After Rafa's match against Tiafoe today...

[Docholliday]

Forget about Tiafoe. He could sneak some decent results in favorable conditions but he's not a serious threat and didn't play at any great level yesterday.

Alcaraz and Sinner are improving. Just don't think they're ready to beat Djokovic at AO yet. Zverev can do it if he is healthy and keeps his nerve. He has been playing Novak very tight on HC for years and is only getting better.

Zverev will be so hungry. That ankle injury may prove to be a blessing in that it makes him realise how much he loves the game.
I honestly think Zverev Sinner Alcaraz and Ruud will win the Slams next season. No idea who wins what other than Ruud at the FO but all 4 have shown big improvements and presumably will keep doing so.
I respect Djokovic a lot but on hard court there is too many players who can keep him and Rafa for that matter out there for a long time which will over 2 weeks drain their aged legs. Plus Djokovic is not playing enough now either.

 

[mike danny]

Zverev will be so hungry. That ankle injury may prove to be a blessing in that it makes him realise how much he loves the game.
I honestly think Zverev Sinner Alcaraz and Ruud will win the Slams next season. No idea who wins what other than Ruud at the FO but all 4 have shown big improvements and presumably will keep doing so.
I respect Djokovic a lot but on hard court there is too many players who can keep him and Rafa for that matter out there for a long time which will over 2 weeks drain their aged legs. Plus Djokovic is not playing enough now either.

We've been saying for many years that X and Y will win the slams next year and X and Y always turn out to be Djokodal anyway.

 

[Moon Shooter]

Rafa hasn’t been looking to good since Wimbledon. After an early exit from Cincinnati and some ugly wins in the early rounds of the uso this loss shouldn’t be surprising.

His timing seemed a bit off. at this level everything has to be right on track if you want to get to the quarters and often even that is not enough. His footwork seemed fine so I think he will be competing in future slams but in this one he just never fully got his rhythm.

 

[Krish0608]

Djokovic was 34. Nadal is 36. Last year there was no Sinner Alcaraz Tiafoe making their marks.

Sinner made his mark in 2020. He’s been laying an egg ever since.

 

[Soul_Evisceration]

Look at the graph. Alcaraz made 4r of FO and W. Now QF at USO. Sinner QF FO W and USO. One will make SF. Their careers are going one way.
Tiafoe is an interesting one. I dont rate him as highly and think Rublev will beat him but commentators have been saying how talented he is and he has Slam winning potential. Dont see it myself but not seen much of him.

I am pretty sure that's just ESPN hyping up an American tennis player since they are desperate for a new Star to emerge like Coco Gauff for the Women.

Tiafoe should have the game to beat Rublev but he's really inconsistent.

 

[AO13]

If you could take some time and explain to me. How are those players threats to Nadal in this season, if he only played Tiafoe, guy who is on tour for like 10 years, and his best result is QF four years ago? Last year, you had Zed, Med and Nole on hc. Zed, Ned, Nole, Ccpas, Musseti, Sinner on clay. Grass is sh**ty for a while now. This year Nadal beat two good opponents on Slam level, Med in AO final, and Djokovic(got bageled by Rublev, just month earlier on clay). Best players are injured, in phase of rehabilitation, or not allowed to play tournaments, or completely collapsed mentally.

Leave him be, he is just trolling but he's doing it bad, I stopped reading his posts, nothing to see there.

 

[thrust]

Djokovic was 34. Nadal is 36. Last year there was no Sinner Alcaraz Tiafoe making their marks.

True, but Medvedev probably played the match of his life vs Novak in the USO final. Med was on a hot streak, having won Cincinatti, before the USO

 

[Rudiiii]

Leave him be, he is just trolling but he's doing it bad, I stopped reading his posts, nothing to see there.

Like half of posters here. But I don't leave comments often, and sometimes like to see their reasons and opinions. Just fascinated with mental health of some members

 

[ChaelAZ]

Nadal has had an good season with some extrodinarily average play. It has been more about tenacity than high level exectution. That is something to behold.

That said, he didn't look that great to start the USO, just very aware and deliberate in things to compensate for the body and age. Pulled through those first few rounds, but too much kung-foe energy and Nads wasn't up to snuff. Moving forward he would ahve struggled physically even more, so best to be done and get back to reality of his wife and soon to be baby.

As far as glorfiying Djo...it's to be expected with Nadal having a good shot at yet another GS, his loss would unclinch sphincters and the juices would flow to stain the forums with continual hate and justifucation threads. If only they had as good a backhand on court as on TTW, they might make the pros.