I’m starting to like Novak more

[Federev]

No need for anyone to care -

But for his fans here is my list:

The guy is in the sunset of his career and the best on tour.

As much as I’m a Fed first guy, I feel bad he’s got to miss a premier tourney (like IW) because of what - to me - are outdated laws that should be laid aside by now.

But his attitude about it right now is chill - he shuts up, puts his head down, and just kicks butt whenever he can. That’s compelling and Fed-like to me.

I’m all vaxxed up but I’ve always been for his right to say no (if not a fan of his handling of AO ‘21) and never believed the “anti-vaxx poster boy” narrative foisted on him.

I can’t blame him for Srdjan as he’s publicly distanced himself long ago from his dad’s crazy talk (and Goran already ate his words re RG which was glorious) …and Djo was all class at Fed’s going away party.

I think he’s more mature in pressers than his younger years. He seems more calm and even sometimes - statesman like. More than before anyway.

I think his game is becoming more aggressive and therefore less pusher-ee (looking for more of that as he ages), and I’m sold on his steely mindset and brick wall like stature - which even if not as exciting as Federer to me - I can appreciate for its own merits.

And for me he’s just old guard now which always appeals to me (I didn’t really start rooting for Fed till 2012).

I love how his wife is not afraid to go after his - to me - cruel detractors online. Some people think it’s dumb - I think it’s badass that a wife will do that for her man. She’s got guts - and in the main I think she’s right.

So yeah - he’s not replacing Fed for me and I’ll still root for Nadal over him at RG, but he’s surely slipping into the “like” category for me.

Again - no one needs to care - sorry if I wasted your time, but you chose to read this as surely as I chose to post it.

Fedalovic forever.

 

[Biotic]

 

[Mark-Touch]

No need for anyone to care -


But for his fans here is my list:

The guy is in the sunset of his career and the best on tour.

As much as I’m a Fed first guy, I feel bad he’s got to miss a premier tourney (like IW) because of what - to me - are outdated laws that should be laid aside by now.

But his attitude about it right now is chill - he shuts up, puts his head down, and just kicks butt whenever he can. That’s compelling and Fed-like to me.

I’m all vaxxed up but I’ve always been for his right to say no (if not a fan of his handling of AO ‘21) and never believed the “anti-vaxx poster boy” narrative foisted on him.

I can’t blame him for Srdjan as he’s publicly distanced himself long ago from his dad’s crazy talk (and Goran already ate his words re RG which was glorious) …and Djo was all class at Fed’s going away party.

I think he’s more mature in pressers than his younger years. He seems more calm and even sometimes - statesman like. More than before anyway.

I think his game is becoming more aggressive and therefore less pusher-ee (looking for more of that as he ages), and I’m sold on his steely mindset and brick wall like stature - which even if not as exciting as Federer to me - I can appreciate for its own merits.

And for me he’s just old guard now which always appeals to me (I didn’t really start rooting for Fed till 2012).

I love how his wife is not afraid to go after his - to me - cruel detractors online. Some people think it’s dumb - I think it’s badass that a wife will do that for her man. She’s got guts - and in the main I think she’s right.

So yeah - he’s not replacing Fed for me and I’ll still root for Nadal over him at RG, but he’s surely slipping into the “like” category for me.

Again - no one needs to care - sorry if I wasted your time, but you chose to read this as surely as I chose to post it.

Fedalovic forever.

I can't argue with any of the points you made.
As far as Djoker goes, I like the guy and his game.
Of course when I compare his total package to Fed, for me there is no comparison in terms of 'game appeal'.
I will always choose Fed.
But I wish the guy well.

 

[Sampras-Bruguera 1993]

Djoker has mellowed out alot but thats because he holds all the records. LOL. If he was still in the hunt and wasn't GOAT, he would still have a chip on his shoulder for sure

 

[fedfan24]

I wouldn’t care if he wins 25-30 slams, guy is a quality player and if the nextgen are garbage so be it , w19 was just horrible to watch live as a fed fan. 5 hours of my life down the drain to watch a guy dominate every metric except the match points and key points in tiebreaks. Brutal. hope he never wins wimbledon again

 

[_phantom]

Djoker has mellowed out alot but thats because he holds all the records. LOL. If he was still in the hunt and wasn't GOAT, he would still have a chip on his shoulder for sure

He has mellowed down because his kids are now old enough to follow all his on court and off court antics.

No more racket breaking, no more boob throws. It's a good start.

 

[ND-13]

No ego like Fed
No fake humility like Nadal
Works hard
Plays hard
Deserves everything he gets, including long periods of weak era. He did wait patiently for 10 years and paid his dues to take advantage.

 

[pj80]

No ego like Fed
No fake humility like Nadal
Works hard
Plays hard
Deserves everything he gets, including long periods of weak era. He did wait patiently for 10 years and paid his dues to take advantage.

i dont see this as weak era....med can beat him so can alcaraz and rune...so plenty of competition.

 

[Azure]

No fake humility like Nadal

what makes you think its fake?

 

[kayapit]

Bravo OP. It would be nice if more people were as open minded and less quick to judge Djoko on the vax deal. I also don't see why one can't love Roger and also be a Nole fan. I do/am.

 

[MichaelNadal]

what makes you think its fake?

Was coming to say this

 

[Federev]

No ego like Fed
No fake humility like Nadal
Works hard
Plays hard
Deserves everything he gets, including long periods of weak era. He did wait patiently for 10 years and paid his dues to take advantage.

That kind of stuff is blah to me. As if he doesn’t have an ego and the other guys are all morally inferior. Baloney.

But to each his own.

And I like him better now anyway.

 

[TheNachoMan]

No ego like Fed
No fake humility like Nadal
Works hard
Plays hard
Deserves everything he gets, including long periods of weak era. He did wait patiently for 10 years and paid his dues to take advantage.

You still pretending to be a Novak fan? lol

 

[ND-13]

You still pretending to be a Novak fan? lol

I like all of the big 3 and hate them too . It is a love-hate relationship

 

[The Blond Blur]

 

[ND-13]

i dont see this as weak era....med can beat him so can alcaraz and rune...so plenty of competition.

We see what we want to see.

The Medvedev who was beaten by Korda in straights ??

Come FO and Wimb, we will have Ruud, Berretini and Hubi making finals and things will be no different than the years past

 

[ronalditop]

Good read. In my case I have always been a Roger fan. To me he has te most beautiful game in history and the most fun player to watch. But one can not negate that Nole has surpassed him on every aspect tennis related (Roger will always be the most popular).

 

[Mark-Touch]

Good read. In my case I have always been a Roger fan. To me he has te most beautiful game in history and the most fun player to watch. But one can not negate that Nole has surpassed him on every aspect tennis related (Roger will always be the most popular).

on almost every...
FTFY.

 

[tlsmikey]

I think the turning point for me with joker was the US Open when he was down against Medvedev and the crowd started to cheer for him to get him back in the match. His response was to tear up while sitting on the bench. The dude honestly just wants to be liked and I started to feel for the guy at that point.

 

[vokazu]

what makes you think its fake?

He's not really humble. He thinks he can do whatever he likes, for example telling off Sonego at the net in Wimbledon and telling off Bernardes not to umpire him anymore. Anyone who is humble wouldn't do these things.

 

[Azure]

He's not really humble. He thinks he can do whatever he likes, for example telling off Sonego at the net in Wimbledon and telling off Bernardes not to umpire him anymore. Anyone who is humble wouldn't do these things.

So thats 2 out of over a 1000 matches - whats that a 99.9% humble behavior. So you prove my point. Thank you.

 

[CoolCoolCool]

No ego like Fed
No fake humility like Nadal
Works hard
Plays hard
Deserves everything he gets, including long periods of weak era. He did wait patiently for 10 years and paid his dues to take advantage.

Djoker and Rafa have a big ego as well. Their ego is the reason they've been able to win so much.

 

[TheNachoMan]

Djoker and Rafa have a big ego as well. Their ego is the reason they've been able to win so much.

You have to have an ego to be an elite level athlete.

 

[Sudacafan]

No need for anyone to care -

But for his fans here is my list:

The guy is in the sunset of his career and the best on tour.

As much as I’m a Fed first guy, I feel bad he’s got to miss a premier tourney (like IW) because of what - to me - are outdated laws that should be laid aside by now.

But his attitude about it right now is chill - he shuts up, puts his head down, and just kicks butt whenever he can. That’s compelling and Fed-like to me.

I’m all vaxxed up but I’ve always been for his right to say no (if not a fan of his handling of AO ‘21) and never believed the “anti-vaxx poster boy” narrative foisted on him.

I can’t blame him for Srdjan as he’s publicly distanced himself long ago from his dad’s crazy talk (and Goran already ate his words re RG which was glorious) …and Djo was all class at Fed’s going away party.

I think he’s more mature in pressers than his younger years. He seems more calm and even sometimes - statesman like. More than before anyway.

I think his game is becoming more aggressive and therefore less pusher-ee (looking for more of that as he ages), and I’m sold on his steely mindset and brick wall like stature - which even if not as exciting as Federer to me - I can appreciate for its own merits.

And for me he’s just old guard now which always appeals to me (I didn’t really start rooting for Fed till 2012).

I love how his wife is not afraid to go after his - to me - cruel detractors online. Some people think it’s dumb - I think it’s badass that a wife will do that for her man. She’s got guts - and in the main I think she’s right.

So yeah - he’s not replacing Fed for me and I’ll still root for Nadal over him at RG, but he’s surely slipping into the “like” category for me.

Again - no one needs to care - sorry if I wasted your time, but you chose to read this as surely as I chose to post it.

Fedalovic forever.

No, thank you.

 

[ronalditop]

on almost every...
FTFY.

Roger still has a non broken record? Thats great.

 

[Sudacafan]

Roger still has a non broken record? Thats great.

Prettiest backhand ever.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Some people here talk like they actually know the guy. You don't. They all have a media persona that is far removed from their real life persona.

I don't hate or love Djokovic. I dislike his brand of tennis. I respect it, but don't enjoy watching it. It's 90% defence and I'd much rather watch offensive panache.

I absolutely disagree with and don't respect his vaccine stance as a medical physician that believes strongly in the importance of public health measures and vaccination programs.

But in the end, I have no idea if he's an arsehole in real life or a genuine nice guy. And neither do any of you. Even his wife may not know if he's philandering. Does anyone really know anyone else?

 

[Mark-Touch]

Some people here talk like they actually know the guy. You don't. They all have a media persona that is far removed from their real life persona.

I don't hate or love Djokovic. I dislike his brand of tennis. I respect it, but don't enjoy watching it. It's 90% defence and I'd much rather watch offensive panache.

I absolutely disagree with and don't respect his vaccine stance as a medical physician that believes strongly in the importance of public health measures and vaccination programs.

But in the end, I have no idea if he's an arsehole in real life or a genuine nice guy. And neither do any of you. Even his wife may not know if he's philandering. Does anyone really know anyone else?

I absolutely agree with and respect his experimental injection stance, as a Joe-Q. public member that believes in the right to choose and bodily autonomy.

 

[Rosstour]

He's not really humble. He thinks he can do whatever he likes, for example telling off Sonego at the net in Wimbledon and telling off Bernardes not to umpire him anymore. Anyone who is humble wouldn't do these things.

Nadal is the humblest guy on tour, until he doesn't get his way. The politeness goes away very quickly.

 

[Holmes]

How very touching.

 

[Holmes]

Prettiest backhand ever.

Nope, Musetti broke that one too.

 

[kevin qmto]

Don’t worry, I don’t care.

 

[CoolCoolCool]

Don’t worry, I don’t care.

Yet you cared enough to post and be rude. Looks like it triggered you.

 

[jm1980]

Nadal is the humblest guy on tour, until he doesn't get his way. The politeness goes away very quickly.

Nadal's death stare at 0:25 here in this match against Kyrgios was quite something:

 

[Pheasant]

Great post, Federev! I've always enjoyed your posts! Keep them coming!

We have our battles among fans. But when I've gone to the tourneys live, I make sure to see each of the big 3. You have to. They are all special in their own way. And if I met any of you posters in person, I'd be happy to chat, regardless of which player that you root for. We tennis fans are a rare bunch, at least where I come from. So I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie here.

Djokovic is special and I cannot take anything away from what he's done.

Anyway, that's a classy post by the OP. I'd like to see a lot more of these kinds of posts.

Bravo!

 

[optic yellow]

I can't argue with any of the points you made.
As far as Djoker goes, I like the guy and his game.
Of course when I compare his total package to Fed, for me there is no comparison in terms of 'game appeal'.
I will always choose Fed.
But I wish the guy well.

It doesn't compare to Federer but there are still great things to learn from it and apply to one's own game. There is real artistry in the returns and redirects especially.

 

[pico]

No need for anyone to care -

But for his fans here is my list:

The guy is in the sunset of his career and the best on tour.

As much as I’m a Fed first guy, I feel bad he’s got to miss a premier tourney (like IW) because of what - to me - are outdated laws that should be laid aside by now.

But his attitude about it right now is chill - he shuts up, puts his head down, and just kicks butt whenever he can. That’s compelling and Fed-like to me.

I’m all vaxxed up but I’ve always been for his right to say no (if not a fan of his handling of AO ‘21) and never believed the “anti-vaxx poster boy” narrative foisted on him.

I can’t blame him for Srdjan as he’s publicly distanced himself long ago from his dad’s crazy talk (and Goran already ate his words re RG which was glorious) …and Djo was all class at Fed’s going away party.

I think he’s more mature in pressers than his younger years. He seems more calm and even sometimes - statesman like. More than before anyway.

I think his game is becoming more aggressive and therefore less pusher-ee (looking for more of that as he ages), and I’m sold on his steely mindset and brick wall like stature - which even if not as exciting as Federer to me - I can appreciate for its own merits.

And for me he’s just old guard now which always appeals to me (I didn’t really start rooting for Fed till 2012).

I love how his wife is not afraid to go after his - to me - cruel detractors online. Some people think it’s dumb - I think it’s badass that a wife will do that for her man. She’s got guts - and in the main I think she’s right.

So yeah - he’s not replacing Fed for me and I’ll still root for Nadal over him at RG, but he’s surely slipping into the “like” category for me.

Again - no one needs to care - sorry if I wasted your time, but you chose to read this as surely as I chose to post it.

Fedalovic forever.

Thank you. I wish more ppl had a similar outlook like you instead of the hateful comments I have read on here over the years. This is the attitude the world needs - passion for your thing but respect for all.

 

[CoolCoolCool]

Nadal's death stare at 0:25 here in this match against Kyrgios was quite something:

What death stare ? He's just waiting lol.

 

[Federev]

Thank you. I wish more ppl had a similar outlook like you instead of the hateful comments I have read on here over the years. This is the attitude the world needs - passion for your thing but respect for all.

Thanks man.

 

[vokazu]

So thats 2 out of over a 1000 matches - whats that a 99.9% humble behavior. So you prove my point. Thank you.

I'm pretty sure a humble person doesn't buy a super yacht nor wear a 2 million dollars watch, let alone put a giant picture of himself in front of his own tennis academy.

 

[Federev]

How very touching.

Certainly no need for you to stop by. Your choice.

But I hope you find your way out of whatever your deal is, Herald/Holmes. It looks dark in there to me.

I’ll take a break from you via ignore for a while.

But I’ll peak back in a while.
Best of luck.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Gross

 

[Federev]

Great post, Federev! I've always enjoyed your posts! Keep them coming!

We have our battles among fans. But when I've gone to the tourneys live, I make sure to see each of the big 3. You have to. They are all special in their own way. And if I met any of you posters in person, I'd be happy to chat, regardless of which player that you root for. We tennis fans are a rare bunch, at least where I come from. So I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie here.

Djokovic is special and I cannot take anything away from what he's done.

Anyway, that's a classy post by the OP. I'd like to see a lot more of these kinds of posts.

Bravo!

Thanks Pheasant. Back at you!

 

[Federev]

Don’t worry, I don’t care.

Thanks. I’ve been worried, actually.

A lot.

But this helps.

 

[jm1980]

What death stare ? He's just waiting lol.

"Waiting" while completely still and not blinking for several seconds

 

[CoolCoolCool]

"Waiting" while completely still and not blinking for several seconds

He's literally waiting and watching what's happening while Kyrgios is arguing with the umpire. What else was he supposed to do, ignore them and look at the stands ?

 

[HFK]

I'm starting to like Novak less.

 

[Holmes]

Certainly no need for you to stop by. Your choice.

But I hope you find your way out of whatever your deal is, Herald/Holmes. It looks dark in there to me.

I’ll take a break from you via ignore for a while.

But I’ll peak back in a while.
Best of luck.

Just when I thought we were besties.

 

[optic yellow]

I'm pretty sure a humble person doesn't buy a super yacht nor wear a 2 million dollars watch, let alone put a giant picture of himself in front of his own tennis academy.

The giant picture one is fine actually as long as the picture is tasteful.

 

[Razer]

what makes you think its fake?

Nadal's humility is not his natural instinct, he has been mentally conditions/trained by Uncle Toni to not break racquets or never sound too cocky because sounding humble always puts less pressure on yourself and more on your opponent, it is a strategy that has been taught to him. He is naturally not humble.

For the record, no true champion on this earth is humble. Underrating oneself is a strategy, not a natural instinct, if it was his natural instinct then he would never be an ATG.

Being too humble is for peasants, not for rulers, the people who rule are always aggressive from within, they just dont show it and so they are called humble, people like Fed showed it in their peak and were called lordly.