Are you convinced now?

[tex123]

Ever since he started his ascent, he's had his doubters. Some were still invested in big 3, did not like his cockiness, did not like his fist pumps, did not like his grunt, started endless threads about how he could not serve big as he's short, belittled his little achievements
..


He's not even 20. He's world no 1. He's the youngest world no 1. He's won the USO. He smoked Med upon his return from multiple injuries Rafa style. He's bombing serves 130. He drops shots. He volleys. He smashes. He blasts opponents off both wings. He has personality.


Are you fully on board the Alcaraz 30 slam winning machine yet? Has he won you over?

 

[Schmetterball]

Yeah, but can he do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke?

 

[Krish0608]

I was one of the first to get onboard way back in 2021 USO. I knew we were seeing the makings of a beast of a player. However I was increasingly disenchanted by his over the top on court demeanour, fist pumps and grunts. And also over the top 30+ slams claims when he is not even won a couple. I wouldn't say I am on the bandwagon, but I know with absolute certainty that he will be the greatest of his era. The way he smoked FAA, Sinner and Med was a joy to watch. Now if Rune can step it up we will have a blistering rivalry to look forward to.

 

[weakera]

No one will be convinced until he hands Djokovic a beatdown at a slam. Let's be real.

 

[D_m_a]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz BORING!!!
Looks like we have another Spanish bore to dominate tennis for the next 20 years now .... pity

but fair play to him, he seems a nice lad ...

 

[WarriorRafa]

Let's see what he does in slams. Can he beat Djoko in Australia and Rafa at RG? How does he do at Wimbledon? Too early to hype him

 

[Martin J]

No one will be convinced until he hands Djokovic a beatdown at a slam. Let's be real.

Not even if he beats Ned at RG?

 

[weakera]

He has personality.

 

[weakera]

Not even if he beats Ned at RG?

Ned needed 5 for FAA last year and is even older and more crippled now. Is he supposed to be immortal there until he's literally an old man?

 

[Razer]

He has personality.

Not sure what you mean by personality !

Roddick, Safin, Monfils, Kyrgios all have more personality than Alcaraz has at this point.

Even in the under 25 age group, you have Tiafoe and Rune who have more personality than Alcaraz.

We are not even talking about Roger/Agassi/Becker type charismatic personalities, here the bar is really low and Alcaraz still fails to make the cut.

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

Ever since he started his ascent, he's had his doubters. Some were still invested in big 3, did not like his cockiness, did not like his fist pumps, did not like his grunt, started endless threads about how he could not serve big as he's short, belittled his little achievements
..


He's not even 20. He's world no 1. He's the youngest world no 1. He's won the USO. He smoked Med upon his return from multiple injuries Rafa style. He's bombing serves 130. He drops shots. He volleys. He smashes. He blasts opponents off both wings. He has personality.


Are you fully on board the Alcaraz 30 slam winning machine yet? Has he won you over?

Longest ever time on court at a slam in his USO win, too. Looks like we've got another Wolverine on our hands.

 

[HFK]

I was convinced when this happened

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1396086488706781185

 

[Martin J]

Ned needed 5 for FAA last year and is even older and more crippled now. Is he supposed to be immortal there until he's literally an old man?

It's still Nadal at RG, would be a huge win (even if only a symbolic one) regardless.

And he doesn't need to convince anyone, the youngest #1 ever with a slam in his pocket.

 

[mike danny]

Ever since he started his ascent, he's had his doubters. Some were still invested in big 3, did not like his cockiness, did not like his fist pumps, did not like his grunt, started endless threads about how he could not serve big as he's short, belittled his little achievements
..


He's not even 20. He's world no 1. He's the youngest world no 1. He's won the USO. He smoked Med upon his return from multiple injuries Rafa style. He's bombing serves 130. He drops shots. He volleys. He smashes. He blasts opponents off both wings. He has personality.


Are you fully on board the Alcaraz 30 slam winning machine yet? Has he won you over?

I like him. But will have to wait and see if he can beat at least one of Djokodal in a slam.

 

[weakera]

It's still Nadal at RG, would be a huge win (even if only a symbolic one) regardless.

And he doesn't need to convince anyone, the youngest #1 ever with a slam in his pocket.

Don't get me wrong it would be a historic victory but the real clincher will be defeating Djokovic at a slam. Djokovic has been a machine, at least against cupcake draws. If Alcaraz can end Djokovic's reign it will be his time.

 

[CoolCoolCool]

When he wins: "can you see it now? future GOAT and 30 slam winner"
When he loses: tiny, overrated, too injury prone to win slams, will be Rune's pigeon

There's no middle ground.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz BORING!!!
Looks like we have another Spanish bore to dominate tennis for the next 20 years now .... pity

but fair play to him, he seems a nice lad ...

If you think Alcaraz is boring then I think you should probably give up watching tennis bro.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

Live ATP ranking still has Djokovic at No 1?

 

[Razer]

I think Bull will school Alcaraz on who is still the Boss at RG.

 

[Dominic & Andrey]

Will probably never lose a set again.

 

[HFK]

Don't get me wrong it would be a historic victory but the real clincher will be defeating Djokovic at a slam. Djokovic has been a machine, at least against cupcake draws. If Alcaraz can end Djokovic's reign it will be his time.

Djokovic will retire before being spanked by Carlitos on a regular basis.

 

[Olli Jokinen]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz BORING!!!
Looks like we have another Spanish bore to dominate tennis for the next 20 years now .... pity

but fair play to him, he seems a nice lad ...

How is he boring? His game is entertaining, aggressive, not afraid to get to the net.

 

[helterskelter]

No one will be convinced until he hands Djokovic a beatdown at a slam. Let's be real.

Even if he were to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, you wouldn't be convinced because it's not Djokovic?

 

[weakera]

Even if he were to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, you wouldn't be convinced because it's not Djokovic?

Nadal's is the reign that looks set to end. Djokovic has been an upstoppable winning machine, even capturing grand slam titles with torn hamstrings. So yes, Djokovic seems the taller mountain to climb.

 

[helterskelter]

Nadal's is the reign that looks set to end. Djokovic has been an upstoppable winning machine, even capturing grand slam titles with torn hamstrings. So yes, Djokovic seems the taller mountain to climb.

I think I can agree that Djokovic at AO or WI is at this point a bigger hurdle than Nadal at RG. But you said Djokovic at a slam. Would Alcaraz beating Djokovic at RG (or in the US Open final) really cut the mustard? Is Djokovic at RG a taller mountain than Nadal at RG?

 

[Peter_sweden]

Let's see what he does in slams. Can he beat Djoko in Australia and Rafa at RG? How does he do at Wimbledon? Too early to hype him

He always beats Djokovic when they forbid him from playing!

 

[weakera]

I think I can agree that Djokovic at AO or WI is at this point a bigger hurdle than Nadal at RG. But you said Djokovic at a slam. Would Alcaraz beating Djokovic at RG (or in the US Open final) really cut the mustard? Is Djokovic at RG a taller mountain than Nadal at RG?

Two important points,

1. Nadal at RG exists somewhat in a vacuum, right? The conditions aren't emulated at 75% of the slams. So even beating Nadal at RG hardly portents total domination of the tour. Djokovic on the other hand has been the primary obstacle on grass and HC over the last several years, and even though his detractors point to his many mickey mouse draws at slams, Djokovic has still been the man to beat nonetheless.

2. Nadal is ancient and cobbled together by scotch tape and gluestick. Everything comes to and end, Rafa will be 37 by the RG Final, his 15th trophy would be other-worldly but his loss would be nowhere near in magnitude what it would have been when he was healthy and a young man.

Beating Djokovic at RG is certainly nothing special and never has been.

 

[tex123]

Yeah, but can he do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke?

I don't think Stoke is on his list of places to visit

 

[tex123]

When he wins: "can you see it now? future GOAT and 30 slam winner"
When he loses: tiny, overrated, too injury prone to win slams, will be Rune's pigeon

There's no middle ground.

Not with me. That's TTW for you.

 

[aldeayeah]

As much as I like the guy, I agree that the litmus test is beating Djokodal in Slams. Only then can he claim to be the best player in the world.

 

[tex123]

Two important points,

1. Nadal at RG exists somewhat in a vacuum, right? The conditions aren't emulated at 75% of the slams. So even beating Nadal at RG hardly portents total domination of the tour. Djokovic on the other hand has been the primary obstacle on grass and HC over the last several years, and even though his detractors point to his many mickey mouse draws at slams, Djokovic has still been the man to beat nonetheless.

2. Nadal is ancient and cobbled together by scotch tape and gluestick. Everything comes to and end, Rafa will be 37 by the RG Final, his 15th trophy would be other-worldly but his loss would be nowhere near in magnitude what it would have been when he was healthy and a young man.

Beating Djokovic at RG is certainly nothing special and never has been.

Beating Nadal at RG and Djokovic at the Aus Open is the ultimate challenge in tennis. I'm sure he can do it with Ferrero to guide him. Don't you think we're expecting a little too much compared to his peers?

Wimbledon may need some tweaks to his game I agree.

 

[Razer]

Two important points,

1. Nadal at RG exists somewhat in a vacuum, right? The conditions aren't emulated at 75% of the slams. So even beating Nadal at RG hardly portents total domination of the tour. Djokovic on the other hand has been the primary obstacle on grass and HC over the last several years, and even though his detractors point to his many mickey mouse draws at slams, Djokovic has still been the man to beat nonetheless.

2. Nadal is ancient and cobbled together by scotch tape and gluestick. Everything comes to and end, Rafa will be 37 by the RG Final, his 15th trophy would be other-worldly but his loss would be nowhere near in magnitude what it would have been when he was healthy and a young man.

Beating Djokovic at RG is certainly nothing special and never has been.

You sound like Djokovic and Nadal are separated by a good 5 years.
How is Nadal ancient and Djokovic not ancient ?
They are both equally ancient and Nadal is fully strong during the clay season, so there is no excuse like he is ancient and others of his age are not...

 

[weakera]

Beating Nadal at RG and Djokovic at the Aus Open is the ultimate challenge in tennis. I'm sure he can do it with Ferrero to guide him. Don't you think we're expecting a little too much compared to his peers?

Wimbledon may need some tweaks to his game I agree.

Beating Nadal at RG in 2023 ≠ beating Prime Nadal at RG. Nadal himself knows it, the notion is laughable:

"Actually I was for a while. Not anymore I think."

 

[tex123]

Not sure what you mean by personality !

Roddick, Safin, Monfils, Kyrgios all have more personality than Alcaraz has at this point.

Even in the under 25 age group, you have Tiafoe and Rune who have more personality than Alcaraz.

We are not even talking about Roger/Agassi/Becker type charismatic personalities, here the bar is really low and Alcaraz still fails to make the cut.

Come on. I like Sinner but he has the personality of a potato. Alcaraz imposes himself on the court. I don't think anyone can deny that he's a superstar in the making. @BeatlesFan saw him live. Even she was convinced.

 

[tex123]

Beating Nadal at RG in 2023 ≠ beating Prime Nadal at RG. Nadal himself knows it, the notion is laughable:

"Actually I was for a while. Not anymore I think."

Yes but we can't teleport him to Nadal's peak, can we? Just like we can't teleport big 3 to see Sampras smoke them on the fast courts of his era.

 

[weakera]

How is Nadal ancient and Djokovic not ancient ?

I don't know, but that's clearly the case? Did you see Djokovic win AO with a torn hamstring?

 

[tex123]

You sound like Djokovic and Nadal are separated by a good 5 years.
How is Nadal ancient and Djokovic not ancient ?
They are both equally ancient and Nadal is fully strong during the clay season, so there is no excuse like he is ancient and others of his age are not...

Nadal has miles on the court plagued by multiple injuries. He played a peak Fed and peak Djokovic. He's also a year older. Nadal turned pro in 2001. Djokovic turned pro in 2003.

 

[weakera]

Yes but we can't teleport him to Nadal's peak, can we? Just like we can't teleport big 3 to see Sampras smoke them on the fast courts of his era.

Of course we can't but let's not pretend that someone beating Nadal this year at RG is equivalent to climbing mount Everest. It's as laughable as Djokovic fans pretending that was the case in 2021 when Nadal was injured.

Context should matter. It's also laughable that ancient Federer playing Djokovic to a 5-hour standstill in a Wimbledon Final but ultimately losing in a tiebreak is somehow used to discredit Federer when given the age discrepancy, it should be considered one of his greatest triumphs, even in a losing effort.

 

[aldeayeah]

Of course we can't but let's not pretend that someone beating Nadal this year at RG is equivalent to climbing mount Everest. It's as laughable as Djokovic fans pretending that was the case in 2021 when Nadal was injured.

It may not be as high a mountain as before, but it's still the tallest order in current clay tennis.

It's not like we can fly in peak ATG rivals with a time machine to test him properly

 

[Razer]

I don't know, but that's clearly the case? Did you see Djokovic win AO with a torn hamstring?

Even if Novak was exaggerating his hamstring, we have to agree he was damn good. The way he butchered De Minaur must have sent chills into the spines of Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner and every punk younger to Alex, it was scary efficiency

 

[weakera]

It may not be as high a mountain as before, but it's still the tallest order in current clay tennis.

It's not like we can fly in peak ATG rivals with a time machine to test him properly

All true, I'm just saying that things need to be kept in perspective.

 

[weakera]

Even if Novak was exaggerating his hamstring, we have to agree he was damn good. The way he butchered De Minaur must have sent chills into the spines of Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner and every punk younger to Alex, it was scary efficiency

He was amazing. No doubt about it. That's my point really.

 

[mike danny]

Beating Nadal at RG and Djokovic at the Aus Open is the ultimate challenge in tennis. I'm sure he can do it with Ferrero to guide him. Don't you think we're expecting a little too much compared to his peers?

Wimbledon may need some tweaks to his game I agree.

I, for one, don't think beating a Djokodal approaching their late 30's at their pet slams should be too tall a mountain to climb.

 

[Razer]

Nadal has miles on the court plagued by multiple injuries. He played a peak Fed and peak Djokovic. He's also a year older. Nadal turned pro in 2001. Djokovic turned pro in 2003.

Nadal a little bit more miles than Djokovic but lets not forget Djokovic also has lot of miles on his body. Just because Nadal peaked in 2000s and Djokovic in 2010s we think Novak was not there in 2000s but then he himself was there for the entire journey of Nadal. Nadal made his slam debut in 03 and Novak did in 05, Novak was struggling at that time but he was on the road adding those miles. They are just 11 months apart. Novak is also ancient.

 

[travlerajm]

I, for one, don't think beating a Djokodal approaching their late 30's at their pet slams should be too tall a mountain to climb.

You mean you don’t give Courier that much credit for beating late-30s Jimbo in the US Open semi in 91?

 

[weakera]

Why do people still think this schtick where we pretend Nadal wasn't badly injured at RG 21 is amusing? Doesn't it ever get old?

Super weird

 

[tennis_pro]

Tennis has made a full circle. This is 2002/2003 all over again and hes kinda the new Fed. He should dominate for 1-2 years now, get people invested emotionally (love him or hate him) and then all we need is for a new Nadal or Djokovic to emerge in 2024/2025 to create the new big rivalry.

 

[TheNachoMan]

No one will be convinced until he hands Djokovic a beatdown at a slam. Let's be real.

I’d rather see him beat up on his Spanish compatriot.

 

[NatF]

I’d rather see him beat up on his Spanish compatriot.

Why not both?

 

[TheNachoMan]

Why not both?

If it stops Nadal from getting to #23, then fine. If it stays 22-22-20 then Novak is the clear GOAT.