Subway Tennis
G.O.A.T.
I think the pandemic hurt tennis full stop. The game still hasn’t really recovered. Popularity of the sport will hopefully gradually come back but even now United Cup semi final is on and the stadium is half empty.
Time for Djokovic to exit gracefully
- Thread starter socallefty
- Start date
Federev
G.O.A.T.
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
That's just negative opinion. I see tennis completely recovered here in 2025. Yes 2020 and 2022 were bad.
Antonio Puente
Hall of Fame
Djoker suddenly looks old. Father Time is undefeated.
Subway Tennis
G.O.A.T.
I like your positivity.
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
With arrival of Sinner many are feeling optimistic. And we have Carlos as well.
Antonio Puente
Hall of Fame
There's going to be a significant hangover following Nadal's and Fed's retirements. Some young player or players will have to emerge who move people the way they did. I don't think they are with us yet.
Federev
G.O.A.T.
“peculiar”?
Suda - you missed a perfect opportunity to use “ironic”.
You’re just like that Allanis Morisette song “ironic” - where she’s always saying “isn’t it ironic” but all her examples are paradoxes - not irony.
But you’re messing up in the opposite way.
I always thought you were better than her.
I guess I was wrong.
I only watched the highlights, but Djokovic seemed a lot slower than usual. Not sure if the conditions are playing fast in Brisbane, but Opelka looked like he was hitting through the court, and Djokovic couldn't get to balls he would seemingly get to in the past.
I think Djokovic will have a hard time finding the motivation to bring his best level again. There's nothing left for him to accomplish. It's going to be weird when he and Wawrinka are both gone. I don't see them playing beyond this year.
I think Djokovic will have a hard time finding the motivation to bring his best level again. There's nothing left for him to accomplish. It's going to be weird when he and Wawrinka are both gone. I don't see them playing beyond this year.
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
Djokovic has slowed down reactions.
Movement wise he is not slow. He is very fast even today.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
Sorry. Chat GPT said peculiar.
(Pa culiar in Spanish)
thenewbig3
Semi-Pro
After winning everything and having the greatest record of all time if there is one extra thing he has earned is the right to retire when he goddamn wants to.
Big_Dangerous
Talk Tennis Guru
Only 37… How many slams did Nadal and Federer win after turning 37?
Genie Of the Bank
Hall of Fame
Why the doom and gloom , he is pacing himself to try to win his last title at Wimbledon with Murray. His operated knee is slow and that is main reason for all the losses in 2024.
Still he managed to win a record number of slams,WTF,masters and weeks at number one.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Subway Tennis
G.O.A.T.
Bastion
Semi-Pro
I wanted the Goat to retire after the Olympic Gold for the rest of the year, and then announce he is back this year = no tennis 2nd half of 2024.
His heart and passion all still there, but just cannot do the same goat stuff anymore, even if he wants to so badly, time is moving on.
But in the end it is all his own decision to make, let's enjoy what is left of the big three legacy, hope he at least get title nr. 100 this year.
His heart and passion all still there, but just cannot do the same goat stuff anymore, even if he wants to so badly, time is moving on.
But in the end it is all his own decision to make, let's enjoy what is left of the big three legacy, hope he at least get title nr. 100 this year.
RF-18
Talk Tennis Guru
Maybe it's time for you to exit gracefully.
gamelovergold
Semi-Pro
novak time is runing out. Now every tom and harry will fancy their chance against novak. (Well opponent played really out of his mind ) #100 is still far away.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
#100 title maybe, but #100 ranking in the world might be achievable soon! After all Nadal dropped down to #670 and retired with a ranking of #153. Once you start losing to #293 in the world, who knows what can happen?
I am kidding!
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
He has played doubles in AO prep multiple times. Nothing wrong with that. Murray is gonna be there for the big one.
chjtennis
G.O.A.T.
Good analysis, I wasn't making direct comparison of the levels of each player, but rather was trying to make the point that like Federer was at the tail end of his career in 2019(probably his last proper full season on tour), So will Djokovic be in 2025 and he may be very close to retirement.
FiReFTW
Legend
Djokovic will be 38 in a couple of months, he will be the same age as Fed was in the 2019 Wimbledon final where he really should have won it, it was on his racket, and that was against a 32 year old Novak Djokovic.
So I wouldn't count Djokovic out, I would say he is not a favorite to win any of the 4 slams but its not like he doesn't have chances to win in them even if they are not high ones, it just takes a bad match from Alcaraz or some injury from Sinner or a small thing here or there... if he performs badly this year and is nowhere near close to winning a slam, then for next year his chances will drastically drop to extremely unlikely.
So I wouldn't count Djokovic out, I would say he is not a favorite to win any of the 4 slams but its not like he doesn't have chances to win in them even if they are not high ones, it just takes a bad match from Alcaraz or some injury from Sinner or a small thing here or there... if he performs badly this year and is nowhere near close to winning a slam, then for next year his chances will drastically drop to extremely unlikely.
thenewbig3
Semi-Pro
He will definitely get to Semis of All 4 Grandslams.
From there he needs only 50% winrate to get to a final. Only people on tour who are more likely to beat him than lose to him are Sinner and Alcaraz
I give him 1/4 chance to win a grand slam in 2025 and 1/16 to win 2.
He should atleast play through age 40
Its not like he is performing like Venus Williams and choosing to play years past his playing prime
From there he needs only 50% winrate to get to a final. Only people on tour who are more likely to beat him than lose to him are Sinner and Alcaraz
I give him 1/4 chance to win a grand slam in 2025 and 1/16 to win 2.
He should atleast play through age 40
Its not like he is performing like Venus Williams and choosing to play years past his playing prime
GoatNo1
Hall of Fame
nole himself had 6 BPs. nole had BPs in 3 different games and raz in 2. it was great match!Djokovic might never win another title, amazingly stuck on 99!
He didn't win a title in 2024, apart from the Olympics which he won despite never breaking Alcaraz's serve... and Alcaraz had 8 break points on Djokovic's serve
gamelovergold
Semi-Pro
AO will tell the full story. If novak reaches QF then anything can happen from there but if he looses before that then you can be right .#100 title maybe, but #100 ranking in the world might be achievable soon! After all Nadal dropped down to #670 and retired with a ranking of #153. Once you start losing to #293 in the world, who knows what can happen?
I am kidding!
Let us hope our Novak gets a tough draw , so he is battle hardened when it comes to the SF and Finals
In the previous days it was nice to have those cakewalk draws during the COVID era
gamelovergold
Semi-Pro
His ranking suggests this time it is not cake . He will have tò give his 100% out there. For all his sucess Novak is not fedrer. Fedrer talent took him to almost winning wimbeldon. If Novak can surpass fedrer one last time ?
Tennfan123
Legend
I’m not buying the cult claiming 2024 was a great year because of OG and I am thoroughly enjoying his losses.
Keep going Djo, you have my full support!
Keep going Djo, you have my full support!
gamelovergold
Semi-Pro
Enjoying losses of novak. What you expect that 37 year old will win against players decades younger than him. Novak is playing only because he want to challenge himself as a player he has been all this years. Even he wins one title (big or small) he should carry on . If whole season goes without a title than play 2026 AO and retire then and there.
Novak should not retire until he gets to most titles and most ATP wins .
I know haters will have fun whenever he losses but he shouldn’t care
Federev
G.O.A.T.
It’s ironic that someone whose intellect I had so much trust in would turn to A.i. for insight.
#worseThanAllanisMorisette
#that’sSayingSomething
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
I am actually an AI device.
Federev
G.O.A.T.
Sudacafan: ask human creators to direct you to dictionary with thesaurus. Do research on word “ironic”. Look up YouTube videos on Allinis Morisette’s misuse of “ironic”.
Also, create a short film of boxer Mike Tyson fighting a half banana-half zebra in 1950s “Panavision” style.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
No need. Ironic: made of iron.
Federev
G.O.A.T.
Airspun
Hall of Fame
Except for all the times he's smashed and thrown his racket and hit people with balls.
junior74
Bionic Poster
I forgot about the lines woman incident. That was not a graceful exit.
NYTennisfan
Hall of Fame
Meh, I don't buy that he's done as a late in slam contender just yet. He lost to an ATG level Sinner in the AO early last year, got injured in Clay season and spent most of the rest of the season trying to get his body back to 100%. Losing to a massive server in a Bo3 isn't a reason to write him off. If he loses in the 1st week of the AO which is his home court essentially then, yeah, some serious questions should be raised if his days as a top player are done but I'm not counting him out quite yet.
However, he's 37 going on 38 so maybe the end is here but I won't believe it until it happens.
However, he's 37 going on 38 so maybe the end is here but I won't believe it until it happens.
It’s getting tougher every year for Djokovic. But he’s still competitive, so I think keep going. He could still win a slam if the pieces fall into place. This most recent loss is what happens as you age, but he is still good enough, and the field thin enough, that he can go on a run.
I don’t think exiting gracefully is a thing with these champions. It has to hurt and be a bit bloody with some existential pain thrown in the mix, for them to say goodbye. Going from the top, to being just another guy, will always leave a mark. No graceful here. It will be ugly.
I don’t think exiting gracefully is a thing with these champions. It has to hurt and be a bit bloody with some existential pain thrown in the mix, for them to say goodbye. Going from the top, to being just another guy, will always leave a mark. No graceful here. It will be ugly.
jackson vile
G.O.A.T.
Novak still has the ability to win slams, and masters, his issue is all these strange choices that he’s been making for the last two years, I just really don’t understand it.
Glandular fever (mono) will do that to you.
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Different players need more time
Different players age differently. Djokovic was only 1 match away from the calendar grand slam at the age of 34. He was still ranked number 1 in the world when he turned 37.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
What strange choices in the last two years?
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
Djokovic aged luckily.
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
Agreed; Alacraz and Sinner are not transformational players in the men's game; for the past few years, some desperate men's tennis fans have placed a false, tin crown on Alcaraz's head as some GOAT-in-the-making (despite the man never exhibiting such ability), but that has not turned out to be true, nor have they transcended the sport to become known personalities to the average person (see: the "Tennis Boom" of the 1970s - early 1980s). Both are quite average personalities and do not possess some one-in-a-generation talent the tennis world (and crucially--beyond) is loving enough to make audiences return in large numbers.
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