How good will Nadal/Djokovic be a 30

[Praetorian]

It's no secret that Roger is quickly approaching, or baskin in his twilight years. However, you have to admit, at 30 years of age, and to be #3 in the world is still quite an accomplishment, and on a good day can still be competitive, and have a boxer's chance against Nadal, and Djoker.

So my question is, when Nadal, and Djoker hit 30, do you think they'll still be able to do what Federer is still doing today (ranking, results, etc)?

Personally, I'd be shocked to see either of them in the top 5 at 30, not for lack of talent.

 

[tennis_pro]

If their biggest competition is a 36-year old Federer and a bunch of nobodies with a mentality of a 5-year old girl, then I can easily see them compete for majors even then.

 

[OddJack]

Rafa will not be around in his 30s. Neither would be winning Masters like Rodge is winning at his 30s.

 

[TheMagicianOfPrecision]

The 6th of June 2016, Nadal`s 30th birthday, he will be retired from tennis.
I cant wait!!!

 

[jokinla]

It remains to be seen, hard to imagine they are still competing for every slam, we will see.

 

[nadal_slam_king]

Nadal will still be winning Roland Garros at age 30. Not sure where Djokovic will be.

I'm not surprised that Federer faded from the slam title scene so quickly.

 

[Hood_Man]

I think they'll be doing much better than people realise.

 

[Homeboy Hotel]

I hope someone digs this thread back up in 5 years time.

Nadal:
AO - R4/QF at best, may even skip it once or twice
RG - Still making noise and winning
TC - Blown by big serving, flat hitters
USO - Still prominent in the second week

Djokovic:
AO - Second week
FO - QF's
Wimbledon - Out in the first week
USO - SF/F.....W

 

[Clarky21]

Nadal will be retired well before then,but Rolaids will still be chugging along. He's going to be contending for slams for years and years,imo.

 

[decades]

lots of folks predicted nadal would gone by 26. they said his body couldn't take the pounding. how wrong they have been. I think he will play until 30-31. djok looks like he could play as long as fed will.

 

[nadal_slam_king]

Nadal is the only player with a shot at winning slams as late as Agassi won slams, because Nadal at Roland Garros is so difficult to beat, even on a off day, that he will sustain domination into his 30s. Federer meanwhile, can't win slams anymore. And Djokovic is putting too much pressure on his back/shoulder muscles by stretching for wide balls rather than actually using footwork.

 

[rofl_copter3]

Rafa and Djoker will have both suffered too many injuries by then and have to move to an assisted living facility.

 

[zanabel]

which players have bad backs? my uncle stopped playing sports when he got a bad back.

 

[FlashFlare11]

I can't wait to see threads titled "Were Nadal/Djokovic ever as good as ____?", "Djokovic/Nadal thrived in a weak era compared to today's competition", "Time for Djokovic/Nadal to retire".

Seriously, some here need a serious reality check, and they'll get their due.

 

[10is]

Nadal will be retired well before then,but Rolaids will still be chugging along. He's going to be contending for slams for years and years,imo.

and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years... and years...

 

[mellowyellow]

Nadal will still be winning Roland Garros at age 30. Not sure where Djokovic will be.

I'm not surprised that Federer faded from the slam title scene so quickly.

maybe on the Legends tour

 

[NadalAgassi]

Well considering Federer won no slams past 28, it is not like they even have to be that great to be the equivalent. Roger is no Agassi. Also Federer fans have been insistent he has been past his prime since 26 (since that is when Nadal became #1, when Djokovic spanked him in a slam semi and began beating him in various matches, and when Nadal began beating him in non French slams, thus "must" be past his prime), and Nadal appears to still be in his prime at 26, and certainly according to ****s who like to mock all his losses to Djokovic last year definitely is. Then add to that Federer is the so called late bloomer who didnt start his prime until 22, and Nadal is the one who was supposably in his prime already as an 18 year old (according to ****s) so based on that Nadals longevity has already far surpassed Nadal, with over twice as long a playing prime.

 

[nadal_slam_king]

Well considering Federer won no slams past 28, it is not like they even have to be that great to be the equivalent. Roger is no Agassi. Also Federer fans have been insistent he has been past his prime since 26 (since that is when Nadal became #1, when Djokovic spanked him in a slam semi and began beating him in various matches, and when Nadal began beating him in non French slams, thus "must" be past his prime), and Nadal appears to still be in his prime at 26, and certainly according to ****s who like to mock all his losses to Djokovic last year definitely is. Then add to that Federer is the so called late bloomer who didnt start his prime until 22, and Nadal is the one who was supposably in his prime already as an 18 year old (according to ****s) so based on that Nadals longevity has already far surpassed Nadal, with over twice as long a playing prime.

This is all true, and Nadal has an excellent chance at breaking the record for the most consecutive years winning at least one slam per year. He can tie the record this year of 8, and looking good to extend it further. That is a record that definitely indicates longevity.

 

[Praetorian]

Nadal is the only player with a shot at winning slams as late as Agassi won slams, because Nadal at Roland Garros is so difficult to beat, even on a off day, that he will sustain domination into his 30s. Federer meanwhile, can't win slams anymore. And Djokovic is putting too much pressure on his back/shoulder muscles by stretching for wide balls rather than actually using footwork.

Please define "domination", as with the exception of the FO season, many would argue, he isn't showing tennis his "domination" this year. Are you saying that the secret to Nadal's secret to "domination in his 30s", will be through attrition? That in 4 years time, there isn't going to be anybody that is going to take over the ATP? You probably have a point about Djokovic, but you are saying that Nadal, who clearly has a more physical game, will not suffer any injuries, and maybe even physically be better than he is now? How will he do that exactly: steroids? (OOoooh... oh no he didn't)

 

[Praetorian]

lots of folks predicted nadal would gone by 26. they said his body couldn't take the pounding. how wrong they have been. I think he will play until 30-31. djok looks like he could play as long as fed will.

Yes, but will they be a factor in Slams and tournaments as Fed is now? I have no doubt they will probably will still be playing, but will they be top 5? Making trips consistenly to quarters/semis/finals to GS, and major tournaments?

 

[Praetorian]

If their biggest competition is a 36-year old Federer and a bunch of nobodies with a mentality of a 5-year old girl, then I can easily see them compete for majors even then.

Haha... If the biggest competition then is a 36 years old Federer, then that would definitely just add to Federer's legacy.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Rafa and Djoker will have both suffered too many injuries by then and have to move to an assisted living facility.

This may not be too far from the truth. Read this article:

Djokovic: Style of Play Taking Too Much of a Toll on His Body?

which players have bad backs? my uncle stopped playing sports when he got a bad back.

I'm sure that there have been quite a few. Andre Agass, who retired in 2006 at the age of 36, is probably the most notable one in the past decade. During his last two years or so on the tour, he was taking numerous shots of cortisone and other drugs to deal with his back pain.

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/andre-agassi-battle-with-back-pain

Ironically, Andre's wife, Steffi Graf, also suffered from back problems -- in the middle and latter part of her long 17-year career.

thetennisspace.com/opinion/steffi-graf-sharapova-is-a-complete-tennis-player

 

[JustBob]

How good will Nadal/Djokovic be a 30

Probably good at changing diapers. At tennis not so much. The legs go first, and when you rely so much on those legs to win, well... Once Nadal and Djokovic lose half a step, they are done.

People who believe that Nadal and Djokovic will age as gracefully as Federer are off their rocker...

 

[clayman2000]

Yes, but will they be a factor in Slams and tournaments as Fed is now? I have no doubt they will probably will still be playing, but will they be top 5? Making trips consistenly to quarters/semis/finals to GS, and major tournaments?

Federer would be winning slams if Djokovic wasnt arguably almost as good as Prime Federer

Nadal and Djokovic can still be winning slams in 4 - 5 years if the next generation isnt as dominant as this one

 

[PetSounds]

I don't think bad backs will be much of an issue anymore with blood spinning. You have guys in their 40s now coming back from bad backs with PRP injections.

 

[BeHappy]

Distance runners peak in their mid to late 30's so who knows? We're in uncharted territory.

The entire tennis season is very slow, explosive movement is so unimportant now that you have completely immobile players with no serves like Tomic doing well, and players like Seppi who move like a grandmother taking Djokovic to 5 sets.

In today's game it's more important how many miles you can run without falling over than how quick you can chase a winner down. '

Tennis doesn't seem to be a game of winners anymore on these slow courts, and that's Federer's real problem.

 

[TTMR]

I remember Nadal was "done" on his 23rd birthday, in June of 2009, according to people here. His coffin was nailed and buried when he lost to Murray at AO 2010, according to people here. More than two years later, Nadal is in peak form at age 26. I have no doubt he will be near the top at 30.

Djokovic is a tougher case, as his shoulder clearly has not been 100% since at least last year's US Open. I suspect he either may retire young, or make sporadic runs here and there, but he looks like the type to be susceptible to a major, career-altering injury like Hewitt. I have similar concerns about Murray.

 

[Atherton2003]

I think Nadal will still be a good player at 30, however, I think he will be bald. I think Djokovic will also still play well at 30, but his nose and face will have grown longer.

 

[10is]

Distance runners peak in their mid to late 30's so who knows? We're in uncharted territory.

Not neccessarily, and I have addressed this issue plenty of times on this forum.

http://runningtimes.com/blogs/?p=27

 

[BeHappy]

Not neccessarily, and I have addressed this issue plenty of times on this forum.

http://runningtimes.com/blogs/?p=27

The fastest ever are in their mid 30's? The worst conclusion you could draw from that is that your distance running peak at the very least extends into your mid 30's.

I hate these "myth breaker" articles that are full of crap. Tell Haile Gebrselassie your theory and see what he says.

 

[10is]

The fastest ever are in their mid 30's? The worst conclusion you could draw from that is that your distance running peak at the very least extends into your mid 30's.

I hate these "myth breaker" articles that are full of crap. Tell Haile Gebrselassie your theory and see what he says.

LOL! Shows your obvious ignorance. Outliers don't conform to the norm, secondly in the past marathon runners typically started training at later ages, a trend which is now changing as exemplified by Sammy Wajiru's record breaking performance at the Beijing Olympics at the age of 21.

 

[forzamilan90]

IDK how good they will be, or if they will be competitive at such age, but once I see Nadal past his prime and start slipping big time, it's gonna be beautiful over here on the forum as old Nadal will get same treatment as old Fed is getting nowadays from certain posters

 

[The-Champ]

I don't know about Djoker but nadal will certainly not be running around like he does today. His movement today is already a shadow of its former self.

 

[BeHappy]

LOL! Shows your obvious ignorance. Outliers don't conform to the norm, secondly in the past marathon runners typically started training at later ages, a trend which is now changing as exemplified by Sammy Wajiru's record breaking performance at the Beijing Olympics at the age of 21.

And they ran the fastest times in history, hardly "outliers". I mean, that is literally the opposite of what the word "outliers" means. 4 of the top 5 fastest in history are over 30.

 

[zagor]

It's anyone's guess really, you can never tell with these things, it depends on too many factors.

IDK how good they will be, or if they will be competitive at such age, but once I see Nadal past his prime and start slipping big time, it's gonna be beautiful over here on the forum as old Nadal will get same treatment as old Fed is getting nowadays from certain posters

Oh have no doubt about that, if I'm still around by then I'll personally see to it that Nadal fans get a dose of their own medicine.

 

[zagor]

Distance runners peak in their mid to late 30's so who knows? We're in uncharted territory.

That's great to hear but we're talking about tennis players here, you do realize that the majority of slams in the last say 20 years are won by guys younger then 30?

 

[JustBob]

Comparing movement in tennis to distance runners is beyond silly... Djokovic and Nadal woudn't be winning anything without the explosive quickness required by their "retriever" style.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

They shoiuld both still be in their prime.

 

[nadal_slam_king]

delete post

 

[NadalAgassi]

IDK how good they will be, or if they will be competitive at such age, but once I see Nadal past his prime and start slipping big time, it's gonna be beautiful over here on the forum as old Nadal will get same treatment as old Fed is getting nowadays from certain posters

What treatment is Federer getting. Nobody is thrashing him. Some of us just object to his crazy lot of over the top fanboys here, their need to pump him up as the undisputed GOAT at the expense of all others and to those who dare to disagree be damned, and those who are still predicting him to be the favorite to win events yet then turn back in the next sentence and call him way past his prime, atleast be consistent. Most dont have a problem with the concept Federer is past his prime now, but many will also take exception to the idea he was as early as 2008, when he won 4 of 6 slams in one stretch from late 2008-early 2010.

 

[TheMagicianOfPrecision]

Probably good at changing diapers. At tennis not so much. The legs go first, and when you rely so much on those legs to win, well... Once Nadal and Djokovic lose half a step, they are done.

People who believe that Nadal and Djokovic will age as gracefully as Federer are off their rocker...

I just love to read stuff like this

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

.

Oops, duplicate post. Messed up trying to edit.​

.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

This may not be too far from the truth. Read this article:

Djokovic: Style of Play Taking Too Much of a Toll on His Body?

...

I'm sure that there have been quite a few. Andre Agass, who retired in 2006 at the age of 36, is probably the most notable one in the past decade. During his last two years or so on the tour, he was taking numerous shots of cortisone and other drugs to deal with his back pain.

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/andre-agassi-battle-with-back-pain

Ironically, Andre's wife, Steffi Graf, also suffered from back problems -- in the middle and latter part of her long 17-year career.

thetennisspace.com/opinion/steffi-graf-sharapova-is-a-complete-tennis-player

I don't think bad backs will be much of an issue anymore with blood spinning. You have guys in their 40s now coming back from bad backs with PRP injections.

Tell us more. Is this really a viable option for serious back problems? Could this have extended the career of Agassi a few more years?

 

[Sentinel]

I think Nadal will still be a good player at 30, however, I think he will be bald. I think Djokovic will also still play well at 30, but his nose and face will have grown longer.

*chuckle*

Oh have no doubt about that, if I'm still around by then I'll personally see to it that Nadal fans get a dose of their own medicine.

You'll be quoting 5 year old poasts of jacksonvile ? LOL.

 

[zagor]

*chuckle*

You'll be quoting 5 year old poasts of jacksonvile ? LOL.

Something like that, it's gonna be fun

 

[FedererDropShot]

When Djokovic hits 30 yr old and loses to an unseeded player somehow,

his opponent's mum will say 'The King is DEAD!'

And Djokovic's mum would be sooo tight.

 

[pvaudio]

Anyone who thinks either of those two will be even half the threat Federer still is is clearly not watching tennis. Nadal has dominated nothing this year but the tournaments everyone expects him to win.

 

[mehdimike]

I think Nadal will still be a good player at 30, however, I think he will be bald. I think Djokovic will also still play well at 30, but his nose and face will have grown longer.

How could you predict the baldness back then?!

 

[Backspin1183]

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