Federer Fanatic Here - But Alcaraz's Excuse After US Open Loss Should Make Us Appreciate Nadal's 2008 Summer

[McEnroeisanartist]

Federer Fanatic Here - But Alcaraz's Excuse After US Open Loss Should Make Us Appreciate Nadal's 2008 Summer

Nadal 2008
Won Hamburg
Won French Open
Won Queens
Won Wimbledon
Won Canada
Lost SF at Cincinnati to Djokovic
Won Olympics
Lost SF Of US Open
* Won 2 best of 5 Set Davis Cup matches the week after US Open

Alcaraz 2024
Lost QF Madrid
Won French Open
Lost 2nd Round Queens
Won Wimbledon
Lost Final Olympics
Lost 1st Round Cincinnati
Lost 2nd Round US Open

 

[mahatma]

It must have been a tough 2008 as a Fedfan 16 years back post that Wimbledon.

Good to hear that you got your closure and can justify all those losses of your fav. Finally, whatever helps you heal

 

[Razer]

Alcaraz is 21 now, Nadal was 21 in 2007

So 2008 will be compared to 2025.

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

Federer Fanatic Here - But Alcaraz's Excuse After US Open Loss

Exactly what is Alcaraz's excuse?
He had plenty of rest after getting knocked out early by Monfils in Cincy.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Federer Fanatic Here - But Alcaraz's Excuse After US Open Loss Should Make Us Appreciate Nadal's 2008 Summer

Nadal 2008
Won Hamburg
Won French Open
Won Queens
Won Wimbledon
Won Canada
Lost SF at Cincinnati to Djokovic
Won Olympics
Lost SF Of US Open
* Won 2 best of 5 Set Davis Cup matches the week after US Open

Alcaraz 2024
Lost QF Madrid
Won French Open
Lost 2nd Round Queens
Won Wimbledon
Lost Final Olympics
Lost 1st Round Cincinnati
Lost 2nd Round US Open

You want to take the BEST period of Nadal and compare to average period of Raz.

Take AO 2011 to USO 2011. 12 tournaments, 10 titles, 1 final and 1 SF. That's GOAT period.

 

[Tano]

Federer Fanatic Here - But Alcaraz's Excuse After US Open Loss Should Make Us Appreciate Nadal's 2008 Summer

Nadal 2008
Won Hamburg
Won French Open
Won Queens
Won Wimbledon
Won Canada
Lost SF at Cincinnati to Djokovic
Won Olympics
Lost SF Of US Open
* Won 2 best of 5 Set Davis Cup matches the week after US Open

Alcaraz 2024
Lost QF Madrid
Won French Open
Lost 2nd Round Queens
Won Wimbledon
Lost Final Olympics
Lost 1st Round Cincinnati
Lost 2nd Round US Open

Nadal was 22, a year older than the current version of Alcaraz, but the level of competition the Spanish left-hander had is incomparable to the level of tennis this season.

 

[Pheasant]

Alcaraz is 21 now, Nadal was 21 in 2007

So 2008 will be compared to 2025.

Exactly. Once we start mixing up ages, then the comparisons get ridiculous. We have a few examples where players had their breakout season during their age-22 season.

Borg, 1978: This was the first year he won 2 slams in a season. He won his first of 3 consecutive channel slams. And his 1978 FO run where he dropped only 32 games is a record that still stands
McEnroe, 1981: This was his first 2-slam season. And he beat Borg in both of those finals. And he ended the year #1 for the first time.
Sampras, 1993: This was Sampras' 1st 2-slam season. And he also finished the year as world #1 for the first time.
Courier 1992: This was Courier's only 2-slam season and the only year he ended up as YE#1.

I'm sure that I'm missing some more. And if we water this down a little bit, then we can include Federer and Agassi in the mix. Both of those guys won their very first slam during their age-22 seasons.

 

[Lleytonstation]

Alcaraz is 21 now, Nadal was 21 in 2007

So 2008 will be compared to 2025.

That might not be a good thing for Carlos

 

[Sport]

Though Nadal was 22 in 2008, comparing him to 2024 Alcaraz is correct and necessary, as in 2007 there was no Olympics held.

Seems like Alcaraz will never be able to win the  triplete RG-W-Olympics, a feat reserved to Nadal.

 

[Razer]

That might not be a good thing for Carlos

Alcaraz will dominate next year too with something like 2 slams. I really don't think Sinner is gonna win a lot and Djokovic is growing even older.

 

[Lleytonstation]

Alcaraz will dominate next year too with something like 2 slams. I really don't think Sinner is gonna win a lot and Djokovic is growing even older.

Djoker might actually win some slams next year. Sinner might be healthy. Carlos might struggle to find it again.

 

[messiahrobins]

Nadal at his peak was a phenomenon. 2008 and 2010 were the greatest male seasons of all time across the biggest events in such a short space of time. Doubt it will be ever done again.

 

[JMR]

Exactly. Once we start mixing up ages, then the comparisons get ridiculous. We have a few examples where players had their breakout season during their age-22 season.

Borg, 1978: This was the first year he won 2 slams in a season. He won his first of 3 consecutive channel slams. And his 1978 FO run where he dropped only 32 games is a record that still stands

Borg beat two guys in the 1978 FO by scores of 6-0 6-1 6-0. That's insane. And he lost only five games in the final to Vilas, the defending champion and a clay ATG.

 

[JMR]

Nadal at his peak was a phenomenon. 2008 and 2010 were the greatest male seasons of all time across the biggest events in such a short space of time. Doubt it will be ever done again.

A tennis season runs from the AO's warmup events all the way to the year-end championship. So the greatest male tennis seasons of all time will require a minimum of three slam titles, which would exclude Nadal's 2008 but leave his 2010 in the running.

If you want to discuss the best results in a "short space of time," i.e., some portion of a tennis season, that could be an interesting debate too, but it's a different debate.

 

[FeroBango]

Borg beat two guys in the 1978 FO by scores of 6-0 6-1 6-0. That's insane. And he lost only five games in the final to Vilas, the defending champion and a clay ATG.

Tennis p,rn

 

[messiahrobins]

A tennis season runs from the AO's warmup events all the way to the year-end championship. So the greatest male tennis seasons of all time will require a minimum of three slam titles, which would exclude Nadal's 2008 but leave his 2010 in the running.

If you want to discuss the best results in a "short space of time," i.e., some portion of a tennis season, that could be an interesting debate too, but it's a different debate.

FO W USO... FO W Olympics (in 2008) were across three surfaces. Thats the magic of Nadal's achievement, i do take your point as its well made, but such is the magnitude of what nadal did twice i think its fair to say it makes the season extra special.

 

[Razer]

Djoker might actually win some slams next year. Sinner might be healthy. Carlos might struggle to find it again.

Djoker will never beat Alcaraz again in a BO5 match, he is past that stage. He can win the absence of Alcaraz in the final, thats it.

 

[Pheasant]

Borg beat two guys in the 1978 FO by scores of 6-0 6-1 6-0. That's insane. And he lost only five games in the final to Vilas, the defending champion and a clay ATG.

That's a good call on Vilas. Vilas won two slams on clay in 1977, including the USO where he only dropped 1 set that tourney(Connors in the final). Borg's demolition of Vilas was very impressive in 1978.

Note: Borg's clay/grass run from 5/22/1978 to 8/16/1978 was impressive. He went 33-0 during that clay/grass court run. That's not too shabby.

 

[TheFifthSet]

You want to take the BEST period of Nadal and compare to average period of Raz.

Take AO 2011 to USO 2011. 12 tournaments, 10 titles, 1 final and 1 SF. That's GOAT period.

Nadal was a better player age-for-age in each of their 19-21 seasons.

 

[Lleytonstation]

Djoker will never beat Alcaraz again in a BO5 match, he is past that stage. He can win the absence of Alcaraz in the final, thats it.

Carlos just showed us how easily he can be put down. Djoker is not threatened by him anymore.

 

[Moon Shooter]

alcaraz’s excuse was absurd. He is a 21 year old professional athlete. His body can recover from his schedule no problem. He just needs a tiny bit of mental toughness to shrug it off aand not let it get in his head. Sometimes i think pros are perfectionists who have a hard time dealing with less then perfect conditions.

 

[JustMy2Cents]

adding numbers to Rafa's 2008 in comparison to raz 2024:

That year @RafaelNadal was 75-8 before losing to @andy_murray in the semis of the @usopen

@carlosalcaraz was 39-8 before his loss last night

Appreciate the change from grass to clay was different this year but don’t forget that Beijing in 2008 was played after Canada and Cincinnati where Rafa won Canada and lost SF Cincy. Just in case people think these players are playing too much…..

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1829411922795495640

1.basically, talking of mental/physical fatigue, let's remember another guy did it and the numbers were 75-8 compared to raz 39-8

2.younger athlete should not cite fatigue/burnout as excuse in view of those numbers as well as the relative opposition Rafa faced
21/22 makes no difference, in fact Rafa had more mileage/higher level opposition, hence more reason for fatigue

 

[Tano]

Though Nadal was 22 in 2008, comparing him to 2024 Alcaraz is correct and necessary, as in 2007 there was no Olympics held.

Seems like Alcaraz will never be able to win the  triplete RG-W-Olympics, a feat reserved to Nadal.

And he lost to the best or one of the best versions of Murray at the US Open.