Is Djokovic the most athletic tennis player in history?

it's a tough call imo it's between chang nadal and djokovic these guys are athletic beasts run down for every ball and try their hardest no matter what the score is
 
axel89 said:
it's a tough call imo it's between chang nadal and djokovic these guys are athletic beasts run down for every ball and try their hardest no matter what the score is
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What puts djoker and nadal ahead of chang is that they are 6 ft 2 which is even worse for the opponent with longer reach and more power offensively.
 
Yeah, just because he can make stretches for the ball does not automatically make him the most athletic. And I don't understand all these threads. Isn't "athleticism" in a certain sport defined by how well a player does in that sport? If you go into tennis looking for track and field athleticism, what sense does it make?
 
No, not at all...

He's up there as far as baseliners are concerned, but I think effective S&V and net play takes more athletic ability and explosive movement than today's baseline game.
 
Clay lover said:
Yeah, just because he can make stretches for the ball does not automatically make him the most athletic. And I don't understand all these threads. Isn't "athleticism" in a certain sport defined by how well a player does in that sport? If you go into tennis looking for track and field athleticism, what sense does it make?
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Not exactly.

The women's game is a better gauge because there is still relatively large differentials in power and/or athleticism. Lindsay Davenport for example was not that athletic at all, but she had incredible power and great ground stroking ability. On the other hand players like Venus Williams and Graf in their primes were great athletes and had power. Venus Williams took athleticism to a new level in women's tennis, that I've yet to see be matched.
 
Quite probably.

He can contort his body into all kinds of weird and impossible looking positions and angles that I have never seen any other player able to do.
His rubbery body and ultra-flexible joints is the main reason why he can stretch and twist to reach and retrieve all kinds of balls that would be impossible for anyone else and hence why he is the clear no.1 returner in tennis today.
 
McEnroeisanartist said:
Federer is. So fluid. Few injuries. Plays entire seasons.
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Although Federer doesn't look like a great athlete since he's rather "average" looking (similar to the average person's body build), he's actually a great athlete underneath it all. He's had barely any injuries and has played entire seasons for years without a break.
 
Definitely Monfils is up there.

Edberg as well, S&V is a punishing type of play and he did it for a while.

Safin looked super atheltic for not working out much and being so big.

Doesn't Nadal always say he is just a 5.0 that has superior mental capacity for the game. (i know spain doesn't use NPTR) /sarcasm

The truth is the most atheltic(and coordinated) kid in school usually doesn't play tennis anymore. It's soccer(ex US) and basketball or football if in the US. And event hen Golf still trumps if you have the means to play it.
 
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zagor said:
For me the most athletic tennis player I've ever seen was Pete Sampras, that said it seems everyone has their own definition of athleticism.
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+1 on Pete and the fact that everyone has their own defintion.

To me atleticism is how well their abilities would translate to other sports and I can see Pete as a point guard, short stop, or even a quarterback. great quickness, leaping ability and hand-eye coordination.
 
Questionable. I'd say he's the most flexible athlete in tennis history, but Roger is the best all around athlete. He can do the Djokovic defensive thing in his prime and he can execute shots(overhead backhand smash) with such fluidity and force that Djokovic can't. Also there is that "great liquid whip" of a forehand that Djokovic doesn't possess either. It's a special brand of kinetic chain movement that only Federer has.
 
smoledman said:
Questionable. I'd say he's the most flexible athlete in tennis history, but Roger is the best all around athlete. He can do the Djokovic defensive thing in his prime and he can execute shots(overhead backhand smash) with such fluidity and force that Djokovic can't. Also there is that "great liquid whip" of a forehand that Djokovic doesn't possess either. It's a special brand of kinetic chain movement that only Federer has.
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No he cannot, Djoker is the only one who can turn being in an extreme defensive position into an attacking one while fed will slice it back in this situtation to get the rally at a netural level. BIG DIFFERENCE
 
Yes,

he will continue to win with superior flexibility, agility and mental composure. Novak Djokovic is THE best. Write that down.
 
While DJ is the most flexible, and possibly the best tennis player, I'd take Monfils, Blake, even Chang, Edberg, Sampras, Fed as better athletes.
Yoga poses do not a tennis player make.
 
axel89 said:
it's a tough call imo it's between chang nadal and djokovic these guys are athletic beasts run down for every ball and try their hardest no matter what the score is
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What about Lendl?
 
A couple of years ago Djoko couldn't even complete matches so that does not say much about his athleticism.

This award still belongs to Nadal.
 
djokovic2008 said:
No he cannot, Djoker is the only one who can turn being in an extreme defensive position into an attacking one while fed will slice it back in this situtation to get the rally at a netural level. BIG DIFFERENCE
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Djoker is great, but I think Federer and Nadal could smack winners from defensive positions as well. Federer at his peak and Nads 2005-2008.
 
Djoko is in his prime and a great athlete; but definately not most athletic ever. Borg, Federer, and Nadal were all equal or better athletes in their prime years. 2006 and 2007 Federer was like watching silk in motion but with power. The year Nadal won the French without losing a set and beat Fed something like 3,2,1 in the final - Nadal was an absolute beast.
 
You do know that the best athlete in tennis history was probably ranked 50-60 in the 1990s or something, right?
 
Old thread, and this has been discussed on other threads as well. If we separate pure racquet skills and court sense, and count the rest -- size, speed, strength, agility, leaping, etc - as athleticism, I'd probably put Rafa at the top, but this is hard to assess. Fed would rank very high, as would Novak, Monfils, Sampras, Borg in some aspects, etc. Along with Monfils, among non-ATGs, Dimitrov also comes to mind.
 
Nadal would be 1A and Djokovic would be 1B...

These are two guys that would probably excel in other sports. True athleticism means you're versatile. I believe Rafa and Djokovic are fairly proficient at Football and Golf. Djokovic even made a 3 pointer on his first try when he visited the Los Angeles Lakers.
Followed by Monfils, Murray, Borg, Sampras, etc.

The most athletic person in the world at the moment is Lebron James however. He is 35 and dominating younger players with his physical abilities. He stands 6'9 and is faster, stronger, jumps higher, and is more balanced than any of the greatest tennis players. Not to mention he has ridiculous hand-eye coordination to back it up:


Even as a Federer fan I can't say that Federer would be among the best. He has great twitch volleys and an overhead, but I would say his athleticism is more a product of his insane reaction times.
 
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Didn't Djokovic himself say Monfils is the best athlete in ATP? There's a video of that!

Federer is a outstanding tennis player. But athleticism means speed, endurance, strength, flexibility, etc. Com'on, Fed is not outstanding in that!
 
I wouldn't say Djokovic is the most athletic, but there's a case to be made that he's the most unique athlete in tennis history. You wouldn't expect a player who's taller than average to be the most flexible, agile player in the world. His pure speed, though, is probably only a little better than average. And there's no way he's as explosive as Pete, young Fed, Rafa, or Monfils.

Imo, Novak's biggest strength is his mind. Both in terms of "mental strength" and strategic acumen. He looks a lot faster than he really is because his mind is always one step ahead of his opponents'.
 
daggerman said:
I wouldn't say Djokovic is the most athletic, but there's a case to be made that he's the most unique athlete in tennis history. You wouldn't expect a player who's taller than average to be the most flexible, agile player in the world. His pure speed, though, is probably only a little better than average.

Imo, Novak's biggest strength is his mind. Both in terms of "mental strength" and strategic acumen. He looks a lot faster than he really is because his mind is always one step ahead of his opponents'.
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Monfils is taller and as flexible.
 
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