So are we entering a dark era?

[ADuck]

An era where nobody is dominant.
Nobody is consistently entertaining to watch.
The top seeds regularly get upset in the first rounds of slams and masters.
Random players outside the top 20 regularly win slam and masters tournaments.
Endless train hopping when it comes to who your favorite player is.
Gasquet-level hype of all upcoming teenagers, only to turn out like Gasquet.
This continues for 5-10 years.
Spectators lose interest.
People who have watched the sport for years stop watching.
New spectators are drawn to other sports.
The decline in the popularity of tennis leads to a further decline in the quality of tennis.
Negative feedback loop.
Over the next 30 years, tennis dies a slow and painful death.
It is no longer telecast.

Is this what's going to happen, or will someone save tennis?

 

[NatF]

Career Inflation Era ---> Asterisk Era ---> Dark Era ---> No Era

 

[ADuck]

Career Inflation ---> Asterisk Era ---> Dark Era ---> No Era

Do you really think so? Surely someone will come save tennis.

 

[Adv. Edberg]

ITF created this mess of a situation after the golden era of tennis in the 90s.

They realised that after Sampras/Agassi they needed new stars. So they started making it easier for someone to win everything basically, in order for that person to become a superstar.

Court homogenisation, roofs only on show courts, 32 seeds instead of 16 and so on.

Sadly, now they're gonna counter act this with dumbing down the sport, fast 4 and all the rest of it. On court coaching is already allowed.

 

[Born_to_slice]

Yes, by on a much more broader scale worldwide

 

[RS]

Today's era is weaker since post covid.

Before then it was good.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Propaganda Era

 

[Nadal - GOAT]

An era where nobody is dominant.
Nobody is consistently entertaining to watch.
The top seeds regularly get upset in the first rounds of slams and masters.
Random players outside the top 20 regularly win slam and masters tournaments.
Endless train hopping when it comes to who your favorite player is.
Gasquet-level hype of all upcoming teenagers, only to turn out like Gasquet.
This continues for 5-10 years.
Spectators lose interest.
People who have watched the sport for years stop watching.
New spectators are drawn to other sports.
The decline in the popularity of tennis leads to a further decline in the quality of tennis.
Negative feedback loop.
Over the next 30 years, tennis dies a slow and painful death.
It is no longer telecast.

Is this what's going to happen, or will someone save tennis?

The inconsistency from players like Fritz, Tsitsipas, FAA is very disappointing. Looks like too much money and not enough drive for the youngsters these days.

 

[ADuck]

ITF created this mess of a situation after the golden era of tennis in the 90s.

They realised that after Sampras/Agassi they needed new stars. So they started making it easier for someone to win everything basically, in order for that person to become a superstar.

Court homogenisation, roofs only on show courts, 32 seeds instead of 16 and so on.

Sadly, now they're gonna counter act this with dumbing down the sport, fast 4 and all the rest of it. On court coaching is already allowed.

I think the problem runs deeper than court homogenization and making things favorable for the top guys. If the source of the problem were too many advantages for the top guys, wouldn't we be seeing more consistency from them than the chaos we are now?

If tennis ever changes the format in slams I'll never come back. What they've done to the 5th sets is just one step away from a line being irreversibly crossed.

 

[StrongRule]

Entering? We have entered it a long time ago. The last year when the competition could be called strong was 2013.

 

[ADuck]

Today's era is weaker since post covid.

Before then it was good.

I measure strength by the consistency of the top guys.

 

[RS]

I measure strength by the consistency of the top guys.

That was probably around till 2020. Big 3 had a great 2019.

 

[ADuck]

Entering? We have entered it a long time ago. The last year when the competition could be called strong was 2013.

There are levels to this. How low is it possible to go?

 

[mike danny]

Today's era is weaker since post covid.

Before then it was good.

Before then it wasn't as bad. Then it became a calamity.

 

[Sudacafan]

Too much pessimism. We‘ll always have Srsh.

 

[weakera]

 

[medieval_remnant]

I think the problem runs deeper than court homogenization and making things favorable for the top guys. If the source of the problem were too many advantages for the top guys, wouldn't we be seeing more consistency from them than the chaos we are now?

If tennis ever changes the format in slams I'll never come back. What they've done to the 5th sets is just one step away from a line being irreversibly crossed.

What's wrong with 5th set format? Genuinely asking

 

[ADuck]

What's wrong with 5th set format? Genuinely asking

Tiebreak in 5th. It was more epic when decided by break of serve.

 

[Tennfan123]

We've been in it since 2016.

 

[Tennis Fan States63]

What's wrong with 5th set format? Genuinely asking

I actually liked Wimbledon's first change to go to 12-12, then regular tie-break. I also didn't mind having differences among the several Grand Slam tournaments. Super tie-break to 10 just doesn't seem enough......but I know others disagree.....and I'm a bit old school as well.

 

[StrongRule]

Awpee making a show of caring about level while mentally ejaculating over godal's success, so what else is new.

Nadal isn't winning this tournament.

 

[Beulah Jesus]

Nadal isn't winning this tournament.

Okay

 

[Kralingen]

Nadal isn't winning this tournament.

He is

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

So are we entering a dark era?

i think we've been there for a beriberilong time...

#NoMoreQuackingBullPlease #StopTheAgressionAgainstTennis​

 

[TimHenmanATG]

Yes, by on a much more broader scale worldwide

I never had you down as a fan of reggae music...

 

[Beulah Jesus]

Nadal isn't winning this tournament.

He is

One of you is going to be 100% correct on the 11th. Fingers crossed its @Kraligen.

 

[Aabye5]

The inconsistency from players like Fritz, Tsitsipas, FAA is very disappointing. Looks like too much money and not enough drive for the youngsters these days.

Fritz and Tsitsipas are in a separate category.

 

[ADuck]

Awpee making a show of caring about level while mentally ejaculating over godal's success, so what else is new.

So I'm not allowed to talk about level and be a Nadal fan? Do you ever get tired of making these boring easily refuted statements?

 

[Fedforever]

I think the sport's been a bit unlucky in some ways. Difficult things have happened at the same time.

The effective loss of Stan and Andy really hurt things as no-one else has been able to mount any sort of serious challenge from outside the Big 3 - Medvedev having come the closest.

Then post-pandemic blues and war coinciding with the lack of new stars - when you're in the difficult world we are at the moment you need something fresh and exciting to get people interested.

The Slam Race has lost a lot from Nadal and Djoko mostly not competing directly against each other - "can Nadal get far enough ahead for Novak not to be able to catch him in the Slams when he does play" just isn't an exciting narrative outside their own fan bases.

For people to get behind players I think they need to see some consistency. Of course your chosen guy can't win all the time. But if you'd picked, say, Roddick in 2001 you would have followed a guy who consistently got to finals, never gave less than his best and you could have been proud to be his supporter. Is there any guy now where you feel "he's going to be a Roddick?"

All these issues happening at the same time has really hurt.

 

[BGod]

Void Era began essentially end of 2019 with the near 38 Fed and Novak Wimbledon, Nadal another trash USO and into Covid after a solid AO.

Objectively Covid stunted up and coming players by 2-3 years in addition to long-term social and mental damage with the sport in general decline.

I imagine the sport begins its regeneration as contact sports become increasingly scrutinized for brain damage and changes neuter the entertainment (NFL is nearly unwatchable now).

 

[jl809]

An era where nobody is dominant.
Nobody is consistently entertaining to watch.
The top seeds regularly get upset in the first rounds of slams and masters.
Random players outside the top 20 regularly win slam and masters tournaments.
Endless train hopping when it comes to who your favorite player is.
Gasquet-level hype of all upcoming teenagers, only to turn out like Gasquet.
This continues for 5-10 years.
Spectators lose interest.
People who have watched the sport for years stop watching.
New spectators are drawn to other sports.
The decline in the popularity of tennis leads to a further decline in the quality of tennis.
Negative feedback loop.
Over the next 30 years, tennis dies a slow and painful death.
It is no longer telecast.

Is this what's going to happen, or will someone save tennis?

Federer’s kids will save tennis

 

[MeatTornado]

Every year the start gets pushed back. Over the years we've heard 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, etc. all be said as the supposed beginning of the end.

 

[AnOctorokForDinner]

So I'm not allowed to talk about level and be a Nadal fan? Do you ever get tired of making these boring easily refuted statements?

Refuted how, lol. I do not believe you care much since you're enamoured with the nadal. This isn't something that can be proven or disproven for good, I don't have access to your mind duh.

 

[ADuck]

Every year the start gets pushed back. Over the years we've heard 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, etc. all be said as the supposed beginning of the end.

There is no "beginning of the end" unless it actually ends. The ending being the scenario I have written above where we get no consistency from the top players. I know there are ebbs and flows in terms of the level of the top guys, but the point is someone eventually always took over. We'll wait and see what happens when all Big 3 retire.

 

[sportsfan1]

The big 2 are slowing down the next gen, hurting their confidence by inflicting tough losses. Sinner the most recent on the receiving end at wimby to Djokovic.

If Musetti or Alcaraz can escape unscathed mentally, they may be the ones dominating.

 

[AnOctorokForDinner]

Every year the start gets pushed back. Over the years we've heard 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, etc. all be said as the supposed beginning of the end.

I've long said it was the 2017 Wimbledon final that truly ushered in the woat era. Up till then there was enough level to display to sate oneself, but it had been running thin for a while and came crashing quickly at last.

 

[Sampras-Bruguera 1993]

Yes a 2002 type era that expands 10-20 years (if tennis survives that long that is). The big 3 kind of ruined even though they didn’t mean to as they were so good. But they casted a large shadow that can’t be followed

to be they need to go back in 90s conditionswhere everything is diversified so they will create a few stars out of it. If the conditions stay as such forget it because these new generations can’t physically and mentally hang from one week to the next

 

[sportsfan1]

Too much pessimism. We‘ll always have Srsh.

He's going to pb, no.. sorry to tell you that mate..

A Pickleball confession

I came to know that the rec center nearest to me has open play Pickleball. So last week I landed up at lunch time dressed for tennis but with no Pickle paddle. Immediately, the "Pickle ambassadors" for the site, the husband-and-wife team of Jim and Marsha welcomed me. They asked if I could...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[Born_to_slice]

I never had you down as a fan of reggae music...

I don't mind listening to any genre of music as long it's not crap.

 

[ADuck]

Refuted how, lol. I do not believe you care much since you're enamoured with the nadal. This isn't something that can be proven or disproven for good, I don't have access to your mind duh.

That's in essence my point. I'm a Nadal fan, so you draw a weird conclusion that I musn't care certain things. Whereas you, a Federer fan, for some reason are immune from this line of logic? I find you more enamored with Federer than I am with Nadal. Not only that, but you assume you hold the right to gatekeep over something as general as "level." Who made you the arbiter here? The arrogance to not only say that, but to think in this way speaks for itself. Meanwhile you're criticizing people like @MichaelNadal for being arrogant. Do you not see your own hypocrisy?

Not that I even have to address your point, but yes I do care, because tennis is a form of entertainment for me, so I have something to lose if nobody is there nobody to sustain my interest after Nadal and the rest of the Big 3 retires.

 

[Sudacafan]

I don't mind listening to any genre of music as long it's not crap.

What kind of music is classified under the crap genre?

 

[intrepidish]

So I'm not allowed to talk about level and be a Nadal fan? Do you ever get tired of making these boring easily refuted statements?

He doesn't get bored with easily refuted statements, no.

 

[Sudacafan]

He's going to pb, no.. sorry to tell you that mate..

A Pickleball confession

I came to know that the rec center nearest to me has open play Pickleball. So last week I landed up at lunch time dressed for tennis but with no Pickle paddle. Immediately, the "Pickle ambassadors" for the site, the husband-and-wife team of Jim and Marsha welcomed me. They asked if I could...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

Shock and appall. Disgust, disgrace and outrageous.

 

[Born_to_slice]

What kind of music is classified under the crap genre?

Dunno...screamo? Though, there's a ton of crap under all genres.

 

[George123]

An era where nobody is dominant.
Nobody is consistently entertaining to watch.
The top seeds regularly get upset in the first rounds of slams and masters.
Random players outside the top 20 regularly win slam and masters tournaments.
Endless train hopping when it comes to who your favorite player is.
Gasquet-level hype of all upcoming teenagers, only to turn out like Gasquet.
This continues for 5-10 years.
Spectators lose interest.
People who have watched the sport for years stop watching.
New spectators are drawn to other sports.
The decline in the popularity of tennis leads to a further decline in the quality of tennis.
Negative feedback loop.
Over the next 30 years, tennis dies a slow and painful death.
It is no longer telecast.

Is this what's going to happen, or will someone save tennis?

Dark Era < Exciting 'open' Era where it is unclear whom will win what tournaments and most top 20/30 matches are close, as much as I love the Big three/four, its time for some real competition. Its like watching the premier league and knowing its between two teams or the F1 and knowing Verstappen is gonna win again.

 

[Rattie]

Awpee making a show of caring about level while mentally ejaculating over godal's success, so what else is new.

How about responding to the questions raised by the OP instead of just making a rude, crude personal remark? If you don’t want to discuss the topic, don’t post. Posting this as a response says a lot more about you than the OP.

 

[Sudacafan]

Before then it wasn't as bad. Then it became a calamity.

First covid, then pickleball. The writing is on the wall?

 

[Sudacafan]

Too much pessimism. We‘ll always have Srsh.

Correction:

A Pickleball confession

I came to know that the rec center nearest to me has open play Pickleball. So last week I landed up at lunch time dressed for tennis but with no Pickle paddle. Immediately, the "Pickle ambassadors" for the site, the husband-and-wife team of Jim and Marsha welcomed me. They asked if I could...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[TimHenmanATG]

I don't mind listening to any genre of music as long it's not crap.

I guess that I'm more curious as to how you stumbled across this particular gene...

 

[TimHenmanATG]

.