If Federer fails to...

[Steve0904]

Anything other than a win would suck.

Well yes, but realistically I don't expect him to win.

 

[Red Rick]

At this point, I think Fed is too high up in the rankings that we're too close to Tokyo for Federer to crash and burn so far he himself accepts he's out of contention for the tournaments he wants to win

 

[Primavera]

Do anything in New York this year, will he think about hanging up the racket next year?
He done great while the Djoker was absent from the tour, but he would've had zero success IMO if Djokovic was around playing well.
His days have surely got to be numbered. I just don't see him ever going on a run like 2017 again.

1. Federer cannot decide it at his sole discretion. He has a lot of endorsement obligations, and most of his business is built around tennis. Over the last two years he created a business management agency and a exhibition tournament (may be something else which I don't know about). He has to play in order to promote and stabilize his ventures.

2. Regarding Djokovic. When he was at his best, journalists asked Rafa Nadal whether anything could be done about Djokovic. Rafa's answer was "just wait, he cannot play on this level all his life long". And Djokovic's level dropped for more than 2 years. We can hope that the next meltdown will come earlier and last longer.

 

[Primavera]

Nadal should probably retire. Tennis needs it.

Mother Nature needs you to retire. Definitely and for good.

 

[tacou]

lol, fed, who won a major this year, is done contending for slams?

and novak, who was never going to win a major ever again until a couple weeks ago, is back on top and will never lose to Fed again?

just tryin to keep up with the hot takes here

 

[junior74]

Since their first slam victories...
Nadal has failed to reach QF 13 times. Federer has failed 6 times.

 

[Sport]

Sure, King of Clay Nadal adjusted to the blue clay really well.

We will never know if he could adapt well or bad. The sample size is too little since he only played there once. It is like a traveller who spends one rainy day in Egypt and only one sunny day in Scotland and then cincludes that Egypt has a colder climate than Scotland. Had Nadal played Madrid blue clay 10 times, maybe he would have won there 6 titles. Or Maybe 0. The point is that we will never know.

 

[kevaninho]

Wins AO
Masters final
Point from Wimbledon SF

Yet people here expecting him to retire. Only on TTW

99% of players on tour would kill to have these as their entire career accomplishments.

A couple masters finals is a big achievement when we've had what, 7 masters this year?
Winning 1 slam when there was no one around to remotely challenge him. Wow .
I honestly think he wont be able to handle beatdowns from Novak for much longer, and he will give up.
He isn't winning any big titles while he is around. But if a couple of masters finals and a QF loss at Wimbledon against ' the worst slam finalist opponent ever ' Kevin Anderson is reasonable success to Fed fans, then fair play.

 

[kevaninho]

People need to remember that the AO was 7 months ago. It doesn't matter if hes won a slam this year, his form since then has been absolutely rubbish and hes said so himself im sure.
He was owning Cinci titles most of his career, yet he went out with a whimper in 2018.
This is not me jumping the gun. This has got to be down-heartening to Federer himself, and that's why I say IF he gets KOd like last years USO, he may start questioning if its worth it.

 

[kevaninho]

The bold is a disingenuous statement. The USO has always been the 'fast' HC slam. The fact that it has slowed down over the years, with last year playing like clay, is messed up. Speeding it up is reverting to the norm, not favoring Federer.

There are rumors of it being a little faster this year, but this rumored 'little faster' might just turn it into 'medium-slow' HC instead of 'slow' HC of 2017. It should be 'medium-fast' at the least.

I watch tennis bc I want to see pro players do things in tennis that I cannot. Slow courts where even you, I, Joe, Jane, and Moe can get to the ball with ample time makes pro-tennis a joke! Slow clay is ok. 'Some' slow HC is ok, but the overall slowness throughout the year is killing players a while making pro tennis a drag. We need variety, or tennis might as well be played on HC 100% of the time.

Not another one of these ' USO played like clay last year ' comments

 

[Primavera]

It is easy to get spoiled by his success though. You just expect him to do well at every tournament he enters or even win them all. Realistically though, there will be events in which he does not play well in and events in which he loses earlier than expected.

Federer MUST play like he did in 2006 and achieve the same results, everything else is a failure, a slump, and a meltdown. He ows it to his humble fans who supported him for years

 

[OldschoolKIaus]

I remember 2008 ... lost AO SF against Djokovic, horrible RG and tough loss in WIM ... and he came back at UO like a monster who wants to show them once again of what he is capable of.
Sure 2018 is different and Federer is not a favourite, but I think he will play a fine UO.

For 2019 or 2020? Who knows, I'm pretty sure he will play at least till Tokyo 2020.

Sure, King of Clay Nadal adjusted to the blue clay really well.

 

[Primavera]

The fact that it has slowed down over the years, with last year playing like clay, is messed up.

I watch tennis bc I want to see pro players do things in tennis that I cannot. Slow courts where even you, I, Joe, Jane, and Moe can get to the ball with ample time makes pro-tennis a joke!

Was it playing like clay in 2017 only, or in 2010 and 2013 as well?

Have you ever seen tennis live? If yes, how come you haven't noticed how extremely fast pros are on any surface, including clay, and how monstrously powerful their shots are? You, Joe, Jane, and Moe can get to the ball with ample time only when you are playing against you, Joe, Jane, and Moe. Any pro outside 1000 will annihilate you and your Jane with his bare hands.

 

[hoodjem]

Do anything in New York this year, will he think about hanging up the racket next year?
I just get the impression that hes frustrated by his form just now, and its probably his age ( no shame of course ).
How many more slams will he realistically challenge for now? I really don't see him ever beating Djokovic in slams anymore. He done great while the Djoker was absent from the tour, but he would've had zero success IMO if Djokovic was around playing well.
His days have surely got to be numbered. I just don't see him ever going on a run like 2017 again.

Fed is not doing badly—except by his 2017 (or 2004-07) standards.

He is still ranked world no. 2 at age 37. Not too shabby.

If he does nothing at AO 2019, then start expecting an announcement.

 

[Big_Dangerous]

I forgot about all the times he has won this decade

Nope, you forgot your mind somewhere else before you wandered into this thread. Hope you haven't lost it for good, as it is a terrible thing to waste.

 

[icedevil0289]

Fed is not doing badly—except by his 2017 (or 2004-07) standards.

He is still ranked world no. 2 at age 37. Not too shabby.

If he does nothing at AO 2019, then start expecting an announcement.

to be honest, and credit to fed for sure for hanging on at 36-37, but him being ranked that high despite playing average for most of the year, imo is more of a testament to flop next gen

 

[augustobt]

Jesus, what a pathetic thread. Nadal fans are desperate.

No, he wouldn't think in retire because of that, otherwise he would've thought that anytime in the last 10 years that he didn't won the US Open.

 

[augustobt]

Sports continously evolve. Adapt or die. Federer has to adapt to the current slower USO HC. Nadal and Djokovic don't need to adapt their game to the 1990s because they play in the XXI century. Your argument makes so little sense as demanding Sampras to be adapted to the court conditions of 2008-2018 when he was playing in the 1990s.

Players must adapt to the court conditions of their time. So stop with the excuses.

Funny! So Nadal needs to adapt to XXI century roofs on centre courts too, eh?

 

[Nostradamus]

Do anything in New York this year, will he think about hanging up the racket next year?
I just get the impression that hes frustrated by his form just now, and its probably his age ( no shame of course ).
How many more slams will he realistically challenge for now? I really don't see him ever beating Djokovic in slams anymore. He done great while the Djoker was absent from the tour, but he would've had zero success IMO if Djokovic was around playing well.
His days have surely got to be numbered. I just don't see him ever going on a run like 2017 again.

Not really cause he could have easily have won the Wimbledon title as well this year if he had just gotten by that tall lucky all serve Anderson. so that would have given him 2 majors this year and he could have just taken the rest of the year off

 

[duaneeo]

to be honest, and credit to fed for sure for hanging on at 36-37, but him being ranked that high despite playing average for most of the year, imo is more of a testament to flop next gen

Flop lost gen...those ~ 24 to 28-year-old players who should've removed the Big-3 out of the top-5 years ago.

 

[moonballs]

We will never know if he could adapt well or bad. The sample size is too little since he only played there once. It is like a traveller who spends one rainy day in Egypt and only one sunny day in Scotland and then cincludes that Egypt has a colder climate than Scotland. Had Nadal played Madrid blue clay 10 times, maybe he would have won there 6 titles. Or Maybe 0. The point is that we will never know.

Very mathematically sound argument.

Except a certain little fact that Nadal and Djokovic's threat to boycott blue clay tournament after the inaugural event was conveniently ignored.

How do you adapt to something that you decide to boycott? ? ?

 

[moonballs]

I remember 2008 ... lost AO SF against Djokovic, horrible RG and tough loss in WIM ... and he came back at UO like a monster who wants to show them once again of what he is capable of.
Sure 2018 is different and Federer is not a favourite, but I think he will play a fine UO.

For 2019 or 2020? Who knows, I'm pretty sure he will play at least till Tokyo 2020.

Not sure if he will do great, but I do think writing him off base on the bad performance in the Cincy final is dangerous.

 

[helterskelter]

Nadal should probably retire. Tennis needs it.

You're so 2008.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

You're so 2008.

I'll take vintage!

But remember the old adage: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

it's little more than delayed gratification.

Sooner the better, though. Cripes.

 

[True Fanerer]

I honestly think he wont be able to handle beatdowns from Novak for much longer, and he will give up.
He isn't winning any big titles while he is around.

I see you didn't name Nadal LOL. So I guess Nadal fanbase is depending on Djokovic to take out Fed now. Hilarious.

 

[Druss]

At least Federer gets to Djokovic at the deep end of tournaments when he’s too old or playing crapola. In contrast, Djoker loses to nobodies in the early rounds and hardly ever gets to Fed when their level of play/fitness is reversed.

Edit: Then when Djoker beats Gramperer, he’s GOAT because he owns ‘peak’ Fed....but when Fed beats Djokovic, it’s because he’s a baby or is injured or not motivated or not fit or gluten issues bla bla.

 

[Sudacafan]

Nadal should probably retire. Tennis needs it.

Nadal, Djokovic and Isner should retire. Fed fans need it.
(Isner is not a threat to Fed specifically, but anyway.)
Zed should retire too.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

At least Federer gets to Djokovic at the deep end of tournaments when he’s too old or playing crapola. In contrast, Djoker loses to nobodies in the early rounds and hardly ever gets to Fed when their level of play/fitness is reversed.

Edit: Then when Djoker beats Gramperer, he’s GOAT because he owns ‘peak’ Fed....but when Fed beats Djokovic, it’s because he’s a baby or is injured or not motivated or not fit or gluten issues bla bla.

Nadal fans cling onto Djokovic as much as their hero. Trouble is historically Djokovic and Federer have had a rather balanced rivalry, one taking the lead at certain junctions but overall so-so.

Nadal on the other hand was getting hammered by Novak left and right.

I mean it's insane to ask Federer at his age to lead the H2H against a prime ATG like Novak. But then again they believe he's "at his peak" in his mid 30s so..

 

[Deleted member 743561]

Nadal, Djokovic and Isner should retire. Fed fans need it.
(Isner is not a threat to Fed specifically, but anyway.)
Zed should retire too.

Yeah. Strong arguments can definitely be made either way.

But all are agreed that we should at least be prepared for the eventuality. After all, a mass exodus is incoming.

 

[Sudacafan]

Yeah. Strong arguments can definitely be made either way.

But all are agreed that we should at least be prepared for the eventuality. After all, a mass exodus is incoming.

My purpose is not to make strong arguments. Just arbitrary arguments.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

My purpose is not to make strong arguments. Just arbitrary arguments.

Whatever our respective positions, we all must accept inevitability.

Nothing lasts forever.

 

[Sudacafan]

Whatever our respective positions, we all must accept inevitability.

Nothing lasts forever.

Of course the end will inevitably come, but everybody will have to wait more time than expected/wanted.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

Of course the end will inevitably come, but everybody will have to wait more time than expected/wanted.

Those blasted clocks. They had one job.

 

[hoodjem]

to be honest, and credit to fed for sure for hanging on at 36-37, but him being ranked that high despite playing average for most of the year, imo is more of a testament to flop next gen

Yep, could be.