Players who reached top3 in this decade

[Lew II]

Players who reached top3 ranking in this decade, and age they last held their best ranking position:

#1 Federer - 36 years old
#1 Nadal - 33
#1 Djokovic - 32
#1 Murray - 30
#3 Wawrinka - 32
#3 Ferrer - 31
#3 Del Potro - 29
#3 Cilic - 29
#3 Dimitrov - 26
#3 Raonic - 26
#3 Zverev - 22

Early 20s (20-24) --> 1
Late 20s (25-29) --> 4
30s --> 6

 

[Sport]

There is a dichotomy between athletic prime and competitive prime. Only because a player is faster in his early 20s than in his 30s it doesn't follow that he is a better tennis player in his early 20s. Velocity is not everything.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

@Meles

#NextRuins

 

[RS]

Older players are better nowadays on average sure. But the big 3 and most ATGs were better in their 20s than 30s.

 

[Towny]

Age at which OP players first reached their best ranking:

Federer - 22
Nadal - 22
Djokovic - 24
Murray - 29
Wawrinka - 28
Ferrer - 31
Del Potro - 29
Cilic - 29
Dimitrov - 26
Raonic - 25
Zverev - 20

The only player here who could be said to have peaked in his 30s is Ferrer.

Half of these players peaked by the time they were 25 or earlier. Del Potro peaked aged 20 despite not obtaining a top 3 ranking then.

Players are definitely continuing to play at a high level for longer, but I don't think we have sufficient evidence to say they're peaking later. Maybe a couple of years later, but still mid-twenties.

 

[beard]

Age at which OP players first reached their best ranking:

Federer - 22
Nadal - 22
Djokovic - 24
Murray - 29
Wawrinka - 28
Ferrer - 31
Del Potro - 29
Cilic - 29
Dimitrov - 26
Raonic - 25
Zverev - 20

The only player here who could be said to have peaked in his 30s is Ferrer.

Half of these players peaked by the time they were 25 or earlier. Del Potro peaked aged 20 despite not obtaining a top 3 ranking then.

Players are definitely continuing to play at a high level for longer, but I don't think we have sufficient evidence to say they're peaking later. Maybe a couple of years later, but still mid-twenties.

First time they reached best ranking doesn't necessarily mean their peak, as you said in post... It can be last period when they reached best ranking (lews stats)... Its something we can argue about for each player... Foe example you can say that Fed was best at 22yo, I can say at 36 (I'm not saying, just example) and nobody can prove for sure... it's opinions...

However, Lew's list show how good those players were in later stages of their carriers, or for some players try whole careers...

 

[Third Serve]

Age at which OP players first reached their best ranking:

Federer - 22
Nadal - 22
Djokovic - 24
Murray - 29
Wawrinka - 28
Ferrer - 31
Del Potro - 29
Cilic - 29
Dimitrov - 26
Raonic - 25
Zverev - 20

The only player here who could be said to have peaked in his 30s is Ferrer.

Half of these players peaked by the time they were 25 or earlier. Del Potro peaked aged 20 despite not obtaining a top 3 ranking then.

Players are definitely continuing to play at a high level for longer, but I don't think we have sufficient evidence to say they're peaking later. Maybe a couple of years later, but still mid-twenties.

Exactly, there’s nothing new here. Players are still peaking at similar ages (that is, early to mid 20’s) but the difference is that they are now moving out of their peak even more slowly, which is why you still see some old guys at the top even though they aren’t at their best.

 

[Lew II]

Age at which OP players first reached their best ranking:

Federer - 22
Nadal - 22
Djokovic - 24
Murray - 29
Wawrinka - 28
Ferrer - 31
Del Potro - 29
Cilic - 29
Dimitrov - 26
Raonic - 25
Zverev - 20

So outside Big3 the usual age is close to 30.

 

[Towny]

So outside Big3 the usual age is close to 30.

Well, as I said, Del Potro very clearly peaked in 2009 when he was 20. Then you have Zverev at 20/21, Raonic at 25, Dimitrov at 26, Wawrinka at 28, Cilic at 29, Murray at 29, Ferrer at 31. Average of that is 26.

Just as with Del Potro, Murray and Cilic arguably peaked earlier anyway (Cilic with his Wimbledon run and USO slam win in 2014, Murray with his OSG, USO and Wimbledon wins in 2012/2013)

 

[Service Ace]

I love when another user is able to come in and expose Lew for manipulating stats to mislead people. Thank you.

 

[Towny]

First time they reached best ranking doesn't necessarily mean their peak, as you said in post... It can be last period when they reached best ranking (lews stats)... Its something we can argue about for each player... Foe example you can say that Fed was best at 22yo, I can say at 36 (I'm not saying, just example) and nobody can prove for sure... it's opinions...

However, Lew's list show how good those players were in later stages of their carriers, or for some players try whole careers...

Certainly not arguing that players are staying good for longer. Not always true, but has been true for a lot of players in recent years.

I agree the year the player first reached their best ranking isn't always peak, just as their last year at that ranking isn't either. But if we look at their best years:

Federer - 2006 (24/25)
Nadal - highly debatable, but let's say 2010 (23/24)
Djokovic - 2015 (27/28)
Murray - 2016 (28/29)
Wawrinka - 2015 (29/30)
Ferrer - 2013 (30/31)
Del Potro - 2009 (20/21)
Cilic - 2014 (25/26)
Dimitrov - 2017 (25/26)
Raonic - 2016 (25/26)
Zverev - 2018 (20/21)

You may or may not disagree with some of the years I've picked, although I'd like to see why you don't agree. But I certainly don't see evidence that the peak age is on average close to 30

 

[Sport]

Certainly not arguing that players are staying good for longer. Not always true, but has been true for a lot of players in recent years.

I agree the year the player first reached their best ranking isn't always peak, just as their last year at that ranking isn't either. But if we look at their best years:

Federer - 2006 (24/25)
Nadal - highly debatable, but let's say 2010 (23/24)
Djokovic - 2015 (27/28)
Murray - 2016 (28/29)
Wawrinka - 2015 (29/30)
Ferrer - 2013 (30/31)
Del Potro - 2009 (20/21)
Cilic - 2014 (25/26)
Dimitrov - 2017 (25/26)
Raonic - 2016 (25/26)
Zverev - 2018 (20/21)

You may or may not disagree with some of the years I've picked, although I'd like to see why you don't agree. But I certainly don't see evidence that the peak age is on average close to 30

Nadal was an exception in terms of peaking when he was extremelly young, we can say he peaked on all surfaces in 2008. And outside hard courts even before 2008.

 

[Pheasant]

Certainly not arguing that players are staying good for longer. Not always true, but has been true for a lot of players in recent years.

I agree the year the player first reached their best ranking isn't always peak, just as their last year at that ranking isn't either. But if we look at their best years:

Federer - 2006 (24/25)
Nadal - highly debatable, but let's say 2010 (23/24)
Djokovic - 2015 (27/28)
Murray - 2016 (28/29)
Wawrinka - 2015 (29/30)
Ferrer - 2013 (30/31)
Del Potro - 2009 (20/21)
Cilic - 2014 (25/26)
Dimitrov - 2017 (25/26)
Raonic - 2016 (25/26)
Zverev - 2018 (20/21)

You may or may not disagree with some of the years I've picked, although I'd like to see why you don't agree. But I certainly don't see evidence that the peak age is on average close to 30

I'd put Murray at 2012-2013(age 25-26 seasons). Either way, it's a great list.

Nice work, amigo.

 

[DSH]

Nadal was an exception in terms of peaking when he was extremelly young, we can say he peaked on all surfaces in 2008. And outside hard courts even before 2008.

Nadal was better on hardcourts in 2013.
Is not debatable.

 

[Towny]

Nadal was an exception in terms of peaking when he was extremelly young, we can say he peaked on all surfaces in 2008. And outside hard courts even before 2008.

Nadal was indeed somewhat of an exception and I would be of the school of thought that his absolute peak was spring 2008 - spring 2009. So age 22 essentially. In this 1 year period, he won 3 slams, OSG and 5 masters. Nadal has never bettered that and he did it against prime Federer and a decent pre-prime Djokovic and Murray

 

[Towny]

I'd put Murray at 2012-2013(age 25-26 seasons). Either way, it's a great list.

Nice work, amigo.

I personally think Murray's peak 52 week period was essentially Wimbledon 2012 to Wimbledon 2013. But if I had to pick a calendar year, it's hard to argue against 2016

 

[Sport]

Nadal was indeed somewhat of an exception and I would be of the school of thought that his absolute peak was spring 2008 - spring 2009. So age 22 essentially. In this 1 year period, he won 3 slams, OSG and 5 masters. Nadal has never bettered that and he did it against prime Federer and a decent pre-prime Djokovic and Murray

Exactly. And Djokovic himself had dramatically improved from 2007. He was getting much closer to his peak on hard courts in 2008. His 2008 AO title, plus his OG SF, were displays of really great play. I remember that in the Olympics 2008 SF Djokovic played really great. Nadal had to suffer a lot to win that match.

 

[Sport]

Nadal was better on hardcourts in 2013.
Is not debatable.

I am not saying he played better than in 2013.

Just saying that in 2008 he already played some of his best hard court.

Check out his amazing performance in the OG final. He was crushing it with backhand winners, great forehands and running like a cheetah.

 

[Lew II]

Well, as I said, Del Potro very clearly peaked in 2009 when he was 20. Then you have Zverev at 20/21, Raonic at 25, Dimitrov at 26, Wawrinka at 28, Cilic at 29, Murray at 29, Ferrer at 31. Average of that is 26.

Just as with Del Potro, Murray and Cilic arguably peaked earlier anyway (Cilic with his Wimbledon run and USO slam win in 2014, Murray with his OSG, USO and Wimbledon wins in 2012/2013)

Their best ranking was in 2016-18.

Once you accept a criteria you can't change when it doesn't suit you.

We could check the top amount of ATP points reached, but we should do it for all of them.

 

[DSH]

Nadal was indeed somewhat of an exception and I would be of the school of thought that his absolute peak was spring 2008 - spring 2009. So age 22 essentially. In this 1 year period, he won 3 slams, OSG and 5 masters. Nadal has never bettered that and he did it against prime Federer and a decent pre-prime Djokovic and Murray

Nadal overplayed in the early season of 2009, thanks to Uncle Toni.
It cost him a multi slam season and the year-end number 1.
It's a shame!

 

[Lew II]

@Towny

Top ranking points:

Ferrer 31
Wawrinka 30
Djokovic 29
Murray 29
Cilic 28
Nadal 27
Dimitrov 26
Raonic 25/26
Federer 25
Del Potro 21
Zverev 21

We actually shouldn't count Zverev as he's still very young.

 

[RS]

Nadal overplayed in the early season of 2009, thanks to Uncle Toni.
It cost him a multi slam season and the year-end number 1.
It's a shame!

He had not learned how to deal with his tendon issues yet. He managed it better later.

 

[RaulRamirez]

Certainly not arguing that players are staying good for longer. Not always true, but has been true for a lot of players in recent years.

I agree the year the player first reached their best ranking isn't always peak, just as their last year at that ranking isn't either. But if we look at their best years:

Federer - 2006 (24/25)
Nadal - highly debatable, but let's say 2010 (23/24)
Djokovic - 2015 (27/28)
Murray - 2016 (28/29)
Wawrinka - 2015 (29/30)
Ferrer - 2013 (30/31)
Del Potro - 2009 (20/21)
Cilic - 2014 (25/26)
Dimitrov - 2017 (25/26)
Raonic - 2016 (25/26)
Zverev - 2018 (20/21)

You may or may not disagree with some of the years I've picked, although I'd like to see why you don't agree. But I certainly don't see evidence that the peak age is on average close to 30

I agree with your point in the main, although Delpo has been so besieged with injuries, that it's hard to say. It's also very premature to assess Zverev. Dimitrov? Probably as you have him, but I think he confounds most pundits. And statisticians.

 

[NatF]

I agree with your point in the main, although Delpo has been so besieged with injuries, that it's hard to say. It's also very premature to assess Zverev. Dimitrov? Probably as you have him, but I think he confounds most pundits. And statisticians.

Del Potro wasn't able to have a normal career trajectory, how much of his training has been learning to hit backhand again versus improving different facets of his game etc...

I think he definitely had his best year in terms of play in 2009, but he probably would have improved and shown us more without those wrist injuries - we just never got to see it.

 

[RaulRamirez]

Del Potro wasn't able to have a normal career trajectory, how much of his training has been learning to hit backhand again versus improving different facets of his game etc...

I think he definitely had his best year in terms of play in 2009, but he probably would have improved and shown us more without those wrist injuries - we just never got to see it.

Agreed. It's also speculative on our parts as to whether he would have had better seasons than 2009, but I suspect he would have won more slams. (I think my friend Towny would agree that he wasn't a good example for this discussion, although injuries do play a big role in tennis.)

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

Ranking is against the field, which is itself transient. It's a complicated and implicit beast.

 

[NatF]

Agreed. It's also speculative on our parts as to whether he would have had better seasons than 2009, but I suspect he would have won more slams. (I think my friend Towny would agree that he wasn't a good example for this discussion, although injuries do play a big role in tennis.)

I like to think so. Fed thought he was a future #1. We'll never know. One of those players injuries robbed off their potential.

 

[RaulRamirez]

I like to think so. Fed thought he was a future #1. We'll never know. One of those players injuries robbed off their potential.

If it hasn't been done already, that may be a good topic thread: Players most robbed of their potential by injuries - and to keep it sane, no Big 3 nominees!

 

[DSH]

He had not learned how to deal with his tendon issues yet. He managed it better later.

Too late I would say!

 

[Lew II]

I love when another user is able to come in and expose Lew for manipulating stats to mislead people. Thank you.

I'm not manipulating stats.

My stats are real. They can be countered with other stats, though. I'm happy when that happens, it's much better than the eye test thing or the insults.

 

[RS]

Too late I would say!

Helped him in later years even though I feel his love for the game gets in the way to. He used to murder the ball in practice sessions as well.

 

[DSH]

Helped him in later years even though I feel his love for the game gets in the way to. He used to murder the ball in practice sessions as well.

Nadal underperformed on hardcourt between 2009 and 2014. He could have won a couple more Majors on hard courts and several more titles on that surface, the favorite of the tennis circuit for a long time ago.
If only Moya had arrived much earlier ...

 

[RelentlessAttack]

Their best ranking was in 2016-18.

Once you accept a criteria you can't change when it doesn't suit you.

We could check the top amount of ATP points reached, but we should do it for all of them.

Nobody accepts your reductionist criteria though

 

[Lew II]

Peak of ATP points for top5 of this decade who have turned 30 (for young players it's early to judge):

Anderson 32
Ferrer 31
Wawrinka 30
Djokovic 29
Murray 29
Cilic 28
Berdych 28
Davydenko 28
Nadal 27
Tsonga 27
Soderling 26
Nishikori 25
Federer 25
Del Potro 21

 

[Lew II]

Highest win percentage in this decade:

1) 2015 Djokovic 93.18 - age 28
2) 2018 Nadal 91.84 - age 32
3) 2017 Federer 91.23 - age 36
4) 2016 Murray 89.66 - age 29
5) 2012 Ferrer 83.52 - age 31
6) 2011 Soderling 80.85 - age 27
7) 2014 Nishikori 79.41 - age 25
8) 2018 Del Potro 78.33 - age 30
9) 2016 Raonic 75.36 - age 26
10) 2015 Wawrinka 75.34 - age 30

average age 29.5

 

[beard]

I love when another user is able to come in and expose Lew for manipulating stats to mislead people. Thank you.

But, he exposed nothing

Certainly not arguing that players are staying good for longer. Not always true, but has been true for a lot of players in recent years.

I agree the year the player first reached their best ranking isn't always peak, just as their last year at that ranking isn't either. But if we look at their best years:

Federer - 2006 (24/25)
Nadal - highly debatable, but let's say 2010 (23/24)
Djokovic - 2015 (27/28)
Murray - 2016 (28/29)
Wawrinka - 2015 (29/30)
Ferrer - 2013 (30/31)
Del Potro - 2009 (20/21)
Cilic - 2014 (25/26)
Dimitrov - 2017 (25/26)
Raonic - 2016 (25/26)
Zverev - 2018 (20/21)

You may or may not disagree with some of the years I've picked, although I'd like to see why you don't agree. But I certainly don't see evidence that the peak age is on average close to 30

Its good post, I can more or less agree in most...
But, I see Lew's OP just as showing that top players play great at late stages of their carriers... Nothing more...
My personal thought is that most of players in lews list played great even in later stages, specially big 3,who had ups and downs for decade, decade in a half already, but are in top all the time...

 

[guitarra]

Certainly not arguing that players are staying good for longer. Not always true, but has been true for a lot of players in recent years.

I agree the year the player first reached their best ranking isn't always peak, just as their last year at that ranking isn't either. But if we look at their best years:

Federer - 2006 (24/25)
Nadal - highly debatable, but let's say 2010 (23/24)
Djokovic - 2015 (27/28)
Murray - 2016 (28/29)
Wawrinka - 2015 (29/30)
Ferrer - 2013 (30/31)
Del Potro - 2009 (20/21)
Cilic - 2014 (25/26)
Dimitrov - 2017 (25/26)
Raonic - 2016 (25/26)
Zverev - 2018 (20/21)

You may or may not disagree with some of the years I've picked, although I'd like to see why you don't agree. But I certainly don't see evidence that the peak age is on average close to 30

I agree with one remark: Zverev’s peak is most likely ahead of him.

 

[guitarra]

Nadal underperformed on hardcourt between 2009 and 2014. He could have won a couple more Majors on hard courts and several more titles on that surface, the favorite of the tennis circuit for a long time ago.
If only Moya had arrived much earlier ...

I’m not sure he underperformed in every year, especially 2013 stands out as a fantastic year on HC for Rafa.

 

[DSH]

I’m not sure he underperformed in every year, especially 2013 stands out as a fantastic year on HC for Rafa.

Do you think Djokovic's reign in Australia will end by installing the GreenSet surface in the next edition of Happy Slam?

 

[guitarra]

Do you think Djokovic's reign in Australia will end by installing the GreenSet surface in the next edition of Happy Slam?

He’s got 7, that’s more than enough I think. Would be nice if someone new won it but I wouldn’t bet on it. It’s Novak then Rafa as two clear favourites.

 

[ForehandRF]

Do you think Djokovic's reign in Australia will end by installing the GreenSet surface in the next edition of Happy Slam?

Djokovic has had a big amount of success on that surface so I don't see it as an impediment for him at the AO.

 

[BeatlesFan]

I remember that in the Olympics 2008 SF Djokovic played really great. Nadal had to suffer a lot to win that match.

@Sport I remember watching that match live on TV and I'm not sure what you mean. The match was only 2:10 in length and Rafa won 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. I don't remember Nadal suffering at all, the temps weren't hot either. How did Rafa suffer? If anything, it was the other way around.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Do you think Djokovic's reign in Australia will end by installing the GreenSet surface in the next edition of Happy Slam?

The 2016 Rio Olympics were played on GreenSet, which Kei said then was "medium slow." Will that have changed in 4 years? Seems doubtful.