Long layoffs produce great achievements

Musterrific

Hall of Fame
Roger Federer: After a lengthy injury layoff, from January 2017 to March 2018 unexpectedly won 3 slams, several Masters, and returned to number 1 before his level dropped again.

Raphael Nadal: After a lengthy injury layoff, from May 2017 to August 2018 unexpectedly won 3 slams, several Masters, and returned to number 1 before his level dropped again.

Novak Djokovic: After a lengthy injury layoff and poor results in the first half of the season, from June 2018 to September 2018 unexpectedly won 2 slams and 1 Master, putting himself in the leading position to finish the year as number 1.

This can only mean that the only other multi slam winners during the Fedalovic era who are also returning from long injury layoffs, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, will split all the slams and Masters in 2019! ;)
 

TennisLovaLova

Hall of Fame
You are being naive. Some say these long layoffs are actually silent bans
Once back on the court they're also back on the other stuff
Makes sense
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
McEnroe took a long layoff in 1985-86 after marrying Tatum and never came back to his pre-hiatus level. Borg took a nine year break and came back to lose in the first round of MC and his comeback was a disaster.
 

Musterrific

Hall of Fame
McEnroe took a long layoff in 1985-86 after marrying Tatum and never came back to his pre-hiatus level. Borg took a nine year break and came back to lose in the first round of MC and his comeback was a disaster.

Different circumstances. McEnroe wasn't injured - his layoff was mental. He couldn't stand the fact that someone that he considered vastly inferior to himself in terms of talent, Ivan Lendl, started to dominate their rivalry. It was a long hissy fit, nothing more. Plus even when he decided to come back, he still didn't make the effort to take his training and fitness seriously enough to match Lendl. I'm sure he could have had a much better comeback if he really cared enough.

As for Borg, he wasn't injured either and 9 years away is an eternity - that doesn't even count. Plus he came back with a wooden racquet, which shows you just how serious he was...

And before anyone else has a chance, don't even mention Thomas Muster. He was out of the game for like 15 years before he started his comeback on the challenger tour...
 
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