Injuries robbed them of GS

[Olli Jokinen]

Edit: Lots of players could have been contenders – but a lot were taken out by injuries. Who could have been GS winners if they had stayed fit? I'm not looking for players who have actually won GS.

Kent Carlsson – had a couple os FO's in him
Alberto Mancini – same thing
Mecir – could have won anything
Phillipoussis – Wimby, USO

Of course, Marcelo Rios.

Others: Joachim Johansson, Magnus Norman, Robin Söderling, maybe Magnus Larsson. Ok, lots of Swedes. But they had potential.

Who else?

 

[onehandbh]

Thomas Muster.
Had he not gotten hit by a car, I think he would have won more French Opens and possibly a grand slam on a hardcourt.

 

[Olli Jokinen]

Ok, but he still won one.

 

[Dan Lobb]

.....................

 

[boredone3456]

All of the ones mentioned are good...Maybe Tommy Haas? not sure her really could have won one but his issues certainly screwed him a lot

 

[Olli Jokinen]

Not on hard court, he was lost when he met good S/V guys. Edberg kicked Muster's ass every time even on clay.

 

[Olli Jokinen]

All of the ones mentioned are good...Maybe Tommy Haas? not sure her really could have won one but his issues certainly screwed him a lot

Haas is a good choice.

 

[Stretchy Man]

Nalbandian really should have won a major.

 

[NicoMK]

Henri Leconte maybe. Had a phenomenal left arm but had troubles with his back several times in his career. Had the potential to win at least one... and strong (strongest?) field at that time : Lendl, Becker, Wilander, McEnroe, Edberg, Cash... and later in his career, young Sampras, Courier etc. should I continue?

 

[Olli Jokinen]

Henri Leconte maybe. Had a phenomenal left arm but had troubles with his back several times in his career. Had the potential to win at least one... and strong (strongest?) field at that time : Lendl, Becker, Wilander, McEnroe, Edberg, Cash... and later in his career, young Sampras, Courier etc. should I continue?

Yes, I forgot that he was injured a lot.

 

[BGod]

JJ gets at least 2 Slams.

 

[The Shape-shifter]

Don't forget Richard Krajicek

 

[BGod]

Don't forget Richard Krajicek

I mean yes, but he had his fair share of chances he just didn't capitalize on. When I think of a health Delpo, Nalbandian or Soderling I think of multiple Slam runs with some certainty. Krajicek lost too many tiebreaks to guys like Henman, Kafelnikov and matches like 1st Round of 96 USO against Edberg. He had match-up issues so I only see maybe 2 Slams given the right draw. Too many people also forget his 96 run after Sampras saw him beat Stoltenberg and Washington. The Stich-Sampras beatdowns were quite something but those are still damn easy SF-F opponents.

 

[The Shape-shifter]

I think of multiple Slam runs with some certainty. Krajicek lost too many tiebreaks to guys like Henman, Kafelnikov and matches like 1st Round of 96 USO against Edberg. He had match-up issues so I only see maybe 2 Slams given the right draw. Too many people also forget his 96 run after Sampras saw him beat Stoltenberg and Washington. The Stich-Sampras beatdowns were quite something but those are still damn easy SF-F opponents.

He seemed to get more injuries than anyone of his time, and I think it also affected his consistency in the long run. And the 1990s did not have many of today's modern medical technology. Just look at Raonic, recovered early last year but by now still below his 2016 form.
Anyway, I think a healthy and consistent Krajicek , although not being an ATG, could have become a fast court equivalent of Courier or Stan (like 2 Wimbledon + 1 or 2 USO).

When I think of a health Delpo, Nalbandian or Soderling I think of multiple Slam runs with some certainty

Soderling on clay only. On hard court Fed squashed him like a bug. He would have lost to the likes of Murray on hard.
Nalby, yeah, on hard court, both AO and USO. He should have got to the AO06 final, where he was most consistent. A very big problem with Nalby was his ethic, especially during an increasingly professional era of tennis, which no amount of medical and sport science could have corrected.
Delpo without wrist injury, well, hard and maybe clay, but on grass no more than SF. Can't see him actually beating the big 4 on grass.

 

[BGod]

Soderling on clay only. On hard court Fed squashed him like a bug. He would have lost to the likes of Murray on hard.
Nalby, yeah, on hard court, both AO and USO. He should have got to the AO06 final, where he was most consistent. A very big problem with Nalby was his ethic, especially during an increasingly professional era of tennis, which no amount of medical and sport science could have corrected.
Delpo without wrist injury, well, hard and maybe clay, but on grass no more than SF. Can't see him actually beating the big 4 on grass.

That's the sad thing about Soderling, he was actually great on all surfaces. He nearly beat Nadal on grass in 2007. So no, I think clay was his stepping stone but he would have been viable on hard and even grass if draw opened up. If health 2011-2015 there's some serious runs there.

Nalbandian was troubled with choking. But just to see some of his wins in 2007 after all his injuries, I can only imagine him for 2008-2012 he'd be tearing it up. No Novak 2011 season, Fed doesn't get such easy path from 2009-2010. It seriously shakes up things.

People talk about the Big Era as this Golden Age but I see it for what it actually is, an era where other would be greats are just absent. Clay is just the most pathetic thing I think we'll ever see on tour with Nadal going unchallenged in all but 2 seasons. I mean common, Borg faced a 5 setter in 4 of his Wimbledon runs. Mind you Nadal is probably at 7-8 titles but things are different.

I think Wawrinka and Andy probably suffer the most. They don't have as many deep runs, well for Andy.

 

[Olli Jokinen]

Don't forget Richard Krajicek

But he still won one.

 

[10 iS_fun]

Nadal.
He would be 25 GS without his injuries.

 

[PDJ]

Helena Sukova was probably unlucky that she had three all-time greats to contend with (Evert, Navratilova and Graf) and mercurial talents such as Mandlikova to contend with.

 

[brystone]

Helena Sukova was probably unlucky that she had three all-time greats to contend with (Evert, Navratilova and Graf) and mercurial talents such as Mandlikova to contend with.

Maybe, but I am not sure it is a safe bet she wins a slam in any era. I cant even say in a weak field like today for certain, as unfortunately the court conditions would be heavily against her playing style. In a hypothetical she had her prime when Halep, Kerber, and Wozniacki were the #1s and the conditions were relatively fast she would be a sure bet for a slam and probably multiple, but that is a never existing situation.