A match between two 1 slam winners in a QF being the de facto Final .... Has Men's Tennis been weaker in 20 years ?

Match between two 1 slam winners in a QF being the defacto Final .... Hs tennis been weaker ?


  • Total voters
    35
Is anybody psyched for Draper? I think that this kid has some potential. Hopefully, he takes care of business against de Minaur.
 
This tells us all we need to know about why you posted the way you did. When Djokovic loses it's a 'strong' field when he wins it's weak. Haha absolutely pathetic!
The main difference between 2023 and 2024 is Djokovic's form.
 
Sinner vs Medvedev is a slam final caliber match, we saw this match at the AO final. This match alone makes sure this slam is strong IMO. You have the two most consistent players on HC going at it. Hopefully the match delivers.

One match (which won't be epic 99%) makes a slam strong? How far have your standards for a strong slam fallen?
 
The main difference between 2023 and 2024 is Djokovic's form.
Absolute rubbish. Did you watch the slams both years?

2023 Djokovic isn’t winning RG or W vs 2024 Alcaraz. He got lucky in 23 that Alcaraz basically retired injured.

AO is tricky. Sinner, Medvedev, Zverev all playing very well is head and shoulders above trash like Paul and Tsitsipas. He has a chance but won’t walk it like in 23.

USO we’ll have to see but Sinner is better than Medvedev and 23 Djokovic could’ve lost to Popryin too.

If you think he competition he faced in 23 is equal to the 24 field then you’re seriously in kuckoo land.
 
One match (which won't be epic 99%) makes a slam strong? How far have your standards for a strong slam fallen?

W 2008 was about just one match.

So in the context of just one match making a slam strong, yes.

I'm not saying every slam is on par with W 2001, but when two heavyweights clash, who are both legit contenders, then that adds value.
 
So SInner-Med QF match is the de facto final with mugs like Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Swift, De Minaur, Draper still in the tournament ???

With Djokovic, Alcaraz and Zverev out this Slam is probably the weakest in the past 20 years with the only exception of US Open 2020 that can be rated as a weaker Slam.
Pick the name that should never keep company with the other two.
 
Absolute rubbish. Did you watch the slams both years?

2023 Djokovic isn’t winning RG or W vs 2024 Alcaraz. He got lucky in 23 that Alcaraz basically retired injured.

AO is tricky. Sinner, Medvedev, Zverev all playing very well is head and shoulders above trash like Paul and Tsitsipas. He has a chance but won’t walk it like in 23.

USO we’ll have to see but Sinner is better than Medvedev and 23 Djokovic could’ve lost to Popryin too.

If you think he competition he faced in 23 is equal to the 24 field then you’re seriously in kuckoo land.

23 AO winner similar, a little better, but rest of field better in 24 AO for sure.

24 RG winner and field better than 23 RG

24 Wim winner F better (even if more consistent in Wim 23), rest of field goes to Wim 23

23 field was terrible, 24 a little less so, but not by that much.

But as far as competition for Djokovic itself goes, 23 is certainly much worse
 
Last edited:
W 2008 was about just one match.

So in the context of just one match making a slam strong, yes.

I'm not saying every slam is on par with W 2001, but when two heavyweights clash, who are both legit contenders, then that adds value.

Firstly, it wasn't.
Nadal Gulbis was entertaining and good quality. Fed-Safin was competitive/good quality even for a straight-setter.

Even before SF for fed, Sod-Ancic-Hewitt would be considered an absolute landmine draw in today's asterisk era.

Finally Wim 08 final was absolute epic, which USO 24 QF won't be 99%.

Carrot and tie tie Fish are heavyweights now?
That QF if very good can barely salvage this USO from being poor. But it won't make it strong by any means.
 
Firstly, it wasn't.
Nadal Gulbis was entertaining and good quality. Fed-Safin was competitive/good quality even for a straight-setter.

Even before SF for fed, Sod-Ancic-Hewitt would be considered an absolute landmine draw in today's asterisk era.

Finally Wim 08 final was absolute epic, which USO 24 QF won't be 99%.

Carrot and tie tie Fish are heavyweights now?
That QF if very good can barely salvage this USO from being poor. But it won't make it strong by any means.

We can disagree, and leave it at that.
 
No, we are just in transition ... and the game is adapting to modern times ... it will still produce good quality matches, rivalries, record chasing ...
we just have to move on and find new heroes, that's why I hope that Sinner saga is over (i am getting over it) and that Sinner wins US Open and start challenging Alkaraz in the finals more !
Any slam where they are 1-4 seed should be theirs !
There might be new "Djoković" lurking - hopefully that would make it more interesting !
More - the merrier !
Transition .
 
Absolute rubbish. Did you watch the slams both years?

2023 Djokovic isn’t winning RG or W vs 2024 Alcaraz. He got lucky in 23 that Alcaraz basically retired injured.

AO is tricky. Sinner, Medvedev, Zverev all playing very well is head and shoulders above trash like Paul and Tsitsipas. He has a chance but won’t walk it like in 23.

USO we’ll have to see but Sinner is better than Medvedev and 23 Djokovic could’ve lost to Popryin too.

If you think he competition he faced in 23 is equal to the 24 field then you’re seriously in kuckoo land.
2023 Djokovic is absolutely winning RG. What tournament did you watch? Not the one we did clearly. Like the level either Alcaraz or Zverev played in that final, which wasn't that great, would be enough to stop him. It wouldn't. I'll give you Wimbledon, and he lost that one anyway. He probably takes AO as well with the level he was hitting his forehand and the level he was serving. There is not much difference in level of the field from 2023 to 2024 except's Djokovic's level, absolutely 100%.
 
Last edited:
2023 Djokovic is absolutely winning RG. What tournament did you watch? Not the one we did clearly. Like the level either Alcaraz or Zverev played in that final, which wasn't that great, would be enough to stop him. It wouldn't. I'll give you Wimbledon, and he lost that one anyway. He probably takes AO as well with the level he was hitting his forehand and the level he was serving. There is not much difference in level of the field from 2023 to 2024 except's Djokovic's level, absolutely 100%.
If you think 23 Tsitipsas is as good as 24 Sinner and 23 Ruud is as good as 24 Alcaraz (not to mention the others) then I have no words really. Youre living in a dream world.
 
One slam with two big upsets doesn't define an era or the full year.
2-3 years back was the weakest years with Tsits and Berr in finals.
 
Last edited:
If you think 23 Tsitipsas is as good as 24 Sinner and 23 Ruud is as good as 24 Alcaraz (not to mention the others) then I have no words really. Youre living in a dream world.
Last I checked, Tsitsipas has beaten both Federer and Nadal in Australia. He's not some chump there. I also remember Djokovic beating Alcaraz at 23 RG, yet you're coming up with excuses that he was injured when he had cramps brought on by nerves. It's you living in a dream world if you think 23 Djok wouldn't be taking these guys to the woodshed just like he did last year. Pretty obvious when he did nothing all year then cleaned their clocks at the Olympics without dropping a set.
 
Last I checked, Tsistipas has beaten both Federer and Nadal in Australia. He's not some chump there. I also remember Djokovic beating Alcaraz at 23 RG, yet you're coming up with excuses that he was injured when he had cramps brought on by nerves. It's you living in a dream world if you think 23 Djok wouldn't be taking these guys to the woodshed just like he did last year. Pretty obvious when he did nothing all year then cleaned their clocks at the Olympics without dropping a set.
Did you even watch the 23 AO final? Tsitsipas was as poor as it gets. For as much as he gets memed on, Bagdhatis was a much better player who actually did some damage.

There’s no planet on which Djokovic ever takes a healthy Alcaraz to the woodshed. Djokovic was basically level with Alcaraz before the cramps which didn’t happen in 24. He has a tough semi vs Sinner or Zverev then a healthy Alcaraz in the final. Nowhere near a lock, especially for a guy with defeats to Wawrinka and Thiem there. Luckily for him and his fans, he got a 250 level draw in 23 at 3/4 slams.
 
I think we are forgetting that the previous eras were not strong just because of Big 3, they cultivated a strong group of rivals too who became strong by playing them.
In the past, there was the Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl type of era. Later on, the Wilander, Edberg, Becker type of era, while Lendl, Connors and McEnroe were still around. And then later the Courier, Agassi, Sampras, Ivanisevic etc. type of era while Becker and Edberg were still around. You had hungry new generations.

In the late 1990s, there was a lack of big rivalries in men's tennis for the first time in a while (apart from Sampras vs. Agassi in 1999 perhaps, but that was one-sided). In the late 1990s and early 2000s, you had guys rising like Kuerten, Safin, Hewitt, Federer, Ferrero, Roddick, Nalbandian, Coria etc. and then the Big 3/4/5 era started, but it was the Nadal vs. Federer rivalry taking off that seriously started that, the biggest rivalry in men's tennis since at least the McEnroe rivalries with Connors and Borg.
 
2024 is stronger than 2017-2023.

2024 is definitely weaker than 2017-2019.

17/18 AO fed > 24 AO sinner and 19 AO djoko would lose one set.
17 RG nadal would demolish anyone in 24 RG. 18/19 RG nadal loses a set to Alcaraz/Sinner/Zverev.
17 Wim fed and 18 djoko/nadal clearly over 24 Wim Alcaraz. Ok maybe, 24 Wim SF/F Alcaraz outlasts 19 Wim fed/djoko .


24 less worse than 2020-23. maybe, but not by that much.
 
yes, we can.

Similar to below.
I'll also say Alcaraz of Wim 24 final >>>>>>> any version of Djokovic at Wim.
We can disagree and leave it at that.
Same tone.

Sure. I'm not interested in any further discussion on this topic. I've made my point, and that is enough for me.
 
Did you even watch the 23 AO final? Tsitsipas was as poor as it gets. For as much as he gets memed on, Bagdhatis was a much better player who actually did some damage.

There’s no planet on which Djokovic ever takes a healthy Alcaraz to the woodshed. Djokovic was basically level with Alcaraz before the cramps which didn’t happen in 24. He has a tough semi vs Sinner or Zverev then a healthy Alcaraz in the final. Nowhere near a lock, especially for a guy with defeats to Wawrinka and Thiem there. Luckily for him and his fans, he got a 250 level draw in 23 at 3/4 slams.
Yea a 65% first serve percentage, 40 winners to 42 unforced errors, along with 15 aces is as poor as it gets. I've seen plenty of Slam final performances worse than this one. The main problem with this one is, Djokovic won again.

You're delusional. The overall level of the field wasn't enough this year to beat the Djokovic of 2023 at RG. You can't see that though because you don't look at level and only believe he shouldn't be winning, or at the very least wish for dear life that he doesn't win and will say anything that supports that losing argument.
 
:-DYea a 65% first serve percentage, 40 winners to 42 unforced errors, along with 15 aces is as poor as it gets. I've seen plenty of Slam final performances worse than this one. The main problem with this one is, Djokovic won again.

You're delusional. The overall level of the field wasn't enough this year to beat the Djokovic of 2023 at RG. You can't see that though because you don't look at level and only believe he shouldn't be winning, or at the very least wish for dear life that he doesn't win and will say anything that supports that losing argument.
He played 2 of the worst tiebreakers I’ve seen, surrendered every possible advantage he had and couldn’t even get close to taking a set. sinner and Medvedev the form they were in run it way closer.

Im delusional? Coming from a guy who thinks 23 RG Alcaraz was a legit scalp and that the field was th e same in both years :-D:-D:-D as I said if you believe tsitipas is on the same level as sinner or ruud same level as alcaraz then I’d suggest visiting a doctor ASAP to check for brain damage
 
Did you even watch the 23 AO final? Tsitsipas was as poor as it gets. For as much as he gets memed on, Bagdhatis was a much better player who actually did some damage.

There’s no planet on which Djokovic ever takes a healthy Alcaraz to the woodshed. Djokovic was basically level with Alcaraz before the cramps which didn’t happen in 24. He has a tough semi vs Sinner or Zverev then a healthy Alcaraz in the final. Nowhere near a lock, especially for a guy with defeats to Wawrinka and Thiem there. Luckily for him and his fans, he got a 250 level draw in 23 at 3/4 slams.
Funny enough, Tsitsipas actually played better than Sinner in sets 2 and 3 of those finals.

Sinner was being taken to the woodshed by Medvedev until he ran out of gas at the end of the 2nd set. Novak would almost certainly either straight set or beat that Sinner in 4 sets purely based on how the matches played out.

About RG, again, he is 50/50 with Raz. He played clearly better in sets 2 and 3 of the 2023 final than Raz in 2024 final, but Raz may very well outlast him in 5 due to his age advantage.
 
Funny enough, Tsitsipas actually played better than Sinner in sets 2 and 3 of those finals.

Sinner was being taken to the woodshed by Medvedev until he ran out of gas at the end of the 2nd set. Novak would almost certainly either straight set or beat that Sinner in 4 sets purely based on how the matches played out.

About RG, again, he is 50/50 with Raz. He played clearly better in sets 2 and 3 of the 2023 final than Raz in 2024 final, but Raz may very well outlast him in 5 due to his age advantage.
 
Why is a match where Novak was hitting UEs on every other neutral ball relevant vs. a locked in Novak, who was out for revange after 2022?

Novak smoked him in the YEC final, this is the level he would face against 23 AO Novak. Medvedev nearly smoked him.
Sinner was 10 levels above any of the clowns Djokovic faced in 2023, for any of his 3 slam wins.
 
Funny enough, Tsitsipas actually played better than Sinner in sets 2 and 3 of those finals.

Sinner was being taken to the woodshed by Medvedev until he ran out of gas at the end of the 2nd set. Novak would almost certainly either straight set or beat that Sinner in 4 sets purely based on how the matches played out.

About RG, again, he is 50/50 with Raz. He played clearly better in sets 2 and 3 of the 2023 final than Raz in 2024 final, but Raz may very well outlast him in 5 due to his age advantage.

Sinner had to beat DJokovic and Med b2b.
In 23 field if he had to beat say Tommy Paul in the semi, he would most likely play better than he did in 24 final -- vs djokovic of AO 23.
tsitsipas was not better in the 3rd set of AO 23 than sinner in 3rd set of AO 24.
 
Sinner had to beat DJokovic and Med b2b.
In 23 field if he had to beat say Tommy Paul in the semi, he would most likely play better than he did in 24 final -- vs djokovic of AO 23.
tsitsipas was not better in the 3rd set of AO 23 than sinner in 3rd set of AO 24.
You are misremembering.

3rd set of the AO 23 final is where both Novak and Tsitsipas were on their A game behind serve and Novak barely scrapped by in a TB, meanwhile Sinner had to face a noticebly weaker Medvedev, while he was on his B game at best.

Also Sinner dispatched Novak easily in 2024, I don't see how this affected his performance in the finals.

It's just that Sinner is overrated when put under real pressure, he lost how many 5 setters since Wimbledon 22, cuz I lost count. This was his only big win and because Medvedev gassed out. He will have the match tonight to prove AO wasn't a fluke.
 
2013-2023 was a very weak era with fedal fading, wawrinka and jmdp unable to play regularly due to injuries, and no new good players coming up.

Now with sincaraz coming up, there's sone strength restored.
 
He played 2 of the worst tiebreakers I’ve seen, surrendered every possible advantage he had and couldn’t even get close to taking a set. sinner and Medvedev the form they were in run it way closer.

Im delusional? Coming from a guy who thinks 23 RG Alcaraz was a legit scalp and that the field was th e same in both years :-D:-D:-D as I said if you believe tsitipas is on the same level as sinner or ruud same level as alcaraz then I’d suggest visiting a doctor ASAP to check for brain damage
Any hypothetical scenario where Djokovic loses means the field is stronger. Lol. Sure man.

Djokovic smoked Sinner and Alcaraz in the SF and Finals of the ATP Finals. Beat Alcaraz in Cincy final and RG, and Sinner in Wimbledon SF. I'm sure you have some excuses for these losses like they were far away from their 2024 form.

Yea sure field is so much stronger this year. Alcaraz after this channel Slam got stunned by Djokovic with a recovering knee in the Olympic final on clay, when he did nothing all year. You guys should be exhausted after creating all these fantasies and reinventions. The only thing that is stopping Djokovic now is his age, injuries and his waning motivation. 2024 field definitely wouldn't stop his 2023 in form version but keep believing they would.
 
So SInner-Med QF match is the de facto final with mugs like Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Swift, De Minaur, Draper still in the tournament ???

With Djokovic, Alcaraz and Zverev out this Slam is probably the weakest in the past 20 years with the only exception of US Open 2020 that can be rated as a weaker Slam.

Tay-Tay always wins!
 
If Alcaraz was in the draw at the other end or even in Sinner's half then we would not need this conversation, but Alcaraz and Djokovic both losing so early means Sinner winning a slam with a joke of a SF and F, how many times have se seen this in the last 20 years outside of USO2020 ? Heck even Medvedev won his slam beating Djokovic... Cilic won his slam beating Federer ... Stan and Murray earned their slams beating big 3 .... the last person to win something cheap was Gaston Gaudio more than 20 years ago. So Sinner facing Med in a QF with everyone being mugs to follow should bother you. Alcaraz's presence means the future is good but this doesn't mean we are in any strong era, this era is still a transition era.

Gaudio's run was not cheap at all. Surprising yes, but not cheap.

Cañas, Novak, Andreev, Enqvist, Hewitt, Nalbandian and Coria is not an easy draw at all.

The weakest player was Andreev and he beat defending champion Ferrero.
 
Absolute rubbish. Did you watch the slams both years?

2023 Djokovic isn’t winning RG or W vs 2024 Alcaraz. He got lucky in 23 that Alcaraz basically retired injured.

He didn't win Wimledon in 2023, so it doesn't matter if he doesn't win this year.

Djokovic got lucky with Alcaraz's injury but they were tied before that and Djokovic had won more games. And Alcaraz got lucky in Wimbledon, evens out.


AO is tricky. Sinner, Medvedev, Zverev all playing very well is head and shoulders above trash like Paul and Tsitsipas. He has a chance but won’t walk it like in 23.

2023 Djokovic wins 2024 AO, he was playing great and destroying the competition. However, Sinner would have been tougher for sure.


USO we’ll have to see but Sinner is better than Medvedev and 23 Djokovic could’ve lost to Popryin too.

Lol at 23 Djokovic losing to Popryin when he beat MEDVEDEV in straights. He won 6 out of 7 matches in straights, he likely beats him in straights too.

If you think he competition he faced in 23 is equal to the 24 field then you’re seriously in kuckoo land.


What's the huge difference? Alcaraz was already there last year except at the AO where he withdrew. Sinner was there most of the year although he improved this year. Medvedev and Zverev were there.
 
Gaudio's run was not cheap at all. Surprising yes, but not cheap.

Cañas, Novak, Andreev, Enqvist, Hewitt, Nalbandian and Coria is not an easy draw at all.

The weakest player was Andreev and he beat defending champion Ferrero.

Gaudio has never made it past the 4R of a slam ever outside of that run, so definitely that run was fluke.
 
Gaudio's run was not cheap at all. Surprising yes, but not cheap.

Cañas, Novak, Andreev, Enqvist, Hewitt, Nalbandian and Coria is not an easy draw at all.

The weakest player was Andreev and he beat defending champion Ferrero.
Yet the strange thing is, despite the impressive list of names in Gaudio's run, I don't recall anybody giving Gaudio a hope in hell of beating Coria in the final. Once Federer lost to Kuerten, the biggest threat to Coria was seen as Moya unless Kuerten could continue to roll back the years (Moya was the Rome champion), and Coria beat Moya in the quarter finals. Kuerten lost to Nalbandian in the quarter finals.

When Coria took a 6-0, 5-1 lead in the final, I doubt any player in a major final had been more nervous than Gaudio up to that point.
 
What's the huge difference? Alcaraz was already there last year except at the AO where he withdrew. Sinner was there most of the year although he improved this year. Medvedev and Zverev were there.
Sinner, Medvedev, Zverev >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Paul and Tsitsipas

Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev >>>>>>>>>> Ruud, cramparaz

Let’s see about USO but Popryin played better than anyone Novak faced in 23.


Light years difference. 24 had some decent SF/F draws. 23 was an utter shambles other than the Wimbledon final. Worst slam year in living memory, surpassing 02 and 21.
 
Any hypothetical scenario where Djokovic loses means the field is stronger. Lol. Sure man.

Djokovic smoked Sinner and Alcaraz in the SF and Finals of the ATP Finals. Beat Alcaraz in Cincy final and RG, and Sinner in Wimbledon SF. I'm sure you have some excuses for these losses like they were far away from their 2024 form.

Yea sure field is so much stronger this year. Alcaraz after this channel Slam got stunned by Djokovic with a recovering knee in the Olympic final on clay, when he did nothing all year. You guys should be exhausted after creating all these fantasies and reinventions. The only thing that is stopping Djokovic now is his age, injuries and his waning motivation. 2024 field definitely wouldn't stop his 2023 in form version but keep believing they would.
Keep believe 2023 Djokovic steamrolls his was to 3 slams and a F in 2024 if his main opponents are fully fit Alcaraz and prime sinner, rather than Ruud and Tsitsipas. 2023 is known as one of the poorest years in tennis history. ATP 250 draws at 3/4 slams. @StrongRule

Alcaraz is clearly a different beast over BO5. He would wear down 23 Djokovic at RG no question and get it done in the 4th or 5th. He would’ve won their semi if it wasn’t for cramps.
 
Players in their 30s won 23 of 27 slams from 2017-2023. The 2024 slam champions are 21 and 23, and the USO champion will be 22-28 years old.

It appears 2024 is the official return of the Normal Order in men's tennis.
 
You are misremembering.

3rd set of the AO 23 final is where both Novak and Tsitsipas were on their A game behind serve and Novak barely scrapped by in a TB, meanwhile Sinner had to face a noticebly weaker Medvedev, while he was on his B game at best.

Also Sinner dispatched Novak easily in 2024, I don't see how this affected his performance in the finals.

It's just that Sinner is overrated when put under real pressure, he lost how many 5 setters since Wimbledon 22, cuz I lost count. This was his only big win and because Medvedev gassed out. He will have the match tonight to prove AO wasn't a fluke.

I remember tsitsipas again faltering again in the TB. Barely kept afloat after Djokovic broke back in the set. Don't think he was better than Sinner in the 3rd set.

Easier to maintain focus and level over 1 match than over 2. There's a good chance of drop in level after a big win (like Djokovic win for Sinner in AO 24)

And Sinner did win today's USO match over Med.
 
All these mental gymnastics performed won't change reality, and I like to repeat it to people who deserve to be reminded - is that Djokovic has 24 slams and owns every significant record. Suck on that. You can go back and forth with your pathetic coping skills by making threads such as these and say he wins 0 slams if you swap year while he actually won 3 as it suits your narrative but it won't ever change this fact above that you have to face every day. Oh and add the olympic gold medal as well to this lmao!
 
For Djokos entire career trolls have Djokovic winning about 5 slams in their alternative universe they created for themselves but in reality Djokovic wins. Seems people never learned.
 
Players in their 30s won 23 of 27 slams from 2017-2023. The 2024 slam champions are 21 and 23, and the USO champion will be 22-28 years old.

It appears 2024 is the official return of the Normal Order in men's tennis.
That's just because they got way too old to compete. There was no real change of the guard.
 
For Djokos entire career trolls have Djokovic winning about 5 slams in their alternative universe they created for themselves but in reality Djokovic wins. Seems people never learned.
I like this.

If fed was born 5 years later, djoker would be behind Murray in legacy.

Lol
 
Back
Top