Question for the Warriors - What are your REALISTIC expectations for Novak at the WTF 2022?

How does Earth's Defender do?

  • Total voters
    61
Hitman

Hitman

Bionic Poster
OK Warriors, what do you think, not what you would like. ;)

Earth's Mightiest hasn't won the title since 2015, since then he has actually more than DOUBLED his slam count, including completing two career slams. For Novak, WTF has been harder to win than slams, a lot of this is because he is more vulnerable in best of 3, the younger players have more confidence in best of 3, and also it is a very tough draw with several in form players standing in your way on consecutive days.

He's going for the record, to catch Federer and equal him for the most WTF titles ever won, but it is not going to be easy. How do you see it for him? :unsure:

Does he manage to at least get out of the group stage? Can he go further? Does he finally reach Everest or will he be denied yet again?

History beckons...

0_GettyImages-1243499233.jpg
 
TheAssassin

TheAssassin

Legend
My question is how did you manage to find a pic where Novak looks like the one having an emotional retirement between the two lol.

Barring some bigger complications in earlier matches, I fancy his chances. But that's just me, having higher expectations on most occasions.
 
Kralingen

Kralingen

Talk Tennis Guru
Need to see the draw but I think he makes it through the group stage, plays an epic against a NextGen young gun in the SFs, then is shot the next day and loses the F to a fitter young gun. Probably Medvedev, FAA, or Nadal.
 
MeatTornado

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Realistically I expect him to get out of the group stage, and then the SF feels like a 50/50 based on recent history. Obviously he has a great chance to win the whole tournament, but it's far from a sure thing, so I can't say that's my expectation for him.

So either SF or F, but I'm leaning final at the moment.
 
P

pj80

Legend
1 slam 1 YEC 1 masters 1 500 1 250...
It will also put him un a position to tie Rafa at AO...22 slams and 92 titles.
 
daggerman

daggerman

Hall of Fame
I'd say finishing the tournament with a winning record is a realistic expectation. So either going 3-0 in RR or going 2-1 in RR but making at least the Final. I'd probably say he's the favorite to win the tournament, but not by much over Medvedev. Felix has pretty good chances if he has something left in the tank.
 
Rudiiii

Rudiiii

Semi-Pro
Really not sure about this one. I think this is a tournament he hasn't won for the longest time, barring OG. SF is realistic, some epic clash against a young gun, and in final everything is possible. If he gets Tsitsipas and Rudd in the group, Nadal making SF as a second place, I see him winning all 5 matches :love: :love:
 
roysid

roysid

Hall of Fame
I expect him to win. Last year zverev outplayed him. Dont see anyone doing it this time.
Rune even if playing wont beat Djokovic twice in a row.

Probably FAA if he plays lights out
 
DSH

DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
We will see if the Serbian wolf is able to emulate Arthur Ashe and become the second tennis player over 35 years old to be a finalist in the Masters or ATP Finals.
:D
 
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
I tell you what, nobody older than 30 has ever won this tournament, but it seems like if that record is ever going to get broken (shattered) then this year might be the time (more even than 2020) and missing all those American tournaments might finally have some benefit given comparative freshness against the rest (aside from Nadal, who has played a similar amount, but is no indoor player) of the field. Longshot, but something worth noting.

Certainly if he lands in the group that goes on day 1 he'll have to like his chances, otherwise you obviously have to go Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with your last three matches and it is more likely to become too much.
 
mike danny

mike danny

Bionic Poster
His chances of winning are pretty good with no in-form Thiem and in-form Zverev to deal with. Med could be his only threat, but they might not even play.

FAA could be a threat, but I think he's cooked and won't get out of the group stage.

So I'd say his chances are higher than in 2020 and 2021.
 
jl809

jl809

Hall of Fame
Defo will get out of the group - he can easily beat Ruud, Fritz, Rublev and Nadal, then I have to fancy him against Tsitsipas too.

Then it depends on whether he faces Medvedev or if someone else torpedoes Meddy first. I have Djoker at 50% to win it so am going conservative and saying losing finalist. I don’t think Nadal will even play the ATP finals, I think he’s quietly getting ready to withdraw, but Hubi has been **** recently too
 
Terenigma

Terenigma

G.O.A.T.
If the desire is there then he should be winning the whole thing. Yeah he got stopped by Rune in a very close match at Paris but that alone should tell you he's ready for the ATP finals and I think people are dismissing him a little too easily. I think he will win it personally as no-one on the entry list seems an odds-on favorite to beat him.
 
Djokovic_is_the_best#1

Djokovic_is_the_best#1

Bionic Poster
ibbi said:
I tell you what, nobody older than 30 has ever won this tournament, but it seems like if that record is ever going to get broken (shattered) then this year might be the time (more even than 2020) and missing all those American tournaments might finally have some benefit given comparative freshness against the rest (aside from Nadal, who has played a similar amount, but is no indoor player) of the field. Longshot, but something worth noting.

Certainly if he lands in the group that goes on day 1 he'll have to like his chances, otherwise you obviously have to go Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with your last three matches and it is more likely to become too much.
Click to expand...
Yeah great post. It really is crucial for his chances that he goes first to avoid that scenario.
 
Chanwan

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
Terenigma said:
If the desire is there then he should be winning the whole thing. Yeah he got stopped by Rune in a very close match at Paris but that alone should tell you he's ready for the ATP finals and I think people are dismissing him a little too easily. I think he will win it personally as no-one on the entry list seems an odds-on favorite to beat him.
Click to expand...
Agree. Djoko followed by Med/FAA are the favorites in my book. Rune could be fun if Rafa withdraws. I almost consider Djokovic the odds on favorite tbh
 
Federev

Federev

Legend
Not been a Novak fan historically. But he's slowly growing on me.

And I've only got encouraging things to say below...

If I had to bet - I see him winning WTF, but more than that - I see at least a 2 slam year in 2023.

I don't know where for sure, but I cannot imagine that AO and USO will both keep him out.

And I still think he still knows how to play the best tennis of the field on every surface except clay - where he will be a close second in my opinion and could win there.

More than that, I think the fire and dedication, and experience will all be at work together to give him what he needs to clear the field in Bo5.
 
D

D.Nalby12

G.O.A.T.
I don't know why Djok hasn't won WTF since 2015. He has won plenty of slams since then - became #1 again but no WTF? IT MAKES NO SENSE!
 
Djokovic2015

Djokovic2015

Semi-Pro
D.Nalby12 said:
I don't know why Djok hasn't won WTF since 2015. He has won plenty of slams since then - became #1 again but no WTF? IT MAKES NO SENSE!
Click to expand...

Bo3 instead of Bo5 makes upsets easier. Also it being at the end of the season as he wears down with age has something to do with it. That said almost all of the guys he has lost to since 2015 (Murray, Zverev, Federer, Thiem) are not in the tournament this year, only Medvedev is. That combined with little fatigue this year gives him a good chance to win it this year.

I think his two toughest tests will be FAA/Medvedev which ironically are two guys with bad match-ups against Rafa. Djoko's best path to the title I think is to get Rafa in the final after he takes one of those two out.
 
Chanwan

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
thepaint19 said:
History.
Nadal is due for a hardcourt win over Djokovic.
Plus Nadal is great at taking his opportunities (6th year-end-#1).
Click to expand...
The latter I can agree on. The former, not so much. Being dominated by a rival doesn't make you more likely to win eventually because you are 'due'.
Rafa has such fantastic racquet skills that he can beat the field on HC more often than not (less so indoors bit still) , even with his declined movement.
But against Novak (and Fed when he was active) he needs his full physicality and, IMO, can't* beat Novak with his current more offensive style

* = highly unlikely
 
D

Deleted member 791948

Guest
Chanwan said:
The latter I can agree on. The former, not so much. Being dominated by a rival doesn't make you more likely to win eventually because you are 'due'.
Rafa has such fantastic racquet skills that he can beat the field on HC more often than not (less so indoors bit still) , even with his declined movement.
But against Novak (and Fed when he was active) he needs his full physicality and, IMO, can't* beat Novak with his current more offensive style

* = highly unlikely
Click to expand...
Their last hardcourt meeting was at the 2020 ATP Cup, and Nadal was in dreadful form and it still went to a tiebreaker in the 2nd Set.
So it shouldn't surprise anyone if Nadal wins a set next time they meet on hardcourt, and if he can win a set then he can win a match.
I don't agree that Nadal "can't beat Novak with his current more offensive style".
 
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