Peak Stanislas Wawrinka is the only player who can beat peak Novak Djokovic today?

[abmk]

Djokovic was far from at his best in 2012. In fact, it was one of his worst years since 2011. He only won one grand slam that year, lost to Murray a bunch of times uncharacteristically, including the defeats in 2012 US Open final and Olympic semi-final. Almost lost to Nadal in his best slam that is Australian Open and that was the only slam he won that year.

Roger Federer was at his peak in 2015. He couldn't have played better but still got outplayed and lost to Djokovic. in the Wimbledon final I mean, he produced arguably his best performance ever against Andy Murray in the semi-final, leading up to the final. His serve was on point and Murray, who is one of the best returners ever, couldn't do anything about Federer's serve. It was a masterclass performance in serving and in hitting winners. I can't remember Federer ever having a better performance against Murray, especially on grass. That was the ABSOLUTE pinnacle and peak of Federer, playing with a style that suited him best.

Yet, those same tactics were rendered useless and ineffective against Djokovic. His best attacks, his best shots, his best serves and all the things that were effective and successful against Murray, were futile against Djokovic. Meaning, peak Djokovic > peak Federer on grass. On top of the fact that Djokovic beat him not once, but in two back to back finals.

And on hard courts, the same is the case. Djokovic beat Federer in two back to back hard court grand slams, only a few months between them. Djokovic thoroughly outplayed Federer in the 2015 US Open final where Federer looked totally clueless as to what to do and then did the same a few months later in the 2016 Australian Open Semi.

The truth is, Djokovic has reached a new level that is beyond peak Federer, as much as it pains me to say.

 

[thrust]

I'm a Federer fan but I've come to accept that peak Djokovic > peak Federer at pretty much any surface. Apart from clay maybe. Djokovic is just on another level to Federer. I mean, you can't lose two back to back finals and not be considered inferior by a quite a margin as Federer did against Djokovic in his best tournament (Wimbledon) at 2014 and 2015. Djokovic would probably beat any version of Federer on grass and clay. Sample size is now big enough!

I was never a fan of Federer's personality and am a Novak fan, however, I think to claim that peak Novak is better than peak Federer on any surface is not true.

 

[mwym]

Djokovic and team simply underestimated Wawrinka at the time and how high his peak game can be, and they were caught an guard, not defining a precise strategy/game plan, as Wawrinka did not seem the player needing one tailored especially for him. BUT, losses to Wawrinka was the best thing that could have happen to Djokovic & team at that point in his carier, in order to make this last run he is having right now the best he is capable of. There was nothing in Fedal game at the time to make him any better then he already was. He used what Wawrinka did to him to learn and improve.

These losses that were not supposed to happen, and Becker in his team, being a more offensive player, coaching Djokovic to do the exactly same thing he does, the only thing he is undisputable GOAT at in tennis history, but in 7 or 5 instead of 9,12,15 or even longer rallies and to avoid obsolete 'epic', insalely long matches while still winning, faster turn d/o, by enforcing even greater mental pressure on the opponent, not letting the opponent get into his own rhythm, gaining more games for shorter time - that is what made him being able to come back at the top even stronger and become what he is now.

Losses to Wawrinka are actually a contributor to what we saw at AO19 finals. That is what only the best of best are capable of - to really accept and admit their own mistakes and shortcomings and then truly improve and learn something they did not know to do or thought they do not need to know to do, while being #1 and beating some of the the best players ever. If Djokovic would read that these losses to Wawrinka were bad thing for him, I am sure it would put a smile on his face, with or without a facepalm.