Nadal must be the biggest favourite to win a slam in history

Terry Tibbs

Terry Tibbs

Hall of Fame
Has there ever been more of a foregone conclusion than Nadal winning FO 2018? I really can't think of any. The only thing that will stop this is an injury. Just give him his 17th slam now! I would even go as far as saying him not dropping a set is almost just as much of a certainty. Federer's slam count is under threat I feel as I think Nadal can win this FO and at least another 2 more FO's. And surely he has a shot at another hard court slam somewhere. Federer perhaps unlikely to add to his?
 
Terry Tibbs said:
Has there ever been more of a foregone conclusion than Nadal winning FO 2018? I really can't think of any. The only thing that will stop this is an injury. Just give him his 17th slam now! I would even go as far as saying him not dropping a set is almost just as much of a certainty. Federer's slam count is under threat I feel as I think Nadal can win this FO and at least another 2 more FO's. And surely he has a shot at another hard court slam somewhere. Federer perhaps unlikely to add to his?
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You’re talking about the guy that won 3 of the last 4 Slams he participated in and lost the total of two sets in the last 2 Slams he won? That guy?
 
Terry Tibbs said:
Has there ever been more of a foregone conclusion than Nadal winning FO 2018? I really can't think of any. The only thing that will stop this is an injury. Just give him his 17th slam now! I would even go as far as saying him not dropping a set is almost just as much of a certainty. Federer's slam count is under threat I feel as I think Nadal can win this FO and at least another 2 more FO's. And surely he has a shot at another hard court slam somewhere. Federer perhaps unlikely to add to his?
Click to expand...

Yes.Novak RG 2015 - He was at its peak,played unreal tennis and Everybody expected him to win,Nadal was not in good form back then and he lost to Stan wow
 
You jinxed him...
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Terry Tibbs said:
Has there ever been more of a foregone conclusion than Nadal winning FO 2018? I really can't think of any.
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McEnroe over Lewis at Wimbledon in 1983.

Obviously Rafa is the prohibitive favorite at RG this year, but he'll be 32 when the final is played, which is ancient for tennis standards. That alone makes it less of a foregone conclusion than some other slam finals of the past. Agassi-Schuetler at the AO was another foregone conclusion.
 
StANDAA said:
You’re talking about the guy that won 3 of the last 4 Slams he participated in and lost the total of two sets in the last 2 Slams he won? That guy?
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Yes but that guy is 37 in a few months and coming to the end of his career so you would have to question his chances of adding many more, if any slams to his count. Nadal however is 5 years younger and given the current tennis landscape is very likely to add to his. Another 3 FO's is a huge possibility and that alone takes him to within 1 if Federer doesn't win any more.
 
Terry Tibbs said:
Yes but that guy is 37 in a few months and coming to the end of his career so you would have to question his chances of adding many more, if any slams to his count. Nadal however is 5 years younger and given the current tennis landscape is very likely to add to his. Another 3 FO's is a huge possibility and that alone takes him to within 1 if Federer doesn't win any more.
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Possibly. But we've been hearing about how Rafa was bound to end up with the slam record since 2009. Perhaps some of his fans should wait until he actually does it before starting the celebrations?
 
BeatlesFan said:
McEnroe over Lewis at Wimbledon in 1983.

Obviously Rafa is the prohibitive favorite at RG this year, but he'll be 32 when the final is played, which is ancient for tennis standards. That alone makes it less of a foregone conclusion than some other slam finals of the past. Agassi-Schuetler at the AO was another foregone conclusion.
Click to expand...

You are talking about finals here. I'm talking about likelyhood of winning the tournament before a ball has been struck.
 
BeatlesFan said:
McEnroe over Lewis at Wimbledon in 1983.

Obviously Rafa is the prohibitive favorite at RG this year, but he'll be 32 when the final is played, which is ancient for tennis standards. That alone makes it less of a foregone conclusion than some other slam finals of the past. Agassi-Schuetler at the AO was another foregone conclusion.
Click to expand...
Precisely. Right now Nadal stands clear because a lot of the best clay courters coming back from injury and have not had the great start of Nadal nor the advantage of getting some great Davis Cup warmup. Nadal looks set to cleanup in Barcelona this weekend, but we may get a surprise (someone taking a set and then hope will start.:D)

Nadal in form has always been a slam dunk for RG except perhaps 2009 and 2011. Somebody might derail the ride to 11.
 
Nadal would already have won 14 RG if he had started playing at age 14. The guy was born with an innate talent and had practiced since early childhood on clay. Nadal won the first Roland Garros he participated in. Rafael commited a giant mistake: he should have started to play in the professional tour much sooner.
 
Terry Tibbs said:
Has there ever been more of a foregone conclusion than Nadal winning FO 2018? I really can't think of any. The only thing that will stop this is an injury. Just give him his 17th slam now! I would even go as far as saying him not dropping a set is almost just as much of a certainty. Federer's slam count is under threat I feel as I think Nadal can win this FO and at least another 2 more FO's. And surely he has a shot at another hard court slam somewhere. Federer perhaps unlikely to add to his?
Click to expand...

Nadal and Anderson at 2017 USO must come close.
 
Sport said:
Nadal would already have won 14 RG if he had started playing at age 14. The guy was born with an innate talent and had practiced since early childhood on clay. Nadal won the first Roland Garros he participated in. Rafael commited a giant mistake: he should have started to play in the professional tour much sooner.
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He would’ve started competing at RG in 2003 but wasn’t he injured during CC season two years in a row?
 
BeatlesFan said:
McEnroe over Lewis at Wimbledon in 1983.

Obviously Rafa is the prohibitive favorite at RG this year, but he'll be 32 when the final is played, which is ancient for tennis standards. That alone makes it less of a foregone conclusion than some other slam finals of the past. Agassi-Schuetler at the AO was another foregone conclusion.
Click to expand...


No, it does not! Not when you are so much better on clay and the rest of the field is leagues behind you on that surface. Which chump is going to beat him at the FO?
 
Terry Tibbs said:
Has there ever been more of a foregone conclusion than Nadal winning FO 2018? I really can't think of any. The only thing that will stop this is an injury. Just give him his 17th slam now! I would even go as far as saying him not dropping a set is almost just as much of a certainty. Federer's slam count is under threat I feel as I think Nadal can win this FO and at least another 2 more FO's. And surely he has a shot at another hard court slam somewhere. Federer perhaps unlikely to add to his?
Click to expand...

Nobody has shown anything to rival him.
Who is the second favourite right now?
 
Maybe McEnroe before 1984 Wimbledon. Borg was retired, Lendl was at his weakest on grass. Becker, Edberg not there yet. That leaves Connors, but McEnroe was on an ownage streak against him - 5 matches in a row and 13 consecutive sets. (1986 winner Cash had his breakthrough and unexpectedly reached the semifinal, but went down in straights 6-4 7-6 6-3.)
 
BeatlesFan said:
McEnroe over Lewis at Wimbledon in 1983.

Obviously Rafa is the prohibitive favorite at RG this year, but he'll be 32 when the final is played, which is ancient for tennis standards. That alone makes it less of a foregone conclusion than some other slam finals of the past. Agassi-Schuetler at the AO was another foregone conclusion.
Click to expand...

32 is ancient for tennis standards but then again I've never seen an ATG in good of a shape as Nadal is at 32. One might as well expect to see him triple bageling the opposition at the FO so for once the OP has a point.

The guy has barely played a full season since 2011 (while his rivals grinded themselves) and is now reaping the benefits, has a lot left in the tank to chase Fed's slam count.
 
cc0509 said:
That's the ultimate question. Everybody thought it was Thiem but based on his current level of play on clay, it can't be him. That's a joke.
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Hopefully Thiem, Novak, Zverev or Delpo can challenge him (take sets atleast) in Madrid and Rome so things become clearer.
 
rainingaces said:
Hopefully Thiem, Novak, Zverev or Delpo can challenge him (take sets atleast) in Madrid and Rome so things become clearer.
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Is Del Potro playing in Madrid and Rome? Novak won't challenge Nadal. He's nowhere near the level needed to do so, IMO.
 
rainingaces said:
Hopefully Thiem, Novak, Zverev or Delpo can challenge him (take sets atleast) in Madrid and Rome so things become clearer.
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No to the first three, not even close. Delpo has a very small chance if he's even playing, he has been complaining recently about how clay requires him to run more and hit an extra shot.
 
Chadillac said:
I expect him to take the 2nd half of the year off with another silent ban. The french open lets players fail tests, even finals.
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Maybe after the USO but he'd be a favorite for the USO if he stays healthy and in good form.

He's going after the slam count. Do people not understand that? :rolleyes: He wants it.
 
cc0509 said:
Is Del Potro playing in Madrid and Rome? Novak won't challenge Nadal. He's nowhere near the level needed to do so, IMO.
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ATP website has him down as having entered. I hope Novak can do something in Madrid/Rome I still have a small hope he can make a run.
 
cc0509 said:
Maybe after the USO but he'd be a favorite for the USO if he stays healthy and in good form.

He's going after the slam count. Do people not understand that? :rolleyes: He wants it.
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Nah, theses are the slowest courts in the history of tennis. He wont be nearly as effective on faster surfaces.

It looks like boys 14's on hardcourts, its that slow
 
Here are some other examples of near 100% Slam favorites
Nadal RG 2010
Djokovic AO 2016
Federer USO 2006, 07, AO07, Wimbledon 06
 
Thiem is obviously not the second favourite based on his level, Djokovic’s form is still a mess and Delpo might not play at all. And Zverev is hardly making a final at RG.

If we exclude these players, then what’s left is a joke. PCB might as well become the second favourite for RG and he is a f*cking meme.
 
StANDAA said:
Thiem is obviously not the second favourite based on his level, Djokovic’s form is still a mess and Delpo might not play at all. And Zverev is hardly making a final at RG.

If we exclude these players, then what’s left is a joke. PCB might as well become the second favourite for RG and he is a f*cking meme.
Click to expand...
Don’t let your memes be dreams.
 
King No1e said:
Here are some other examples of near 100% Slam favorites
Nadal RG 2010
Djokovic AO 2016
Federer USO 2006, 07, AO07, Wimbledon 06
Click to expand...
Wimbledon 2006 came to my mind also.

I know Nadal won a set in the final, but BEFORE the tournament people did not really expect him to challenge on grass.

Still, upsets happen more easily on grass, and I would say Nadal is still a stronger favourite for RG this year than Fed was for Wimbledon in 2006.

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
 
BeatlesFan said:
McEnroe over Lewis at Wimbledon in 1983.

Obviously Rafa is the prohibitive favorite at RG this year, but he'll be 32 when the final is played, which is ancient for tennis standards. That alone makes it less of a foregone conclusion than some other slam finals of the past. Agassi-Schuetler at the AO was another foregone conclusion.
Click to expand...

We talking about favorite when still a month to go for actual event. Being favorite going in the final is different thing altogether.
 
I think Fed was equally favorite for all slans outside FO until end of 2007. Tour was in dire state and there was hardly anyone challenging Federer.
 
Plamen1234 said:
Yes.Novak RG 2015 - He was at its peak,played unreal tennis and Everybody expected him to win,Nadal was not in good form back then and he lost to Stan wow
Click to expand...

Novak 2015 RG still had not won the event, despite taking out Nadal in the QFs. (who was in poor form that year)
Stan as the 8th seed was still a very dangerous opponent, most Djoker fans were aware of that before the match.
On the OP, AO 2006 stands out as another NID, a big run by a then no-name, only to be snuffed out in the final by Fed.
 
Bull struggled at some extent against klizan and garcia (very low extent, but struggle is after all a struggle) in the 7th and 8th atp clay match of his season...
Its only going to increase and not decrease...
RG is still in june
People are giving him RG w/o loss of a set, forgetton he was set points down vs klizan!!! And serve hold is not strong.. but he masks it by breaking straight back
Still bull has not faced a big hitter, it can trouble him very seriously
But all these signs and still bull is winning, shows clearly that clay field is more depleted than nadal himself
 
ForumMember said:
I think Fed was equally favorite for all slans outside FO until end of 2007. Tour was in dire state and there was hardly anyone challenging Federer.
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You mean like now? No one is challenging Nadal. It's hilarious how Nadal is now the biggest weak era champion.

Bwa ha ha.
 
Meles said:
Precisely. Right now Nadal stands clear because a lot of the best clay courters coming back from injury and have not had the great start of Nadal nor the advantage of getting some great Davis Cup warmup. Nadal looks set to cleanup in Barcelona this weekend, but we may get a surprise (someone taking a set and then hope will start.:D)

Nadal in form has always been a slam dunk for RG except perhaps 2009 and 2011. Somebody might derail the ride to 11.
Click to expand...

What about Thiem?
 
HetTheGreaterer said:
Bull struggled at some extent against klizan and garcia (very low extent, but struggle is after all a struggle) in the 7th and 8th atp clay match of his season...
Its only going to increase and not decrease...
RG is still in june
People are giving him RG w/o loss of a set, forgetton he was set points down vs klizan!!! And serve hold is not strong.. but he masks it by breaking straight back
Still bull has not faced a big hitter, it can trouble him very seriously
But all these signs and still bull is winning, shows clearly that clay field is more depleted than nadal himself
Click to expand...

There do seem to be some signs that players are not lying down and asking for a quick death in quite the way they were in Monte Carlo. Unlikely this will result in him sustaining many (if any) losses but he may have a few tougher matches as season progresses
 
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