years old and over 32 years old players cant be even compared. We cant be surprised that in all sports most players over 32 end their professional career. They are just physically too weak. Nowadays in tennis old guys beat young players because young players cant play the ball several times in the same direction and place. They use lag and snap technique and also exaggerate with turn of the body around vertical axis. It is all to achieve greater speed of the racket but it also means loss of control. Older players just have to wait for inevitable errors. Old guys are not tired because younger ones cant hit several balls in a row. The difference in physical strength is neutralized.
I try to compare Nadal, Djokovic and Federer and younger players.
Nadal, Djokovic and Federer are old and it is normal that they are physically weaker then 5-8 years ago. They win because their younger opponents cant play tennis on high level because of bad technique. It is obvious. The only question is which parts of so called "modern technique" are just great errors. Split step, lag and snap, exaggerated turn of body, loose wrist, straight arm, too great speed of the racket,.....
In tennis dynamics is the most important factor and at the age of 25 it is much greater than when you are 30 years old. Try to watch match between Federer and Agassi at Australian open 2005. You can see how fast Federer moved then. Now he moves as if it was slow motion video. Young players just cant play tennis. They throw the racket at the ball. That is what they were taught. Loss of control is obvious. I ask you all. Lets start real discussion about reasons of this crisis. Dont repeat this absurd explanation that after 30 you are stronger and faster. If it was true as far as Nadal, Djokovic and Federer are concerned they would have to take drugs.
A discussion focuses on different ideas and takes all of them seriously. You don't do that. You focus on just one or two ideas and repeat the same things over and over again regardless of what anyone else says. That is not a "real discussion." These guys are making great points telling you why you are observing what you are, but you refuse to listen.
Name a male player that is more dynamic than Djokovic. Name a player that moves more efficiently than Federer. Name a player that runs more than Nadal will.
I cant see any ideas in your comment. I dont know if you agree with me or you dont.
We discussed plenty in your last thread, you know my views on most of what you have said.
Federer is 37 years old !!! He is very old for a tennis player. He should play in +35 category but he can beat almost all younger players. Federer is much worse than he was in 2005 or 2007. Watch videos form that period. Then he served a lot of aces. His forehand was like a lightning. Now it is only a shadow of that player but after several years without any great win he won 2 grand slams. Great crisis in tennis is obvious.
We talked about two handed forehand and this thread is not about it. I hope that you dont want to say that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are now stronger and faster than they were 5 years ago. It wouldnt be wise. It is difficult to argue with peolpe who say such absurd things. Young players are faster and stronger but they lose so their technique must be bad. It is an irresistible logic.
