Poll: Toughest AO Final for Djokovic

[Berrettini_Fan]

Which was it? There are 4 Finals I think he was definitely tested and pushed to the brink:

2008: His first GS Final. Lost first set to Tsonga and needed tiebreaker in fourth set to seal it.
2012: 4-2, 30-15, backhand down the line...you know the story.
2013: If it weren't for a feather, Murray would've had a 2-set lead.
2020: Thiem was up 2 sets to 1 but couldn't close.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Is this a joke? 2021 Wimbledon final is the toughest AO final for Djokovic

 

[NatF]

2012. Most physically demanding and the highest level.

 

[Kralingen]

2023 Tsitsipas deserves a mention

 

[Hitman]

Federer vs Djokovic deserved to be at least one AO final.

16 AO between them, and they never played a final together.

 

[Berrettini_Fan]

Is this a joke? 2021 Wimbledon final is the toughest AO final for Djokovic

The final vs Berrettini at Wimbledon is his toughest AO final? That makes no sense.

 

[Berrettini_Fan]

2023 Tsitsipas deserves a mention

Straight sets loss deserves no mention. Even 2021 Wimbledon Final is more worthy of a mention than 2023 AO Final.

 

[StrongRule]

Straight sets loss deserves no mention. Even 2021 Wimbledon Final is more worthy of a mention than 2023 AO Final.

It's a joke. Djokovic fans just kept describing Tsitsipas then as "GOAT in any other era".

 

[Kralingen]

Straight sets loss deserves no mention. Even 2021 Wimbledon Final is more worthy of a mention than 2023 AO Final.

That was his latest final vs the most evolved players. Tsitsipas has had access to the most up to date training tactics and recovery techniques.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Lol he was 4 shots away from never getting up again in 2012.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Do you understand how petty it sounds

Oh a feather drop lost my concentration..

This is child like.

 

[inflation_era]

2007 AO

 

[Berrettini_Fan]

Do you understand how petty it sounds

Oh a feather drop lost my concentration..

This is child like.

We cannot allow for human frailty to bias the closeness of the match.

 

[dking68]

2023 Tsitsipas deserves a mention

lol.

 

[dking68]

2023 Tsitsipas deserves a mention

Man I remember when he made it to the final. He was lucky to get past Sinner. Sinner was the better player in that 5 setter and lost. Would’ve been interesting to see Sin play Novak in the final although I think the result would’ve been straight sets as well.

 

[Holmes]

Federer vs Djokovic deserved to be at least one AO final.

16 AO between them, and they never played a final together.

Roger wasn't a good challenge for Novak down under. Any final between them would have been very underwhelming. Maybe 4 if Roger was really feeling it like in 2016 when he peaked at that tournament, but more likely, straights.

 

[FlyingSaucer]

Federer vs Djokovic deserved to be at least one AO final.

16 AO between them, and they never played a final together.

Yep. This is a lament of mine. Should've played a final at both HC slams. Darn.

 

[The Blond Blur]

A lowly CC specialist gave Joker his toughest challenge in an AO F?

What it tells us?

 

[Winner Sinner]

First place the 2012 final, second place the 2020 one.

I would rather ask myself which was the easiest.
And here I would probably say the one with Nadal in 2019.

In practice the two finals with Nadal can be considered the most complicated and the simplest.

 

[Holmes]

A lowly CC specialist gave Joker his toughest challenge in an AO F?

What it tells us?

While Deity himself begged, borrowed, and stole to nab a set.

 

[RS]

A lowly CC specialist gave Joker his toughest challenge in an AO F?

What it tells us?

That Djokovic let it get tough on purpose to show the tennis world he was the best.

 

[chjtennis]

AO 12 is the most brutal match of tennis I've ever seen. Both could barely stand up after that match.

 

[MeatTornado]

A lowly CC specialist gave Joker his toughest challenge in an AO F?

What it tells us?

That Australia was just blue clay, of course.

 

[platypus50]

AO 12 is the most brutal match of tennis I've ever seen. Both could barely stand up after that match.

That was a brutal 6 hour match, I'm glad that someone had the decency to get both Rafa and Nole chairs to sit on
Then that stupid KIA guy with his accent at the trophy presentation just didn't read the vibe of the stadium at all and proceeded to give one of the longest and most boring monotonic speeches

 

[Biotic]

Obviously 2012.

Djoko messed up the SF which took much longer than it should have, and as a consequence didn't really get going until the 2nd set of the final. Respect to Ned for clawing back late in the 4th.

 

[Third Serve]

I mean even if the 2012 match personally wasn’t your cup of tea it’s the obvious answer.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Obviously 2012.

Djoko messed up the SF which took much longer than it should have, and as a consequence didn't really get going until the 2nd set of the final. Respect to Ned for clawing back late in the 4th.

 

[Kralingen]

That Australia was just blue clay, of course.

Funnily enough, blue clay Madrid was a lot quicker than the AO that year.

 

[CoolCoolCool]

AO 19.

 

[MichaelNadal]

AO 19.

A pity bc Rafa had a slam winning kit

 

[CoolCoolCool]

A pity bc Rafa had a slam winning kit

I think he could pull off the sleeveless look better when he was younger, but I liked the color.

 

[Biotic]

A pity bc Rafa had a slam winning kit

It was a nice kit to get dragged.

 

[MichaelNadal]

I think he could pull off the sleeveless look better when he was younger, but I liked the color.

Yeah nothing tops 06-08 sleevelessdal but I was happy we got more later on too

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

2012

 

[weakera]

Rafa I think generally gets credit for how close he came in 2012, even if he ultimately lost, so why is Federer 2019 a punchline where he never gets credit? Am I wrong?

 

[Third Serve]

Rafa I think generally gets credit for how close he came in 2012, even if he ultimately lost, so why is Federer 2019 a punchline where he never gets credit? Am I wrong?

It’s easier to see 2019 as a choke because Fed was the better player for the majority of that match, whereas Nadal did come very close but was ultimately the weaker of the two players throughout the match. In that light it’s easier to see 2012 as a razor-thin match that just went the other way as opposed to a match Nadal really shouldn’t have lost.

 

[weakera]

It’s easier to see 2019 as a choke because Fed was the better player for the majority of that match, whereas Nadal did come very close but was ultimately the weaker of the two players throughout the match. In that light it’s easier to see 2012 as a razor-thin match that just went the other way as opposed to a match Nadal really shouldn’t have lost.

And that's all the more reason Federer should get credit

 

[Third Serve]

And that's all the more reason Federer should get credit

Yeah definitely. Honestly the fact that he got so close to the win at nearly 38 against a grass court ATG six years younger than him is pretty remarkable. A lot of players would kill to play that well at such an advanced age.

 

[The Blond Blur]

That Australia was just blue clay, of course.

But then that means Fred wasn’t undefeated on blue clay:

Checkmate atheists

 

[RS]

When Nike was still prime