Most Big Final Losses Without A Win

[Lozo1016]

1. Casper Ruud - 6
T-2. Mardy Fish - 5
T-2. Kei Nishikori - 5
T-2. Milos Raonic - 5

Ruud, Nishikori, and Raonic have each won just 1 set total in their Big Final appearances. Milos won the first set in his 2020 Cincinnati final vs Novak, but lost the final 2 sets. Kei won the first set of his 2014 Madrid final vs Nadal, but lost the 2nd set and retired in the 3rd with Nadal up 3-0. Casper really hasn't been close to winning any of the Big Finals he has played in, but managed to win the 3rd set of his 2022 US Open final vs Alcaraz.

Poor Mardy Fish...I didn't realize this, but he had a deciding set in all of the Big Finals he went to. He somehow managed to lose all 5 of them.

Ruud is also the only male player in the Open Era with 3 Grand Slam Final losses without a GS win in his career. Tony Roche lost 3 Slam finals in the Open Era, but he pocketed a FO title before the OE began. A guy like Lendl lost his first 4 GS Finals, but he went on to win quite a few Slams so he was obviously able to get off the list.

I'm hoping Ruud can win some Slams and Big Titles soon so he can hop off these leaderboards!

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

nishikori got unlucky with yet another injury... he had the bull in the bag

 

[MeatTornado]

Half of Ruud's being slam finals makes it so much funnier

 

[Mainad]

nishikori got unlucky with yet another injury... he had the bull in the bag

He did and I thought he was going to win that 1 for sure. Nadal looked like he didn't know how to handle him in that 1st set but then another bloody injury and the rest is history. Never again would Nish come so close to winning his maiden Masters!

 

[socallefty]

Casper the friendly ghost is like a ghost in finals - not really there.

 

[Mainad]

1. Casper Ruud - 6
T-2. Mardy Fish - 5
T-2. Kei Nishikori - 5
T-2. Milos Raonic - 5

Ruud, Nishikori, and Raonic have each won just 1 set total in their Big Final appearances. Milos won the first set in his 2020 Cincinnati final vs Novak, but lost the final 2 sets. Kei won the first set of his 2014 Madrid final vs Nadal, but lost the 2nd set and retired in the 3rd with Nadal up 3-0. Casper really hasn't been close to winning any of the Big Finals he has played in, but managed to win the 3rd set of his 2022 US Open final vs Alcaraz.

Poor Mardy Fish...I didn't realize this, but he had a deciding set in all of the Big Finals he went to. He somehow managed to lose all 5 of them.

Ruud is also the only male player in the Open Era with 3 Grand Slam Final losses without a GS win in his career. Tony Roche lost 3 Slam finals in the Open Era, but he pocketed a FO title before the OE began. A guy like Lendl lost his first 4 GS Finals, but he went on to win quite a few Slams so he was obviously able to get off the list.

I'm hoping Ruud can win some Slams and Big Titles soon so he can hop off these leaderboards!

All of Mardy's 4 Masters finals (2 in Cincy, 1 in IW, 1 in Canada) went the distance, splitting breakers in both Cincy finals against his pal Roddick (2003) and against Fed (2010). He said when he retired that he would have liked to win 1 Masters event. Really sad!

 

[Hitman]

Tough going for Ruud.

Three slams, one YEC and two masters

He loses the Olympics final and he completes the set....

Hopefully he gets one.

 

[Mainad]

Tough going for Ruud.

Three slams, one YEC and two masters

He loses the Olympics final and he completes the set....

Hopefully he gets one.

Maybe time for a tough new coach who can help him get over that elusive line?

 

[nolefam_2024]

Tough going for Ruud.

Three slams, one YEC and two masters

He loses the Olympics final and he completes the set....

Hopefully he gets one.

Hopefully not og

He doesn't deserve gold. He is kind of Ferrer type character.

 

[NeutralFan]

Hopefully not og

He doesn't deserve gold. He is kind of Ferrer type character.

Ferrer was a far better player cricket boy.

 

[socallefty]

It would be really ironic and a cruel joke by the tennis gods if Ruud’s first big title will be Olympic gold while Djokovic who has won everything else is stranded far away from the finish line again in Paris.

 

[LuckyR]

Most Grand Slam final losses? Novak, followed closely (by one) by Roger.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Step it up Caspy, damn

 

[Hitman]

It would be really ironic and a cruel joke by the tennis gods if Ruud’s first big title will be Olympic gold while Djokovic who has won everything else is stranded far away from the finish line again in Paris.

Stranger things have happened.

 

[helterskelter]

nishikori got unlucky with yet another injury... he had the bull in the bag

But your photo just shows why Bull would have been the moral victor even had Nishikori not got injured. After all, it's not very fair that They made Bull play blind. Bull won two games in the first set based on hearing alone!

 

[junior74]

Bad. But losing to Nadovic in RG final is a rule with just one exception:

 

[Shaolin]

He's the Julien Bennetteau of big finals.

 

[Pheasant]

Ruud has done very well to get to finals. He just doesn’t have the weapons to win them. He’s gotten the most out of his talent. The guy doesn’t serve well, isn’t the fastest guy, and has a mediocre backhand. Somebody like that normally doesn’t crack to top-20 in the rankings.

 

[TheGoldenEra1990’s]

and djoker lost to this clown. Ughh

 

[junior74]

Ruud has done very well to get to finals. He just doesn’t have the weapons to win them. He’s gotten the most out of his talent. The guy doesn’t serve well, isn’t the fastest guy, and has a mediocre backhand. Somebody like that normally doesn’t crack to top-20 in the rankings.

But but but... tennis is evolving, right?

 

[a10best]

compared to their competition at the time they should have lost. It's not a knock on them. They're just not as good. well, maybe Raonic could've got one.

 

[Nappa]

Bad. But losing to Nadovic in RG final is a rule with just one exception:

And some put Novak ahead of Wawa on clay.... life is not about plain numbers

 

[Shaolin]

Ruud has done very well to get to finals. He just doesn’t have the weapons to win them. He’s gotten the most out of his talent. The guy doesn’t serve well, isn’t the fastest guy, and has a mediocre backhand. Somebody like that normally doesn’t crack to top-20 in the rankings.

He has an above average serve (can hit over 130 first serves and heavy kick 2nd serves as well) and one of the best FHs on tour. Moya got to world #1 with a similar skill set. Ruud's issue is more mental, he could win RG someday when he stops folding in fnals.

 

[Dominic & Andrey]

Gosh I remember being a Nishikori fan in 2015, and 2016, it was PAINFUL. Still love his game and his BH though.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Most Grand Slam final losses? Novak, followed closely (by one) by Roger.

But this is really a skewed stat. Novak has lost 12 slam finals but he's won 24. Lendl lost 11 slam finals and won 8.

Lendl really should own this.

 

[MichaelNadal]

I do agree with what someone said about Caspy bae in another thread. He's too nice. Doesn't seem to want it bad enough.