Novak Djokovic is the only player I can remember whose game became more aesthetic in his older age

[ghostofMecir]

Obviously, “aesthetic” is subjective, but I feel especially his forehand, which has more power on it, and is more compact with less flailing looks just a lot more aesthetic. The same for his serve and of course ball toss — it used to be a little bit all over the place but now it’s just a lot smoother and he can serve to all directions with that same toss like Fedr could. Lastly, his movements at net and his volley technique look a lot smoother as well.

I still personally wouldn’t say that his game is aesthetic (e.g., the overhead, still some of the volleying, movents seem robotic), but it just seems a lot smoother than it used to be even if he’s less explosive and less athletic.

Every other player I can think of seemed more aesthetically pleasing in their younger days, e.g., Sampras, Becker, Edberg, Fedr (serve got smoother though), Rafito, and so on.

 

[TheFifthSet]

‘08 serve + ‘23 groundstrokes would be even more aesthetic.

 

[johnmccabe]

Obviously, “aesthetic” is subjective, but I feel especially his forehand, which has more power on it, and is more compact with less flailing looks just a lot more aesthetic. The same for his serve and of course ball toss — it used to be a little bit all over the place but now it’s just a lot smoother and he can serve to all directions with that same toss like Fedr could. Lastly, his movements at net and his volley technique look a lot smoother as well.

I still personally wouldn’t say that his game is aesthetic (e.g., the overhead, still some of the volleying, movents seem robotic), but it just seems a lot smoother than it used to be even if he’s less explosive and less athletic.

Every other player I can think of seemed more aesthetically pleasing in their younger days, e.g., Sampras, Becker, Edberg, Fedr (serve got smoother though), Rafito, and so on.

Fed looked the best to me after 2015. But there is obviously no objective standard in measuring that. Joker definitely looking better and better over the last few years.

 

[Jonesy]

He refined his style from fire to wind, then earth, and now water.

 

[InsideOut900]

Obviously, “aesthetic” is subjective, but I feel especially his forehand, which has more power on it, and is more compact with less flailing looks just a lot more aesthetic. The same for his serve and of course ball toss — it used to be a little bit all over the place but now it’s just a lot smoother and he can serve to all directions with that same toss like Fedr could. Lastly, his movements at net and his volley technique look a lot smoother as well.

I still personally wouldn’t say that his game is aesthetic (e.g., the overhead, still some of the volleying, movents seem robotic), but it just seems a lot smoother than it used to be even if he’s less explosive and less athletic.

Every other player I can think of seemed more aesthetically pleasing in their younger days, e.g., Sampras, Becker, Edberg, Fedr (serve got smoother though), Rafito, and so on.

‘08 serve + ‘23 groundstrokes would be even more aesthetic.

My favourite groundstroke aestethics were from mid 2011 to 2013, when he started opting for less compact swings compared to early 2011.

His serve in Goran age definitely takes the cake for being eye pleasing.

 

[artdeco]

Agassi still looked good even to the end I think.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Obviously, “aesthetic” is subjective, but I feel especially his forehand, which has more power on it, and is more compact with less flailing looks just a lot more aesthetic. The same for his serve and of course ball toss — it used to be a little bit all over the place but now it’s just a lot smoother and he can serve to all directions with that same toss like Fedr could. Lastly, his movements at net and his volley technique look a lot smoother as well.

I still personally wouldn’t say that his game is aesthetic (e.g., the overhead, still some of the volleying, movents seem robotic), but it just seems a lot smoother than it used to be even if he’s less explosive and less athletic.

Every other player I can think of seemed more aesthetically pleasing in their younger days, e.g., Sampras, Becker, Edberg, Fedr (serve got smoother though), Rafito, and so on.

Hard disagree on Edberg and Sampras though. Their games were beautiful towards the end, which doesn't necessarily mean they were better, of course. Sampras especially; I think his body became the perfect weapon to deliver his game, he was too scrawny at the beginning of his career.

 

[nolefam_2024]

I agree about Nole vs Fed. I hated Federer's ball bashing game after his 2017 comeback. His game lost aestheticism.
Novak's game gained a lot little by little.

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

Bread is the silent killer of beauty.

 

[Bambooman]

Of course it has but there's still something about that sort of flailing marionette enthusiasm in the younger Djokovic that I miss.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Nah

 

[ghostofMecir]

‘08 serve + ‘23 groundstrokes would be even more aesthetic.

I don’t know – I prefer his serve now, as the toss is more consistent, and I see less movement of the head and the rest of the body on contact.

Hard disagree on Edberg and Sampras though. Their games were beautiful towards the end, which doesn't necessarily mean they were better, of course. Sampras especially; I think his body became the perfect weapon to deliver his game, he was too scrawny at the beginning of his career.

Sampras by the end in 2001 and 2002 had slower movements and his backhand had deteriorated; take a look at some of his back hand movement and contact flow in 1992 or 1993 or 1994.

As for Edberg, if we are saying that he is more aesthetically pleasing in 1990 and 1991 compared with 1987 or 1986 then I would agree but definitely not as he got older in 1994 or 1995.

 

[ghostofMecir]

Agassi still looked good even to the end I think.

Once in a generation ball striker from both sides, but to me, his strokes were more free flowing when he was younger and there were things that were sometimes unpredictable about that free flow that I found incredible about his game. Technically speaking, his strokes were as perfect as they can be in 2003, but they were more repetitive in nature, and not as flowing as when he was younger.

Extra note: watching older Agassi practice was an absolute joy as he would put on a clinic in ball striking.

 

[ghostofMecir]

Of course it has but there's still something about that sort of flailing marionette enthusiasm in the younger Djokovic that I miss.

lol

 

[ghostofMecir]

I agree about Nole vs Fed. I hated Federer's ball bashing game after his 2017 comeback. His game lost aestheticism.
Novak's game gained a lot little by little.

I wouldn’t characterize Federer’s post 2016 game as ball bashing; in order to ameliorate for lost movement, he was just taking the ball earlier and earlier and playing incredibly high risk tennis. Some of the matches where he’s standing right on the baseline and half-volleying his one-handed backhand throughout the match is just absolutely wild and implausible coming from someone who played with a one-hander.

 

[nolefam_2024]

I wouldn’t characterize Federer’s post 2016 game as ball bashing; in order to ameliorate for lost movement, he was just taking the ball earlier and earlier and playing incredibly high risk tennis. Some of the matches where he’s standing right on the baseline and half-volleying his one-handed backhand throughout the match is just absolutely wild and implausible coming from someone who played with a one-hander.

It required him losing his soul for me. It was not brainless ball bashing but bashing neverthless. The risk he was taking was huge.

 

[Bartelby]

Djokovic seems sometimes not to be able to lift the ball up to the right height to serve. It seems like something easily fixable.

 

[ghostofMecir]

It required him losing his soul for me. It was not brainless ball bashing but bashing neverthless. The risk he was taking was huge.

To me, the term “bashing” connotes mindless, wild swings and putting everything into it. What Federer did was not that at all, but rather taking the ball earlier and earlier, using basically once in a lifetime hand-eye coordination to pull it off with the single-handed from the backhand side. Lots of people can ball bash and they do — I’ve never seen anybody do what Federer did.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Wilander won the USO in 1988 serving and volleying consistently against Lendl, a radical (and pleasing) aesthetic improvement.

 

[kevin qmto]

God no. Bad taste alert.

 

[djokovic the conqueror]

Djokovic's tennis has always been aesthetically pleasing and even more so today. His willingness to improve every part of his game is second to none.

 

[Rosstour]

Fed looked the best to me after 2015. But there is obviously no objective standard in measuring that. Joker definitely looking better and better over the last few years.

Young Fed definitely looks a lot stiffer than old Fed

 

[Rosstour]

Djokovic seems sometimes not to be able to lift the ball up to the right height to serve. It seems like something easily fixable.

Djoko wins with his legs.

He doesn't have the hands or feet of some other players.