Lets talk asterisks with 2020 USO and FO

citybert

Hall of Fame
What are people’s thoughts of the potential winner(s) of the 2020 USO and FO and if they will have any type of mental asterisks when looking at a players career.

FO already has an asterisk with it being clay and USO the past few years have been wrought with injuries leading people to think it was an easier slam. I am more speaking to someone outside of the big 3 winning it, if that will somehow be discounted. But of course slam count with those 3 maybe a big factor with these 2 events if they ever do happen.
 

The Blond Blur

G.O.A.T.
A schlem is a schlem. Whoever wins them will get full credit.

NO EXCUSES NUFF SAID!!!
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I don't think the 2 September slams should be played, but I am almost sure they will be.

Asterisks? Well with the Australian Opens in the 60s and 70s which often had the field of a Challenger event still counting on peoples slam tallies, nope.
 
RG and Wimbledon were played with a two week break for years.
The game is more physical now than ever. The UO and the FO are the two most physical slams. Grass is basically a break after playing clay. It's not the same . Not nearly. Plus these guys have been off from their regular training and playing schedules. Nadal is not in a hurry and neither is Djokovic. They've both been documented as saying so.
 
As far as asterisks, I can't say at this point. We'll have to see how it plays out. It could all be a disaster/borefest. We don't know how it's going to be or how it will be perceived. Not yet.
 
If the two events were to go ahead, I think they are going to be both extremely hard to win. All players are taking a bit of a step into the unknown.

Winning one of these is going to be extremely difficult, winning both would be almost impossible.

I do think players like Nadal, who are used to making big comebacks, are going to have more mental tools to cope with this, but by the same token Nadal has many rituals that he relies on, and the changed match conditions will really challenge him.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
If the two events were to go ahead, I think they are going to be both extremely hard to win. All players are taking a bit of a step into the unknown.

Winning one of these is going to be extremely difficult, winning both would be almost impossible.

I do think players like Nadal, who are used to making big comebacks, are going to have more mental tools to cope with this, but by the same token Nadal has many rituals that he relies on, and the changed match conditions will really challenge him.

Nadal’s rituals are just things he does to f’ck with the other players. He will be fine.

Either he and Djok will split the year’s remaining majors, or he will take them both. Fed should just take the rest of the year off and come out guns blazing for AO.
 

Vanilla Slice

Professional
I think they should suspend the tour for the rest of the year, mostly because Of the insane travel that has to be done now and how everything is so messed up.

I’d watch, but I think I can handle waiting till 2021 for the season to return
 
Nadal’s rituals are just things he does to f’ck with the other players. He will be fine.

Either he and Djok will split the year’s remaining majors, or he will take them both. Fed should just take the rest of the year off and come out guns blazing for AO.

:oops:

I hope you're right.

Are you thinking Novak wins USO and Rafa wins RG?

On the balance of things, it makes sense that Novak adds at least one more USO to his tally there.

Federer is very good at dealing with changed circumstances. If you remember blue clay, I didn't agree with what they did there, but Federer adapted best to the unfamiliar conditions.

He may come out at Australian Open and win beating someone like Zverev, Nadal or Djokovic in the final.
 

Robert F

Hall of Fame
If anyone outside of the Big 3 grab them, less asterisk potential. Especially if it turns out to be the only slam they win.
If they don't modify the rules, less asterisk potential.

If the big 3 win them, I think people from their respective GOAT camps will be throwing asterisks left and right. Maybe the least so if nadal wins RG. The guy owns that place, so it ain't a big surprise.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
:oops:

I hope you're right.

Are you thinking Novak wins USO and Rafa wins RG?

On the balance of things, it makes sense that Novak adds at least one more USO to his tally there.

Federer is very good at dealing with changed circumstances. If you remember blue clay, I didn't agree with what they did there, but Federer adapted best to the unfamiliar conditions.

He may come out at Australian Open and win beating someone like Zverev, Nadal or Djokovic in the final.

I’m thinking Rafa wins RG no matter what. He is the favorite every year until he starts losing to fast-court specialists in Paris.

Either Djok or Rafa wins US.

All the younger players have lost whatever momentum they were building. The status quo benefits from the break, sort of like when Djok or Nadal are losing a match and it gets delayed due to weather or light. The other guy falls back to earth and the top guy regains his nerve. The one big exception was Djok/Querrey Wimbledon 2016.

I expect that when the tour does return, we see Rafa and Djok crushing everyone except for Federer, who will battle gamely to get through both of them but more often than not come up short against Novak. Same sh/t, different year.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
If anyone outside of the Big 3 grab them, less asterisk potential. Especially if it turns out to be the only slam they win.
If they don't modify the rules, less asterisk potential.

I think it’s more the opposite. Asterisks for anyone outside Big 3.
 

ChrisRF

Legend
I don’t see what should be a problem with USO and RG if they take place. The only asterisk in the Slam race would be Wimbledon NOT taking place this year.
 

blablavla

G.O.A.T.
There are no asterisks in tennis. Whoever wins these slams, wins 'em.

you need to go through the basics of TTW.
Please repeat:
weakera, vulturing, Berrettini Open, prime Djokodal, all those Roddicks, Hewitt, Philipousis and Baghdatis
weakera, vulturing, Berrettini Open, prime Djokodal, all those Roddicks, Hewitt, Philipousis and Baghdatis
weakera, vulturing, Berrettini Open, prime Djokodal, all those Roddicks, Hewitt, Philipousis and Baghdatis
weakera, vulturing, Berrettini Open, prime Djokodal, all those Roddicks, Hewitt, Philipousis and Baghdatis
weakera, vulturing, Berrettini Open, prime Djokodal, all those Roddicks, Hewitt, Philipousis and Baghdatis
etc.
 

zagor

Bionic Poster
Well I really wouldn't like it if it was BO3 or some similar BS but other than that, no * as far as I'm concerned.
 
D

Deleted member 770948

Guest
Has there ever been an asterisk in the history of tennis? Nope.
Not even when they played best-of-3-sets in some slams in the 1970s.
"Asterisk" is the biggest myth since "GOAT".
Neither exist, and neither will ever exist.
 

Milanez82

Hall of Fame
This pause is a blessing for top tennis players, they got a real rest, now they have a proper training period so quality will be higher then usual.
 

Robert F

Hall of Fame
When they say 21/22/24 slams for one of the big 3, they sure won't be saying "well John, don't forget one of those has an asterisk."

If the slam count is close and 21/22/24 is pretty close, then I could totally see Chris Fowler on ESPN "Now that the Big 3 has retired, do we truly know who the GOAT is? Nadal clenched 24 slams to take the lead, but don't forget he got the once in a life time back to back slams in 2020 during the covid pandemic. He snagged the US Open and Roland Garros. Don't forget Wimbledon was cancelled and many would argue Federer or Djokovic wouldn't have captured that title." This then allows each camp to debate why their guy should be the GOAT. I think the conversation will get even more complex if there are rule changes--B03 etc.
 

citybert

Hall of Fame
When they say 21/22/24 slams for one of the big 3, they sure won't be saying "well John, don't forget one of those has an asterisk."
I think that’s exactly what they will say. Especially since its so close now and late In their careers. If they were in the single digits maybe
 
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