Djokovic Calendar Year Grand Slam: Can anyone stop him?

AnOctorokForDinner

Talk Tennis Guru
Nobody's getting the Calendar Slam ffs. Laver only managed because 3/4 were grass and he had seriously weakened competition even for the time.

:mad::mad:(n)

What are you on about mate, he faced top players everywhere. Newcombe, Ashe, peak Roche (tough luck), Smith. The only weak point was RG, as Rosewall was getting old for clay and didn't play as well as before, per Laver's own admission.
 

Nadalgaenger

G.O.A.T.
Lets just get through Rome and focus on Roland Garros now shall we? That CYGS seems a million miles away and a lot, and I really do mean a lot can happen between now and then.

I do need to remind everyone what happened the last time he held all four?
Exactly. These threads are absurd this early in the year. Djokovic needs to focus on the present moment.

Is he capable of a CYGS? More than anyone really. But that doesn't mean it will happen.
 

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
Absolutely ridiculous, even for this forum. Just look at this:
“You cannot take Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo seriously. Madrid has shown that he’s back.”

So you can’t take serious the fact he has lost in early stages of 3 tournaments, and looked completely off form in all the losses, but a tournament in which he had an easy run and probably should have lost to Thiem anyway is the sign he’ll win the CYGS?

Losing a little early in non-grand slams is not a big deal and is the place to try tweaking his game and trying new things. As long as his ranking doesn't plummet.

Some improvements I've noticed in Djokovic:
- more accurate and reliable serve
- better netgame
- more reliable overhead
- can take ball on the rise better now -- even on clay

Of course he might now get a calender slam, but this year and next seems to be the best opportunity any player has had for a few decades.

Federer had an outside chance years ago, but as others mentioned, the French Open was always going to be near impossible with Nadal.

He's like the Demetrious Johnson of tennis. Just doesn't make mistakes and so, so good technically, fit, and plays percentage, smart tennis.
 

Enceladus

Legend
He barely won against a below par Thiem, so I dont see this form going all the way at all. Thiem defeated him convincingly in the past and can do it again. Nadal is not the only one who can beat him. And to assume he will peak at the right time is another thing I am not sure
Thiem beat the weakened version of Djoker (2017 and first half of 2018). Thiem's performance against Djoker in Madrid was not poor, against anyone other from the game field in Madrid would be enough for him this performance for win. Djoker showed mental strength at the key moments of the match. Defeating today's confident Djoker will be a very challenging challenge for Thiem, even on clay.
 
D

Deleted member 688153

Guest
:mad::mad:(n)

What are you on about mate, he faced top players everywhere. Newcombe, Ashe, peak Roche (tough luck), Smith. The only weak point was RG, as Rosewall was getting old for clay and didn't play as well as before, per Laver's own admission.
Weren't a bunch of the players playing in a different circuit? At least I think they were the first time he did it
 

acintya

Legend
i hope he wins 8 in a row and destroys tennis forever and then retires.perfect demolishiong of the whole tennis era

we can then close this forum
 

Deine VS

Rookie
Can anyone stop him?
Yes
Almost anyone in top 20 or evan worst. He needs to win 21 times. All it takes is one off day, or opponent "on fire".


With that being said, I would like to see that happen.
Not that I am some superfan, but that would be something special to accomplish. And by a guy who was always treated as outsider, partybreaker. Could not be ignored, just tolerated. Some heads would explode if that happens. And that would be fun to watch:)
 

RaulRamirez

Legend
I'll go out on a limb here: If Novak doesn't get the CYGS this year, nobody will.
You're welcome.

But seriously: Another 4-in-a-row is on the line at RG, and that would be a monumental achievement - also giving him the double career slam.
Don't bet $ on my predictions, but something tells me that Novak will win one of the remaining three this year.
Which one? My crystal ball is fogging up.
 
I'll go out on a limb here: If Novak doesn't get the CYGS this year, nobody will.
You're welcome.

But seriously: Another 4-in-a-row is on the line at RG, and that would be a monumental achievement - also giving him the double career slam.
Don't bet $ on my predictions, but something tells me that Novak will win one of the remaining three this year.
Which one? My crystal ball is fogging up.

Like @Nadalgaenger said, we are loathe to look too far ahead, but in regard to RG, if Djokovic were to win that, would he move up in your all-time estimations to any great degree? It would change something for me, definitely.

Like you say, double career surface slam is big, and a guy playing in the slow court era (with it's injury narratives and bodily wear and tear through the season) being able to hold all four majors simultaneously twice in his career is a freaky achievement for me.
 

Cashman

Hall of Fame
Can anyone stop him?
Yes
Almost anyone in top 20 or evan worst. He needs to win 21 times. All it takes is one off day, or opponent "on fire".
Well, exactly. People on this forum have memories like goldfish, a few weeks ago he was straight-setted by freakin' Kohlschrieber.

I mean, anything's possible, but he's had better chances in other years.
 

Azure

G.O.A.T.
I'll go out on a limb here: If Novak doesn't get the CYGS this year, nobody will.
You're welcome.

But seriously: Another 4-in-a-row is on the line at RG, and that would be a monumental achievement - also giving him the double career slam.
Don't bet $ on my predictions, but something tells me that Novak will win one of the remaining three this year.
Which one? My crystal ball is fogging up.
If he wins this RG, to me it's going to be the biggest achievement in open era tennis. As much as I like Rafa I would like to see history in the making. I think I will lean towards Djokovic this RG. I want him to win it.
 

timnz

Legend
It looks like he may get a calendar year grand slam some either this year or next year. If Wimbledon speeds up their grass courts again, then all bets are off, though.

  • Nadal and Federer in decline.
  • Younger players not breaking thru in grand slams yet.
  • Murray out.
  • Wawrinka playing at a much lower level since injury.
  • Nostrafedace's favorite Standford players still in school and not playing the tour fulltime yet.
IMO, he should not try to win or go deep at Rome and should instead work on stuff and get rest before the French Open. It looks like he has improved his ability to take the ball closer to the baseline on clay. This is going to make him really tough to beat in a best of 5 match.

If Wimbledon speeds up their grass courts again, then all bets are off, though.

When did Wimbledon speed up their courts before? They started a large slow down in 2002 and got slower still for a number of years. I am not aware of any speed up since then?
 

TennisFan3

Talk Tennis Guru
It would not end the debate though, since "He didn't have to compete with peak Rafa at RG" would be an objectively valid argument.

Not really. It is NOT Novak's fault that Nadal is a non factor on clay and has rapidly declined.

You get to play with the cards you have. If Novak wins CYGS, he WILL be the undisputed GOAT.
I mean 6 slams consecutive. No one has EVER done that. Nadal not being peak/prime is just a footnote in that discussion. No one will care about that.
The Overall factor would be that Fed could NEVER do the CYGS and Novak did it. How can you be the best in history when someone in your own era managed to get the most monumental record in tennis?

Of course, with the CYGS. Novak will have 18 slams, and likely to get the total slam record as well. But he does NOT need to, to be the putative GOAT.
I believe he will already be the GOAT at the end of 2019. Not many would disagree with that in the media, fans and tennis pundits. And yeah, no one cares about fans in TTW..
 

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
When did Wimbledon speed up their courts before? They started a large slow down in 2002 and got slower still for a number of years. I am not aware of any speed up since then?
It is still slow as far as I know. That’s why I wrote ‘if’. possible it could could be slowed down this year.
 
If he wins this RG, to me it's going to be the biggest achievement in open era tennis. As much as I like Rafa I would like to see history in the making. I think I will lean towards Djokovic this RG. I want him to win it.

I have declare my bias here, I will be upset if Rafa doesn't bring his best and win RG. But even I have to understand that is an unreasonable expectation when Djokovic is the favourite. If Djokovic were to win the event I would agree that it is huge.

He would be entering somewhat uncharted territory amongst his peers in terms of achievements (double career slam etc etc)
 

Azure

G.O.A.T.
I have declare my bias here, I will be upset if Rafa doesn't bring his best and win RG. But even I have to understand that is an unreasonable expectation when Djokovic is the favourite. If Djokovic were to win the event I would agree that it is huge.

He would be entering somewhat uncharted territory amongst his peers in terms of achievements (double career slam etc etc)
I am always very glad to see unbiased Rafans :)
 

terribleIVAN

Hall of Fame
I honestly believe Federer will win a Slam this year.

Nothing's impossible, especially considering the weak field.

But he will need to avoid being pushed to 5 sets, because he's shown to be extremely vulnerable when he can't win in straights.
 

Lew II

G.O.A.T.
2011-16 Djokovic was 9-6 against Claydal and Grasserer.

Djokovic may be the only player in history who at his peak could be considered the favourite against anyone on any surface.
 

junior74

Talk Tennis Guru
2011-16 Djokovic was 9-6 against Claydal and Grasserer.

Djokovic may be the only player in history who at his peak could be considered the favourite against anyone on any surface.

He never was favourite against peak Nadal on clay or peak Federer on grass. Did he even meet them?

Djokovic is favourite against older Federer and 2015 Nadal, and now, favourite against both on every surface.

2019 is his best chance to take the CYGS ever. He is close to top form, Nadal is way off, Federer is way old, and the younger players are not ready for the task yet (apart from Kyrgios, of course).

Perhaps he can do it in 2019 and in 2020? Right now, it actually looks very possible.
 

Lew II

G.O.A.T.
He never was favourite against peak Nadal on clay or peak Federer on grass. Did he even meet them?

Djokovic is favourite against older Federer and 2015 Nadal, and now, favourite against both on every surface.

WI15-AO18 Federer --> 47-2 against the field, 0-3 against Djokovic

RG11-RG12 Nadal --> 32-0 against the field, 0-3 against Djokovic

AO16-WI16 Murray --> 19-0, against the field, 0-2 against Djokovic
 

junior74

Talk Tennis Guru
WI15-AO18 Federer --> 47-2 against the field, 0-3 against Djokovic

RG11-RG12 Nadal --> 32-0 against the field, 0-3 against Djokovic

AO16-WI16 Murray --> 19-0, against the field, 0-2 against Djokovic
1) Yes, Djokovic was favourite against older Federer. Everyone knows Federer was way past his peak.
2) Well done. Yet peak Djokovic in his best year couldn't beat Federer in Federer's worst slam.
3) Murray? Come on.
Cherries.jpg
 

RF-18

Talk Tennis Guru
Djokovic himself is in decline. He has only won 1 slam this year. I would never mention CYGS until he sweeps through to Wimbledon. However, there is a big possibility for him do do another non-calendar year GS. That should be mentioned, not CYGS at this point. I'd say his chance at CYGS this year is around 10% as of now.

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RaulRamirez

Legend
If he wins this RG, to me it's going to be the biggest achievement in open era tennis. As much as I like Rafa I would like to see history in the making. I think I will lean towards Djokovic this RG. I want him to win it.
As a dual Rafa-Novak fan, I do have some mixed feelings. Going into the year, I was hoping (not predicting) that they would alternate the four majors, starting with Rafa at the Aussie. That pipe dream off the table, I'm not sure, but am probably also rooting for "history".
 

RaulRamirez

Legend
Not really. It is NOT Novak's fault that Nadal is a non factor on clay and has rapidly declined.

You get to play with the cards you have. If Novak wins CYGS, he WILL be the undisputed GOAT.
I mean 6 slams consecutive. No one has EVER done that. Nadal not being peak/prime is just a footnote in that discussion. No one will care about that.
The Overall factor would be that Fed could NEVER do the CYGS and Novak did it. How can you be the best in history when someone in your own era managed to get the most monumental record in tennis?

Of course, with the CYGS. Novak will have 18 slams, and likely to get the total slam record as well. But he does NOT need to, to be the putative GOAT.
I believe he will already be the GOAT at the end of 2019. Not many would disagree with that in the media, fans and tennis pundits. And yeah, no one cares about fans in TTW..
I agree with your general premise here, but how has Rafa been relegated to "non-factor on clay"? Even if he loses today at the IO, he's still the X factor at RG.
 

RaulRamirez

Legend
Like @Nadalgaenger said, we are loathe to look too far ahead, but in regard to RG, if Djokovic were to win that, would he move up in your all-time estimations to any great degree? It would change something for me, definitely.

Like you say, double career surface slam is big, and a guy playing in the slow court era (with it's injury narratives and bodily wear and tear through the season) being able to hold all four majors simultaneously twice in his career is a freaky achievement for me.
Generally, I don't care about surface distribution of titles, but there is something a bit magical about career grand slams, and double career slams. More impressively, if Novak wins RG, there is something very special about being the only player (men's, of course) in 50 years to win 4 in a row, and to do that twice. Of course, if Fed takes RG, that would be his double slam, and at age 37.5, returning to clay after a two-year surface hiatus! Rafa? It would be huge to get to #18, and stave off the others.

Would Novak move up in my estimation if he wins this RG? I already think that it's very close among the Big 3, but would "just" adding RG'19 - and presumably, notching another YE #1 - put him at the very top...the GOAT of Goats? I'm not sure, and Roger and Rafa still are looking to do more, of course, and I can't count either of them out from doing so
 

Tennisgods

Hall of Fame
I don’t understand why so many think he can’t do it. It’s an open goal for him at this point, especially once Nadal is out of the way at FO.
 

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
Djokovic ain't playing around.

80% first serve percentage vs nextgen Shapovalov.
AND
won 88% of those first serves that went in.
0 break points faced.
ON CLAY!
 

TennisFan3

Talk Tennis Guru
I agree with your general premise here, but how has Rafa been relegated to "non-factor on clay"? Even if he loses today at the IO, he's still the X factor at RG.

I've been watching Nadal for 15 years now. You can know his level pretty easily, and he's not the type of player who would play abysmal and then suddenly be in GOAT form next day.
His play this year, after losing AO Final, has been very very sub-par by his own standards. Whether it's aging, lack of confidence, or just a lean patch - we don't know. But he looks slow and ineffectual out there - generally behind the times.

He is only a contender in the F.O based on history and what he used to be. On current form and likely result, he has NO chance. In fact I'd be surprised if he even made it to the last 4.
So yeah, realistically he is almost a non-factor at F.O as it relates to winning the trophy and stopping Novak.
 

TennisFan3

Talk Tennis Guru
Djokovic ain't playing around.

80% first serve percentage vs nextgen Shapovalov.
AND
won 88% of those first serves that went in.
0 break points faced.
ON CLAY!

I think Novak is at his absolute PEAK. Because of his better serve and general acumen+experience - he is arguable far better than he was even in 2011/2015-2016.
Novak looks primed to create history and win F.O and then the CYGS. His tennis is basically on a different level compared to the rest of the tour.
I mean he humiliated Shapavalov - who is a pretty decent player.
 
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