Toughest GS final losses for each of the Big 4?

[mike danny]

What do you think are the toughest losses in GS finals for each of the Big 4? If it is possible, try to name one for each player.

In my view:

Federer: 2009 AO

Nadal: 2012 AO

Djokovic: 2015 FO

Murray: 2012 Wimb

 

[K-H]

Djokovic 2013 US Open was also pretty heartbreaking for him. It would be for Nadal as well had he lost it. But the ones you've chosen seem about right. Deffo fed and Murray in the ones you said because that's probably the only finals when they couldn't hold back the tears.

 

[Roddick85]

Federer : 2008 SW19

Nadal : 2012 AO

Djokovic : 2012 FO

Murray : 2012 SW19

 

[mike danny]

Djokovic 2013 US Open was also pretty heartbreaking for him. It would be for Nadal as well had he lost it. But the ones you've chosen seem about right. Deffo fed and Murray in the ones you said because that's probably the only finals when they couldn't hold back the tears.

Well, Nadal also has AO 2017, Wimb 2007 and AO 2014 in the category of tough losses. Thd first was tough because of losing from a break up in the 5th and the last 2 were tough because Nadal also cried after them. Especially visibly in 2014.

 

[reaper]

Players really hate losing to other players they dislike. While Federer was in tears after the 2009 AO, I think the losses that would really stay with him are the losses to Djokovic: 2014 Wimbledon, 2015 Wimbledon and especially the 2015 USO where Federer was generally the better player, but abysmal on the points that mattered.

 

[Druss]

What do you think are the toughest losses in GS finals for each of the Big 4? If it is possible, try to name one for each player.

In my view:

Federer: 2009 AO

Nadal: 2012 AO

Djokovic: 2015 FO

Murray: 2012 Wimb

I agree except for Federer....I'm quite certain his Wimby '08 loss to Nadal hurt more than the AO'09.

 

[NatF]

Wimbledon 2008 for Federer IMO. The tears at the 2009 AO were a culmination of both of those defeats but if Federer could overturn just one of those defeats it would be Wimbledon 2008.

 

[KINGROGER]

Federer - Wimbledon 2008. Must've been hard losing in the darkness when going for 6 in a row. AO 2009 just a continuation of that.
USO 09 I imagine anger was his feeling. Same as USO 11 SF. Don't think the RG finals bothered him that much.

Nadal - probably Wimbledon 07 at the time and then any of his Australian Open finals.

Djokovic - RG 2015 might have thought it will never happen but thankfully for him it did.

Murray - Wimbledon 2012.

 

[MatsPhilander]

Fed-Wimbledon 2008 as Nadal beat him on his surface & the mental impact of that meant Fed went on a downward spiral relatively speaking after that.

Nadal-Wimbledon 2011, much the same as Fed it saw the dawning of Novak the beast.

Djokovic-French 2015, against not the man he couldn't beat but Warinka. Seemed at the time he would never lift the trophy.

Murray-Aussie 2016, fifth final & fifth loss & his fourth against Novak.

 

[Waspsting]

Depends what you mean by "toughest".

Starting with Federer -

Purely subjectively on how it affected him, probably 08 Wimbledon.

Accumatively of feeling, Aus 09

The 14-15 losses, he'd changed and probably knew going in he was underdog. I don't think they'd have affected him as badly for that reason

The expectations one has going in would surely determine the affect of the final outcome.

From this perspective, 09 US by far, the only loss that came out of the blue (and retrospectively, cost him a simultaneous Slam)

The 08 and 09 losses to Nadal hit him hard because he was losing his hold at the top... but I'm sure they didn't shock him

 

[malbaker86]

Fed - 2009 US Open. Going into the match, ywa Del Potro was ON fire after what he did to Rafa, but nobody and i mean NOBODY thought Del Potro would win, much less in 5 sets coming back from a set down. Would of been 3 straight slams for Fed and woulda gotten the calendar grand slam being that he won the AO next year.

 

[icedevil0289]

Players really hate losing to other players they dislike. While Federer was in tears after the 2009 AO, I think the losses that would really stay with him are the losses to Djokovic: 2014 Wimbledon, 2015 Wimbledon and especially the 2015 USO where Federer was generally the better player, but abysmal on the points that mattered.

lol no. While he and djokovic have had, to put it mildy, not the most pleasant relationship in the past, pretty sure those losses, post prime, do not even come close to wimbledon 08/AO 09

 

[icedevil0289]

Wimbledon 2008 for Federer IMO. The tears at the 2009 AO were a culmination of both of those defeats but if Federer could overturn just one of those defeats it would be Wimbledon 2008.

I agree. A lot of people reference AO 09 because he cried and obviously he wouldn't have if he wasn't emotional about the loss, but I do remember him referencing the 08 loss as one of his toughest, if not toughest and this was even after the 09 loss. I honestly think the photo of him holding the runner up trophy in the dark looking very defeated was sadder than his tears at AO. It was also very much a changing of the guard so to speak because up until that point, outside of clay, federer was the man to beat and he was going for 5 straight wimbledons, had a rough year by his standards at that time and just got demolished by rafa at the french, so this was his chance to turn it around and still claim he was at the top.

I will say though, between the two of them, I think fed played better at AO and I still find myself wondering wtf happened after set 4.

 

[Waspsting]

For Nadal, 17 Aus seems to be the worst - I haven't seen him as emotional after a loss. That'd have a lot to do with it coming after such a long barren run

14 Aus, in terms of out of the blue, but with the injury problem, maybe he was more accepting of it

----

Djokovic - the two losses to Wawrinka, especially the French. By US 16, he'd already seemed to have gone to a different mental space where winning and losing weren't as important

All his other losses weren't shocking

For Murray - I think Aus 13

Perhaps not absolutely because he'd just got the first Slam monkey of his back, but this was his chance to take the bull by the horns and step up as the world's top player (especially in light of what happened later that year at Wimby)

Instead, the loss sort of kicked off his being far below Djokovic

(One feels sorry for Sir Andy. More than 50% of all his Slam, WTF and Masters finals have been against Djokovic)

 

[jm1980]

Djokovic: 2015 FO. Devastating loss. I don't know how he recovered

 

[Rafa24]

Fed-Wimby 08, 09 AO because he didn't think he'd win another slam

Nadal-Wimby 07, 2012 AO because it looked like he finally conquered the machine Djoker had become and lost after being up a break in the 5th in a near 6 hour match. 2014 AO because his back went out in pre match warm ups. 2017 because up a break against his greatest rival in the 5th set after not winning a slam in almost 3 years. Tough to pick one of those AOs because they were all bad. But 2012 might have been the worst.

Djoker-FO 2015 easily

Murray-Lost so many slam finals not sure which one is the worst.

 

[Noelan]

Djokovic: 2015 FO. Devastating loss. I don't know how he recovered

Nicely, won next 4GS shame that goat had to pay the biggest price

To me it's RG13 SF actuall F that year.

about others , Andy W12, Nadal W11, Fed had quite few heartbreaks, manages to recover just recently

 

[BeatlesFan]

Fed : 2008 Wimbledon

Rafa : 2012 AO-- up a break in the fifth (I also think this year's AO was a stinger)

Djoker : 2015 FO -- followed by 2007 USO

Muzz : 2012 Wimbledon

 

[zep]

Fed-Wimby 08, 09 AO because he didn't think he'd win another slam

Nadal-Wimby 07, 2012 AO because it looked like he finally conquered the machine Djoker had become and lost after being up a break in the 5th in a near 6 hour match. 2014 AO because his back went out in pre match warm ups. 2017 because up a break against his greatest rival in the 5th set after not winning a slam in almost 3 years. Tough to pick one of those AOs because they were all bad. But 2012 might have been the worst.

Djoker-FO 2015 easily

Murray-Lost so many slam finals not sure which one is the worst.

Yeah 2012 AO is the worst for Nadal. In 2017 AO although it was a tough loss he wasn't expected go that far in the beginning of the tournament, so he was already in the bonus category. 2007 Wimbledon was tough especially after having 4 BP opportunities early in the 5th set but Federer was the favorite in this match and Nadal was still so young. 2014 AO was just a freak case, and the way Wawrinka was GOATing he probably would have lost in any case. So I'd say 2012 AO>2017AO=2007W>2014AO.

For Djokovic I'd add 2013 FO as well which was a virtual final.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Fed....09 AO because he didn't think he'd win another slam

What? At the 2009 AO, Fed didn't think he'd win another slam? He won the next two majors after this, never mind three others after that.

 

[tennisaddict]

Fed - Delpo USO 09 - Fed had no business losing that match

Rafa - AO 17 - a loss to a 35 year old is going to sting no matter what

Novak - FO 15

Murray - Wimb 12

 

[Djokovic2011]

Fed - 2009 US Open. Going into the match, ywa Del Potro was ON fire after what he did to Rafa, but nobody and i mean NOBODY thought Del Potro would win, much less in 5 sets coming back from a set down. Would of been 3 straight slams for Fed and woulda gotten the calendar grand slam being that he won the AO next year.

I'm surprised more people don't mention that 09 USO final. I know if I were just two points away from becoming the first man to win the same major six years in a row and went on to lose I'd probably require counselling to get over it! Can't imagine how devastated the really hardcore Fed fans were at the time.

 

[icedevil0289]

I'm surprised more people don't mention that 09 USO final. I know if I were just two points away from becoming the first man to win the same major six years in a row and went on to lose I'd probably require counselling to get over it! Can't imagine how devastated the really hardcore Fed fans were at the time.

don't consider myself a hc fed fan, atleast not in the insane type of way (hopefully), but tbh considering he just came off of not only winning his first french open, but his 6th wimbledon surpassing pete in total gs count, I don't think the USO open loss was all that bad in retrospect. I suppose it was more unexpected, but I was quite happy for del potro and i think out of all the losses he's had, that one doesn't hurt as much for me anyways.

funny enough was in college at the time and my family was watching back home and once the match was over, they called me to see how I was holding up, lmao I think they were more upset on my behalf than I was.

 

[cc0509]

Federer--Wimbledon 2008. Nothing comes close. That's the worst IMO.

Nadal--Gotta be AO 2017. He probably thought he had it in the bag.

Djokovic--For sure FO 2015.

Murray--2012 W or AO 2016 (his fifth AO final and no cigar. Ouch.)

 

[JMR]

An interesting question is whether what may have been the toughest loss at the time for one of these players remains so when the player looks back over his entire career, sizing up his satisfactions and regrets. E.g., Wimbledon 2012 may not sting as much for Murray now, because he has won that most-important-of-all title twice. Federer's AO17 probably has softened the memory of AO09. It may be that no Big Four final loss will leave the lasting scars of something like, say, Roddick's 2009 Wimbledon defeat. Perhaps one of Murray's AO defeats might qualify, since that tournament really has tormented him. I would think that the difference between never having won a major event, and owning at least one title there to console you, is huge.

 

[Newcomer]

Any final loss is heartbreaking, if the player didn't tank it of course.

 

[Waspsting]

Djoker : 2015 FO -- followed by 2007 USO

What's the thinking behind the second choice?

20 year old kid loses his first final to living legend well on his way to GOAT-hood... I'd have put that as the least tough loss for any of the Big 4 (Murray in 08 at least had a positive H2H vs Federer going into his first final)

Murray-Lost so many slam finals not sure which one is the worst.

8 to be exact.

Federer's lost 10 and Djokovic 9

An interesting question is whether what may have been the toughest loss at the time for one of these players remains so when the player looks back over his entire career, sizing up his satisfactions and regrets.

For sure, example 01 US would have haunted Sampras if he hadn't pulled of 02

Another blurry factor is how close the match ends up being

Boris Becker names his toughest loss as Wimbledon 90, a five set affair against Edberg

But I think expectations going into the match are a bigger factor. Staying with Becker, he lost the 91 final in straight sets to Michael Stich - the only final he didn't lose to an ATG

He really seemed to be losing his cool in that match - I'd say he was taking it worse than he did the 90 loss to Edberg

---

does anyone think getting thrashed in a final might be "tougher" than a close match?

08 French might have been humiliating for Federer - especially since he'd been fairly competitive with Nadal that year on clay

I wonder if Jimmy Connors considers being steamrolled by McEnroe 84 Wimbledon worse than losing in 5 to Borg 77 Wimbledon - very possibly

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Wimbledon 2008/USO 2009 for Federer. Surrendering his fortresses certainly wasn't easy to deal with.

2014/2017 AO for Nadal. Clear favorite going to both finals.

In the moment, easily 2015 FO for Djokovic. When looking back it's probably one of the US Open losses, he'll probably feel he underachieved at that tournament.

Wimbledon 2012/AO 2016 for Murray.

 

[BeatlesFan]

What's the thinking behind the second choice?

20 year old kid loses his first final to living legend well on his way to GOAT-hood..

The 2007 USO loss for Djoker was a deceptively close match and was much closer than the scoreline indicated:
7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–2), 6–4 for Fed.

Novak was up a break in both the first and second sets. Djoker had just beaten peak Fed in the Canadian Open and was playing some superb tennis. Most people predicted a blow out and it was a match Djoker could have won. He knew that at the time too.

 

[Rafa24]

What? At the 2009 AO, Fed didn't think he'd win another slam? He won the next two majors after this, never mind three others after that.

Well hindsight is 20/20 you know. He knew Rafa was entering his prime. Lost to him on his best surface in 2008. He didn't know he'd win plenty more at the time.

 

[Rafa24]

8 to be exact.

Federer's lost 10 and Djokovic 9

And how many wins do they both have? Not really his fault he has had to face the best 3 tennis players ever for his entire career.

Fed is 18-10
Djoker is 12-9
Muzzard 3-8

 

[Rafa24]

Yeah 2012 AO is the worst for Nadal. In 2017 AO although it was a tough loss he wasn't expected go that far in the beginning of the tournament, so he was already in the bonus category. 2007 Wimbledon was tough especially after having 4 BP opportunities early in the 5th set but Federer was the favorite in this match and Nadal was still so young. 2014 AO was just a freak case, and the way Wawrinka was GOATing he probably would have lost in any case. So I'd say 2012 AO>2017AO=2007W>2014AO.

For Djokovic I'd add 2013 FO as well which was a virtual final.

I guess 2014 AO would be a wildcard on which one was worse for him. I have to think it killed him to not be able to compete after he made the final and playing against a guy he was 15-0 against going into the match. But 2012 was a brutal nearly 6 hour gut wrenching defeat. 2017 he had the break in the 5th and it was truly a legacy match. He wins that match and he is in the GOAT talk so that one has to sting bad. I can't even choose as a fan for sure which one is worst of them all. Probably the 2012 one knowing how I felt when it was over. Stayed up all night watching that match and ending up seeing eggvak ripping off his shirt. =

 

[metsman]

2008 Wimby took Federer a month and a half to recover from. 2009 AO took him nearly 5.

2008 Wimby was also closer and more predictable considering how 2008 had gone to that point. 2009 AO Federer was close to peak form the last few matches before the finals, Nadal was in his first HC final and was coming off the marathon semi. Also it was the way he lost. 2008 Wimby was a battle deep into the final set with a great comeback and several clutch moments despite not playing well in the first two sets. Yeah he blew some chances, but nothing compares to the 2009 AO he played more than well enough to win but just shrank from the moment.

 

[Waspsting]

And how many wins do they both have? Not really his fault he has had to face the best 3 tennis players ever for his entire career.

Fed is 18-10
Djoker is 12-9
Muzzard 3-8

How many they've won doesn't have much to do with assessing their toughest loss

Why take a cheap shot at Murray just because you can't answer the question regarding him?

If the question were "what were their greatest wins" - would you not answer for Nadal because -

(Won) so many slam finals not sure which one is the (best)

?

 

[Tatenda]

Why do some other fans which aren't nadal fans think that AO17 was his toughest loss?

It wasnt , it may have been a missed opportunity to add a GS title but I can tell you and as sure as many nadal fans can back me up that AO12 loss and Womb 07 stung for weeks and months and even now its still annoying

nadal himself said fighting for hours against Novak in that final was hard to take a loss
and needed Toni to give him perspective after wimb07


the AO17 was easiest to take cause we never were expecting it, and roger was better and although he was up a break in the fifth watching that final set you knew it was a matter of time before fed broke back. I was able to get over it after about 2 , 3 days unlike others it took weeks and months

 

[Newcomer]

Why do some other fans which aren't nadal fans think that AO17 was his toughest loss?

It wasnt , it may have been a missed opportunity to add a GS title but I can tell you and as sure as many nadal fans can back me up that AO12 loss and Womb 07 stung for weeks and months and even now its still annoying

nadal himself said fighting for hours against Novak in that final was hard to take a loss
and needed Toni to give him perspective after wimb07


the AO17 was easiest to take cause we never were expecting it, and roger was better and although he was up a break in the fifth watching that final set you knew it was a matter of time before fed broke back. I was able to get over it after about 2 , 3 days unlike others it took weeks and months

I disagree. All 3 AO finals were very hard to take, can't say what is the worst.

 

[Fiero425]

I disagree. All 3 AO finals were very hard to take, can't say what is the worst.

Nadal had no business even in the running for winning that match in 2012 against Nole! It was the same situation against Roger in major finals! Djokovic can be serving for the match; sometimes up 2 breaks! I can even call when he breaks to get into that position, but he finds a way to allow himself to get into battles that probably should have been OVER 2 hrs before! All players have a tournament that's their bugaboo! With Borg it was The USO, Lendl fell short at Wimbledon, & Nole couldn't get any more unlucky in Paris until he finally won it last season; BUT AT WHAT COST? He hasn't been the same since; some would say the spiral had already begun! If he can squeak out this FO, his whole season will be saved IMO!

 

[Waspsting]

Why do some other fans which aren't nadal fans think that AO17 was his toughest loss?

First off, I am a Nadal fan, though maybe not in the sense you're thinking - on this forum, it seems "Nadal/Federer/Djokovic 'fan' " usually refers as much to disliking the 2 chief rivals as it does liking the player

as for your question, I think going into Wimby 07 and Aus 12, Nadal would have seen himself as the underdog. .. whereas I think he favoured himself at Aus 17

Aus 17 also has other things tied to it - double career slam, first final in 3 years, the tough going of reaching the final itself - that the others didn't

What do you think of Aus 14?

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Federer said Wimbledon 2008 and AO 09 worst
Rafa said AO14
Novak- RG 15
Andy- WImbledon 12

 

[Druss]

I'm surprised more people don't mention that 09 USO final. I know if I were just two points away from becoming the first man to win the same major six years in a row and went on to lose I'd probably require counselling to get over it! Can't imagine how devastated the really hardcore Fed fans were at the time.

Not really. It did sting a little, but Delpo is so likeable, that it was hard to not be happy for his first (and lone) slam win.

The ones that really hurt, were:

1) Wimby 2008
2) AO 2009
3) Wimby 2014
4) USO 2015

In that order.

 

[Tatenda]

First off, I am a Nadal fan, though maybe not in the sense you're thinking - on this forum, it seems "Nadal/Federer/Djokovic 'fan' " usually refers as much to disliking the 2 chief rivals as it does liking the player

as for your question, I think going into Wimby 07 and Aus 12, Nadal would have seen himself as the underdog. .. whereas I think he favoured himself at Aus 17

Aus 17 also has other things tied to it - double career slam, first final in 3 years, the tough going of reaching the final itself - that the others didn't

What do you think of Aus 14?

personally AO14 was just one of those sh*t happens , for some reason (injured back) he couldn't play at his best in the final.

I was more sad that that particular injury decided to rear its ugly head in that particular moment

but aus12 stung for months I tell u