Who’s the best ever player when playing angry?

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aldeayeah

G.O.A.T.
Definitely Djokovic, it actually helps him. Nadal is like Vegeta, he can't focus when he's angry lol
Nah, sure Nadal plays looser when he's angry, but that has gotten him out of some holes too. Similar to Djokovic.
Maybe because they're a bit defensive minded so the occasional offensive onslaught can actually help them.
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
The only two players that played better angry in big matches were Mac and Djokovic. Some of the other people being mentioned (Safin, Nick) don't play any better angry, they just might not play any worse. Connors also falls into this category. He sometimes played better when angry, other times just quit, like he did against Chang at the FO (anger and fatigue) and when he just got furious and then defaulted against Lendl in a big match at the Lipton:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-22-sp-10650-story.html
 

Standaa

G.O.A.T.
does this mean the crowd is helping Djokovic to play better by whistling at him and making him angry than if they supported him?

watdousay Djokovic fans, the crowd not bad after all
 

boredone3456

G.O.A.T.
McEnroe may be the obvious choice, but I think he was baseline 60% angry anyway so its always hard to tell when looking back at him.

I would also throw out Chris Evert as an option. I feel like if you beat her or got a set off her she became obsessed with making sure it would never happen again.
 

junior74

Talk Tennis Guru
does this mean the crowd is helping Djokovic to play better by whistling at him and making him angry than if they supported him?

watdousay Djokovic fans, the crowd not bad after all

Of course, but he and they want it all ways. He is, after all, The Chosen One.
 

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
I don’t know where this idea that Djokovic is great when mad came from exactly. Because he beat Kyle Edmund? Remember Dimitrov in Madrid? What about the Roland Garros final in 2014 where he was so pissed off he gave the crowd a sarcastic clap after double faulting the title away?

Like surely his best performances have come in matches like the 2015 Wimbledon and particularly US Open finals and the Wimbledon 2019 final where he bottles up the urge to get wound up and controls himself and channels whatever he’s feeling into beating his opponent rather than furiously assaulting poor innocent lines people.

Serena has proven to be pretty good when mad, though she too has a fair few examples of losing the plot and going off the deep end leading to her own downfall as well. Though I think on most of those occasions she already had one foot out the door when she had her meltdown.
 

daggerman

Hall of Fame
Roger Federer. Nobody in tennis history can channel anger more productively than him other than maybe Chris Evert or Bjorn Borg.

To my eye, he gets angry on the court pretty often; it just doesn't manifest itself in the usual ways. He doesn't let anger drain his energy like some other players.
 
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Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Roger Federer. Nobody in tennis history can channel anger more productively than him other than maybe Chris Evert or Bjorn Borg.

To my eye, he gets angry on the court pretty often; it just doesn't manifest itself in the usual ways. He doesn't let anger drain his energy like some other players.
He did not get angry after 40-15?
 

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
Up until 3 or 4 years ago, I'd say Serena. Frequently down a set, she'd get that "I'll kill you" look in her eye, the angry glare at her opponent... and screaming like a lunatic. She'd raise her game a couple levels and dominate for the win.
 
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