Will Djokovic end up with a better career than Nadal ?

Will Djokovic end up with a better career than Nadal ?


  • Total voters
    142

mattennis

Hall of Fame
I only give him one more (probably RG) because it is extremely hard to return to the top of the game once you've been out for that long (six months or more) and I seriously think Nadal will be injured again and again from now on given his propensity to hurt his knees ( and what not! ) and given that he is nearing his 27 birthday (and he's been pounding his body since he was a very child).
 

Ms Nadal

Semi-Pro
When I said I don't think so it was answering the thread question. Djokovic won't be as successful as Rafa in my eyes.
 

Ms Nadal

Semi-Pro
Not me,and the only memories over the past 2 years as a Nadal fan have all been bad. Wasn't much joy to be taken from 2011 or 2012.

Why do you say that? 2011 was terrible for all the Djok stuffings especially that Wimbledon! But at least Rafa won his RG!. 2012 started well, ok Rafa lost the AO final but he fought so hard in that match and I am proud of him for that. He had made progress with Djokovic! and was building up some courage against Djokovic. And Rafa had a good clay season ending with 7th RG title. Clarky, those moments made me proud. We must remember the good things. I hope and pray that Rafa does return!
 
In spite of that, I think Nadal will not reach 17 GS, and Djokovic will not reach 11 GS (Murray may reach 5 GS).

In fact if I had to bet I'd say that at the end of their careers it will be:

Federer: 17 GS
Nadal: 12 GS
Djokovic: 9 GS
Murray: 5 GS

or something along this line.

This total GS to be won is in a span of 2 yrs.+
Who else do you think will be winning the rest of the GS for the next 4 yrs ?
 

mattennis

Hall of Fame
This total GS to be won is in a span of 2 yrs.+
Who else do you think will be winning the rest of the GS for the next 4 yrs ?

Ummm, you're right, I had not thought about that.

In fact right now I can not think of any player ( outside the top 4 ) winning a GS tournament any time soon.

So maybe you're right and they will end up with more GS total than I previously thought.
 

Clarky21

Banned
Why do you say that? 2011 was terrible for all the Djok stuffings especially that Wimbledon! But at least Rafa won his RG!. 2012 started well, ok Rafa lost the AO final but he fought so hard in that match and I am proud of him for that. He had made progress with Djokovic! and was building up some courage against Djokovic. And Rafa had a good clay season ending with 7th RG title. Clarky, those moments made me proud. We must remember the good things. I hope and pray that Rafa does return!


Thanks to Fed,or else Nadal would have gone slamless last year.


Those few things don't make up for the rest of the crap 2011 and 2012 were made up of. They don't erase 7 finals in a row lost,or the injuries forcing him to miss half the year. The past 2 years have sucked as a Nadal fan. There's not been much at all to cheer about.
 
Ummm, you're right, I had not thought about that.

In fact right now I can not think of any player ( outside the top 4 ) winning a GS tournament any time soon.

So maybe you're right and they will end up with more GS total than I previously thought.

i know. Because when I looked and thought about it, I really can't put a name to a GS winner outside of the 4. Unless by way of a tragedy, Roger and Rafa retires, or anyone of the top 4 gets sick or someting. So, unless something of the extraordinary happens, Im thinking, these 4 will still get the majority of the SLAMS in the next 4 yrs at least.

Maybe Delpo, Tsonga, Berdych or Ferrer will snatch a Slam or 2. Outside of them who ? Wawrinka, Almagro, Tipsy ?

tHE YOUNG ONES ? I watch Raonic today, and his game is not ripe to win a Major. His defense etc is too weak. He barely snapped a win against Chardy. Hopefully, he improves. Nishikori ? Remains to be seen. Serve among other things are in question. Isner or Querrey ? Nahhh. Tomic, Harrison ? double nahhh

But maybe I'm wrong and a prodigy will just come out of nowhere.
 
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Gonzo_style

Hall of Fame
We'll know better after next year, if he wins RG and be #1 (third consecutive) Djokovic would be very close to Rafa...
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned

The only thing doubtful is whether Djokovic will ever win a slam again. He came as close as is humanly possible to going slamless in 2012. That is a preview of things to come.

Of the top 10, Nadal is the only player to commit to Abu Dhabi and the Australian Open so far. He's also the only player in the top 10 who isn't a member of the ATP Player's Council.
 

Clarky21

Banned
The only thing doubtful is whether Nadal will ever win a slam again. He came as close as is humanly possible to going slamless in 2012. That is a preview of things to come.

Of the top 10, Nadal is the only player to commit to Abu Dhabi and the Australian Open so far. He's also the only player in the top 10 who isn't a member of the ATP Player's Council.



Fixed it for you.
 

Towser83

G.O.A.T.
Fixed it for you.

lol how did Nadal come close to not winning a slam in 2012? He only lost one set at RG and you said he only lost that cos of rain.

The only year he came close to not winning a slam was 2009. Had Federer taken one of the many break points in the 3rd set, it's possible Nadal would have not won a slam between Wimbledon 2008 and RG 2010.

Thanks to Fed,or else Nadal would have gone slamless last year.


Those few things don't make up for the rest of the crap 2011 and 2012 were made up of. They don't erase 7 finals in a row lost,or the injuries forcing him to miss half the year. The past 2 years have sucked as a Nadal fan. There's not been much at all to cheer about.

Hmm I think I get it..

basically you will never get over those 7 losses in a row to a player you hate, and you are really angry with Nadal for losing like that and so you constantly insult him. Even if he wins the next 8 slams and beats Djokovic 15 times in a row, you can't change the fact he lost 7 times and that is the source of your negativity.

Even though you claim nadal is a mug on hardcourt who has always needed a miracle to beat Djokovic, you still can't accept defeats in IW, Miami, US Open and AO which were closer than his usual hc defeats to Djokovic and so have to claim he was playing terribly - which doesn't make sense since like I said, you claim he has always been a mug on HC and always needed miracles to beat Djokovic, so playing him closer than ever before doesn't indicate playing worse than his usual mug level (unless Djokovic was also playing worse than normal)
 
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lol how did Nadal come close to not winning a slam in 2012? He only lost one set at RG and you said he only lost that cos of rain.

The only year he came close to not winning a slam was 2009. Had Federer taken one of the many break points in the 3rd set, it's possible Nadal would have not won a slam between Wimbledon 2008 and RG 2010.



Hmm I think I get it..

basically you will never get over those 7 losses in a row to a player you hate, and you are really angry with Nadal for losing like that and so you constantly insult him. Even if he wins the next 8 slams and beats Djokovic 15 times in a row, you can't change the fact he lost 7 times and that is the source of your negativity.

Even though you claim nadal is a mug on hardcourt who has always needed a miracle to beat Djokovic, you still can't accept defeats in IW, Miami, US Open and AO which were closer than his usual hc defeats to Djokovic and so have to claim he was playing terribly - which doesn't make sense since like I said, you claim he has always been a mug on HC and always needed miracles to beat Djokovic, so playing him closer than ever before doesn't indicate playing worse than his usual mug level (unless Djokovic was also playing worse than normal)

Towser, it's useless to discuss Rafa and Djoko with Clarky. Give it up. It's like talking to a wall. She made this schizophrenic persona, and she will stick to it no matter how illogical she has become.
 

Feather

Legend
lol how did Nadal come close to not winning a slam in 2012? He only lost one set at RG and you said he only lost that cos of rain.

The only year he came close to not winning a slam was 2009. Had Federer taken one of the many break points in the 3rd set, it's possible Nadal would have not won a slam between Wimbledon 2008 and RG 2010.

Won't you get tired of arguing with Clarky? Same arguments again and again !
 

sbengte

G.O.A.T.
The only thing doubtful is whether Djokovic will ever win a slam again. He came as close as is humanly possible to going slamless in 2012. That is a preview of things to come.

Let's see,
AO winner
FO RU
Wimbledon SF
USO RU

Yeah sure he came closest to not winning a slam in 2012. You can say that he got unlucky with the scheduling at USO and it still went to 5 sets. He is the one who came within a whisker of having a 2 slam or even a 3 slam year.
 

sbengte

G.O.A.T.
lol how did Nadal come close to not winning a slam in 2012? He only lost one set at RG and you said he only lost that cos of rain.

The only year he came close to not winning a slam was 2009. Had Federer taken one of the many break points in the 3rd set, it's possible Nadal would have not won a slam between Wimbledon 2008 and RG 2010.

I think Nadal came pretty close to not winning a slam in 2011 too. He was down mentally after losing 4 finals in a row, 2 on clay in straights to Nole. Had Fed not spoiled the party in the SF and Nole had made the RG finals, Nadal may have gone slamless. Why, he was taken to 5 sets in the first round by Isner of all people. And if Fed hadn't choked in the finals after leading 5-2, SP in the first set, things may have been different as well.
 
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cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
If he hasn't been practicing and is battling an injury that's had him out for months, you don't think he will fall short at the slams?

If he does come back I am sure he will be ready to compete. It is hard to see how he won't win one slam, especially the FO.
 

5555

Hall of Fame
Novak doesn't seem to be half as driven as Nadal.

Connors was more driven than Borg and yet Borg won 11 slams in contrast to Connors who won 8 despite the fact that Borg retired in 1982 while Connors continued to play until 1990s.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Connors was more driven than Borg and yet Borg won 11 slams in contrast to Connors who won 8 despite the fact that Borg retired in 1982 while Connors continued to play until 1990s.

Are you kidding me? Connors was already 31 when Borg retired! If Connors was a lot younger when Borg retired, you can bet he would have surpassed Borg's slam count.
 

Russeljones

Talk Tennis Guru
Connors was more driven than Borg and yet Borg won 11 slams in contrast to Connors who won 8 despite the fact that Borg retired in 1982 while Connors continued to play until 1990s.

Djokovic started to 'achieve' when Nadal was already established. For him to have a better career he'd have to go on for longer than Nadal and at a considerably higher level. I don't think your comparison is relevant at all.
 
D

Deleted member 307496

Guest
Djokovic started to 'achieve' when Nadal was already established. For him to have a better career he'd have to go on for longer than Nadal and at a considerably higher level. I don't think your comparison is relevant at all.
By the time Djokovic even became a contender for a slam Nadal had won two.
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
Just got back from the future.

Final slam count of big 4:

Federer 18
Djokovic 13
Nadal 12
Murray 6

Federer is the closest prediction you've got IMO. I think Nadal can tie Sampras on 14, and I really don't think there is any way Djokovic gets to 13, much less surpasses Nadal. Murray at 6 is a little high too IMO.
 
D

Deleted member 77403

Guest
This is a tough ask. Nadal has had a sensational dream career. Even if Nadal did not play a single match from now on, Djokovic still might not catch him...Nadal is that far ahead at the moment.

Novak needs to go on a breathtaking tear for at least two more seasons, and then he could be considered, but that is a huge ask, considering how much he had already put into the game.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
This is a tough ask. Nadal has had a sensational dream career. Even if Nadal did not play a single match from now on, Djokovic still might not catch him...Nadal is that far ahead at the moment.

Novak needs to go on a breathtaking tear for at least two more seasons, and then he could be considered, but that is a huge ask, considering how much he had already put into the game.

Not going to happen. Djokovic will not catch Nadal. He is not as driven as Nadal is.
 
D

Deleted member 77403

Guest
^^ I agree with you mostly. But one thing I have learned in life is Never say Never. No one expected Djokovic to do what he did in 2011, but crazy things can and do happen.

I won't rule it out, but as I stated, it is an incredibly difficult task, and the odds are stacked against him.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
^^ I agree with you mostly. But one thing I have learned in life is Never say Never. No one expected Djokovic to do what he did in 2011, but crazy things can and do happen.

I won't rule it out, but as I stated, it is an incredibly difficult task, and the odds are stacked against him.

You are right! :)

Okay, I change my wording to say it is very unlikely Djokovic will ever catch Nadal's numbers.
 

フェデラー

Hall of Fame
My odds would be:

Nadal surpassing Federer: 15%
Djokovic surpassing Nadal: 7%
Murray surpassing Djokovic: 12%

All extremely low. Djokovic passing Nadal the lowest of all though.

I am interested to see how soon the up and comers will start winning slams and how much the Djokovic/Nadal/Murray, and maybe even still Federer group collectively will continue to win the next few years though.

So Nadal, who hasn't won a title off clay since 2010, is all of a sudden going to win at least six more slams? Since these days it seems he only can win on clay, that would mean winning the FO until he is 32/33, which is highly unlikely at this point considering the number of injuries and time off from the game. At this point on hard court he has very little chance against Djokovic, who has been established on HC for some time now (won their last four meetings), and Murray who is finally a slam winner. Djokovic surpassing Nadal is considerably more likely, as Djokovic is a bigger threat at all of the majors, rather than Nadal who has been relegated to to the FO .
 
D

Deleted member 307496

Guest
Djokovic's majors may be split with Murray, though. So it's hard to speculate about these things. I'm sure Federer has some gas left in the tank for at least one more major. Djokovic is unlikely to ever catch Nadal's slam count.
 

Clarky21

Banned
So Nadal, who hasn't won a title off clay since 2010, is all of a sudden going to win at least six more slams? Since these days it seems he only can win on clay, that would mean winning the FO until he is 32/33, which is highly unlikely at this point considering the number of injuries and time off from the game. At this point on hard court he has very little chance against Djokovic, who has been established on HC for some time now (won their last four meetings), and Murray who is finally a slam winner. Djokovic surpassing Nadal is considerably more likely, as Djokovic is a bigger threat at all of the majors, rather than Nadal who has been relegated to to the FO .



When is the last time Cvac won anything off of hardcourt? He's a surface specialist the same as Nadal,but because his best surface is hardcourt,he doesn't take any bs at all about not doing crap off of his favorite surface for a year and a half. Do you think that's fair?
 

kaku

Professional
When is the last time Cvac won anything off of hardcourt? He's a surface specialist the same as Nadal,but because his best surface is hardcourt,he doesn't take any bs at all about not doing crap off of his favorite surface for a year and a half. Do you think that's fair?

It's actually interesting that you mention this. Novak's last non HC title was Wimbledon 2011, ~a year and a half ago. Meanwhile, around Tokyo 2011 people were criticizing Nadal for not winning a non clay title for ~a year.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
When is the last time Cvac won anything off of hardcourt? He's a surface specialist the same as Nadal,but because his best surface is hardcourt,he doesn't take any bs at all about not doing crap off of his favorite surface for a year and a half. Do you think that's fair?

So if Djokovic can only win on HC, why do you predict Djokovic will win every time he meets Nadal on every surface?

As for the last title Djokovic won off HC, it was Wimbledon 2011 and Rome, Madrid and Belgrade of 2011 which were all on clay. That is still better than the last time Nadal won a non-clay title in 2010.
 

Clarky21

Banned
So if Djokovic can only win on HC, why do you predict Djokovic will win every time he meets Nadal on every surface?

As for the last title Djokovic won off HC, it was Wimbledon 2011 and Rome, Madrid and Belgrade of 2011 which were all on clay. That is still better than the last time Nadal won a non-clay title in 2010.


Because of the match-up problem. And Nadal is past his prime by some margin as well.


Not by much. But how about before 2011,when is the last time Cvac won anything off of hardcourt? Three years is the answer. He also went nearly 2 years without winning a masters title anywhere on any surface. I'll take Nadal's extra 6 months over Cvac without a title off of clay over that anyday.

The point is,Nadal takes a lot of crap for only winning on his best surface when the other top players are in the same exact boat.
 
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cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Because of the match-up problem. And Nadal is past his prime by some margin as well.


Not by much. But how about before 2011,when is the last time Cvac won anything off of hardcourt? Three years is the answer. He also went nearly 2 years without winning a masters title anywhere on any surface. I'll take Nadal's extra 6 months over Cvac without a title off of clay over that anyday.

The point is,Nadal takes a lot of crap for only winning on his best surface when the other top players are in the same exact boat.

But Clarky, seventy percent of the tournaments are on HC, so most players unless they are dirtballers only are going to have most of their wins on HC. That only makes sense right?

Re Nadal being past his prime by some margin, I think he is just slightly past his prime. He is just at the start of "past his prime." He should still be good for a couple of years.
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
Because of the match-up problem. And Nadal is past his prime by some margin as well.


Not by much. But how about before 2011,when is the last time Cvac won anything off of hardcourt? Three years is the answer. He also went nearly 2 years without winning a masters title anywhere on any surface. I'll take Nadal's extra 6 months over Cvac without a title off of clay over that anyday.

The point is,Nadal takes a lot of crap for only winning on his best surface when the other top players are in the same exact boat.

That's kind of the point of having a best surface. The problem for Nadal is that most of the events in a year are on HC so it's more obvious.
 

Clarky21

Banned
But Clarky, seventy percent of the tournaments are on HC, so most players unless they are dirtballers only are going to have most of their wins on HC. That only makes sense right?

Re Nadal being past his prime by some margin, I think he is just slightly past his prime. He is just at the start of "past his prime." He should still be good for a couple of years.


Nope because it's not the choice of the player that decides what surface dominates the very stingy ATP tour,so how can Nadal be blamed for being better on clay than on hardcourt? It suits his game the best and that's that. You also have to take into account where these players grew up and what surface they played on as kids. Hardcourts are also not some magical surface that tells all of us who plays "real tennis" and who doesn't. It would be funny if these type of conversations would be happening if clay dominated the tour. I cannot imagine the venom that would be spat if that were the case.


And this only highlights the immense double standards around here when it comes to Nadal. He is expected to win on every surface no matter what,and if he doesn't then he is called one dimensional,and talentless. The same rules do not apply to everyone,only to him. If Nadal is expected to win on all surfaces or be labeled a one dimensional,dirtballing mug,then all of the top players should be held to the same standards. That will never happen though because Nadal is public enemy number one around here.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Clarky21;6988752]Nope because it's not the choice of the player that decides what surface dominates the very stingy ATP tour,so how can Nadal be blamed for being better on clay than on hardcourt? It suits his game the best and that's that. You also have to take into account where these players grew up and what surface they played on as kids. Hardcourts are also not some magical surface that tells all of us who plays "real tennis" and who doesn't. It would be funny if these type of conversations would be happening if clay dominated the tour. I cannot imagine the venom that would be spat if that were the case
.

Clarky, Nadal is on the same tour that everybody else is on and he knew before he became a tennis pro that the majority of tournaments were on HC. Cry me a river would you. Federer grew up on clay as well as did many other players. They are all in the same boat. If he did not want to play the majority of tournaments on HC, he should have chosen another profession.


And this only highlights the immense double standards around here when it comes to Nadal. He is expected to win on every surface no matter what,and if he doesn't then he is called one dimensional,and talentless. The same rules do not apply to everyone,only to him. If Nadal is expected to win on all surfaces or be labeled a one dimensional,dirtballing mug,then all of the top players should be held to the same standards. That will never happen though because Nadal is public enemy number one around here.


Yes, you are one of the main posters who has called Nadal talentless and one-dimensional. You can't seriously be making this argument when 80% or more of your posts in the past year have been about how Nadal is the least talented player (you just made a post about this the other day which I disagreed with you on) and how he is one-dimensional. What is the matter with you lately?
 

kiki

Banned
Nadal more than doubles him in majors, and Murray is finally becoming a factor.I see it very unlikely...
 
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