When one of the big three has won 3 out of 4 slams in a season, retroactively what is the tournament where there was the most regret for the CYGS?

[Winner Sinner]

Federer 2004
Roland Garros eliminated in the third round by Kuerten 4-6 4-6 4-6

Federer 2006
Roland Garros eliminated in the final by Nadal 6-1 1-6 4-6 6-7

Federer 2007
Roland Garros eliminated in the final by Nadal 3-6 6-4 3-6 4-6

Nadal 2010
Australian Open eliminated in the quarterfinals by Murray due to retirement (3-6 6-7 0-3)

Djokovic 2011
Roland Garros eliminated in the semifinals by Federer 6-7 3-6 6-3 6-7

Djokovic 2015
Roland Garros eliminated in the final by Wawrinka 6-4 4-6 3-6 4-6

Djokovic 2021
Us Open eliminated in the final by Medvedev 4-6 4-6 4-6

Djokovic 2023
Wimbledon eliminated in the final by Alcaraz 6-1 6-7 1-6 6-3 4-6

I say in hindsight Djokovic 2023, he should have won that final with Alcaraz because he was still the strongest on the surface.
While the 2021 final with Medvedev at the US Open was already cooked after the extra efforts at the Tokyo Olympics.
But in the end I vote Roland Garros 2004.
Before Nadal opened his reign on clay and at Roland Garros, Federer had the great opportunity to win Roland Garros and compile the CYGS precisely in 2004.
The Federer 2005, 2006, 2007, surely would have won that edition of Roland Garros.
Instead he was eliminated prematurely by a declining Kuerten.

 

[fedfan24]

Rg 2015 closely followed by 2006. Went with 2015 because Djokovic had a clear run at all 4 slams with no (good) Nadal standing in his way at RG but blew it.

 

[Hitman]

It is difficult in all honesty to have regret unless you can actually make it to the last slam.

ONLY Djokovic can regret this, the loss to Medvedev.

If you lose at RG or W, the pressure of the CYGS goes, the psychology changes playing the remaining slams.

Take a look at Serena, she had the same issue in 2015 at the USO, when she was going for the CYGS.

 

[Winner Sinner]

For me, Djokovic 2021 who lost the final with Medvedev paid only a small part of the pressure of the CYGS, while he paid a large part of the efforts to get to that point.
Efforts as already mentioned to which we must add the extra efforts of the Olympics where he did not limit himself to participating only in the singles.
If Djokovic had not participated in the Olympics, an option that if perhaps he had already won the Olympic gold he would have taken into consideration, or if there had not been the Olympics that year, he would have had an excellent chance of completing the CYGS.

 

[Hitman]

For me, Djokovic 2021 who lost the final with Medvedev paid only a small part of the pressure of the CYGS, while he paid a large part of the efforts to get to that point.
Efforts as already mentioned to which we must add the extra efforts of the Olympics where he did not limit himself to participating only in the singles.
If Djokovic had not participated in the Olympics, an option that if perhaps he had already won the Olympic gold he would have taken into consideration, or if there had not been the Olympics that year, he would have had an excellent chance of completing the CYGS.

Yes, so maybe if he had listened to his father and skipped the Olympics thing might have been different, but hindsight is always 20-20.

 

[Hood_Man]

US Open 2021, French Open 2015, Wimbledon 2023.

Novak was heavily favoured in all 3 of those matches and it was really his mental strength that let him down.

 

[Lleytonstation]

US Open 2021, French Open 2015, Wimbledon 2023.

Novak was heavily favoured in all 3 of those matches and it was really his mental strength that let him down.

Kind of crazy that djoker had mental collapse in the biggest moment in tennis yet comes up huge in almost all other scenarios.

I wonder if it is because he feels the pressure is always on fed or rafa, but those 3 matches were all against lower tiered players not including rafa and fed.

When pressure is on djoker. He struggles.

 

[nolefam_2024]

I think 21 followed by 23 is best answer.

Then 06.


All other years , I don't think the results would change much. Even in 2015, stan beat nole very cleanly. No tie breaks required. Just like 2007.

 

[Sport]

The only one where the player actually knew with certainty that he was playing for the Grand Slam. All other matches were outside the USO, so of couse the player didn't know whether he'd win the other Slams of the season or not.

 

[Lleytonstation]

The only one where the player actually knew with certainty that he was playing for the Grand Slam. All other matches were outside the USO, so of couse the player didn't know whether he'd win the other Slams of the season or not.

It's the pressure of winning the calendar slam that makes it different the NCYGS. That pressure was so immense.

 

[Winner Sinner]

Of all the tournaments that retroactively denied the Big Three to fill out the CYGS, only Nadal at the 2010 Australian Open and Djokovic at Wimbledon 2023 were defending champions in the tournament.
This may also have something to do with the matter.

 

[TennisGrandpA]

AO 2010 because Nadal had Fed’snumber those days on outdoor hard and there was no peak Djokovic in beast mode. Nadal had lost just one outdoor hc match to Fed and that was due to a wrong line call

 

[travlerajm]

I don’t think 21 is the answer, because I don’t think Djoker had a real chance to win that one.

He was favored in the odds only due to past reputation and folks sleeping on medvedev’s level. But he had not been playing at a level that could touch Medvedev’s level that tournament. I handicapped djoker’s chances at less than 10% going into the semi’s.

 

[dking68]

He should’ve won the Wimbledon 23’ F in straight sets, had it not been for 2 poor backhands in the second set tiebreaker

 

[jl809]

Wimbledon 23 is the closest I think we’ve come in reality because I think he would have handled the nerves properly the 2nd time around at the USO

 

[GrassMasters]

AO 2009

 

[SonnyT]

The 3 opponents for 3-slam seasons:

Federer's '04: Safin, Roddick, Hewitt
Federer's '06: Baghdatis, Nadal, Roddick. Nadal hadn't won a non-RF slam.
Federer's 07: Gonzales, Nadal, Djokovic. Neither Nadal nor Djokovic had won a non-RF slam.
Nadal's '10: Soderling, Berdych, Djokovic
Djokovic's 11: Tsongas, Nadal, Nadal. Djokovic defeated Federer before Tsongas.
Djokovic's 15: Murray, Federer, Federer
Djokovic's 21: Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Berrettini. Easy one
Djokovic's 23: Tsitsipas, Ruud, Medvedev. Djokovic had lost WB to Alcaraz.

 

[GoatNo1]

It's the pressure of winning the calendar slam that makes it different the NCYGS. That pressure was so immense.

it is also pressure to own all 4 slams simultaneously. no one but nole did it since 3 surfaces. it is not so big difference between NCYGS and CYGS, in both ways players own all of them at once. it is big hypocrisy from fed fans to do all prize to the CYGS and non to NCYGS just because it is made in one season and at the same time they prize much more weeks at no1 than YE#1s. for me is much more logic that if we look at the seasons YE#1s would have much bigger value as in all other sports. and about slams to own all 4 simultaneously would be the most important thing not the order of slams.

and about thread ..... only nole was near CYGS, no one other won even first 2 slams of the season (except for rafas asterisked 2022).

 

[inflation_era]

You can see the difference between Fed and Djokovic clearly here. At peak on clay (no, 2004 Fed was not peak on clay), Fed was only stopped by peak clay GOAT Nadal. On the other hand peak Djokovic was stopped by Federer (1 FO) and Wawrinka (clay novice).

 

[Lleytonstation]

it is also pressure to own all 4 slams simultaneously. no one but nole did it since 3 surfaces. it is not so big difference between NCYGS and CYGS, in both ways players own all of them at once. it is big hypocrisy from fed fans to do all prize to the CYGS and non to NCYGS just because it is made in one season and at the same time they prize much more weeks at no1 than YE#1s. for me is much more logic that if we look at the seasons YE#1s would have much bigger value as in all other sports. and about slams to own all 4 simultaneously would be the most important thing not the order of slams.

and about thread ..... only nole was near CYGS, no one other won even first 2 slams of the season (except for rafas asterisked 2022).

Last part is correct. Djoker was the only one whoever came close.

But we literally saw the difference in winning 4 in a row and winning 4 in a row in a calendar slam.

Now, maybe it is how we hold it in comparison, but the pressure was ten fold.

 

[DSH]

Last part is correct. Djoker was the only one whoever came close.

But we literally saw the difference in winning 4 in a row and winning 4 in a row in a calendar slam.

Now, maybe it is how we hold it in comparison, but the pressure was ten fold.

Plus Murray arrived 'cooked' to the 2016 RG final.
The Scot only played the first set at a very good level, the rest of the match was spent just watching his opponent play at will.

 

[Sport]

He should’ve won the Wimbledon 23’ F in straight sets, had it not been for 2 poor backhands in the second set tiebreaker

Arguably the greatest victory of Raz's career. He played against a still-in-form Novak who won 3 Majors that year, not his current ultra-declined version.

Another impressive victory in Raz's career is against Sinner at the USO 2022. How on Earth did Raz do that? Against Sinner. On hard courts. Saving a match point. Brutal. Spectacular. Magnificent.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Arguably the greatest victory of Raz's career. He played against a still-in-form Novak who won 3 Majors that year, not his current ultra-declined version.

Another impressive victory in Raz's career is against Sinner at the USO 2022. How on Earth did Raz do that? Against Sinner. On hard courts. Saving a match point. Brutal. Spectacular. Magnificent.

Why would raz not do it vs Sinner in 22. Getting way too ridiculous now. Sinner first won a masters in 2023.

 

[Sport]

Why would raz not do it vs Sinner in 22. Getting way too ridiculous now. Sinner first won a masters in 2023.

Ridiculous? Sinner is a hard court monster, undoubtedly the greatest hard court player of his generation. He may not have won his first Slam on hard till the AO 2024, but he played really well that USO QF.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Ridiculous? Sinner is a hard court monster, undoubtedly the greatest hard court player of his generation. He may not have won his first Slam on hard till the AO 2024, but he played really well that USO QF.

Nope. Sinner is hard courts monster now. Back in 2022 this stick legged kid was getting behind handed by hurkacz. His serve lacked punch and his stamina.

That 2022 raz despite being young was far better physically. Saying sinner win is so impressive and how raz did that is over exaggeration.

 

[Sport]

Nope. Sinner is hard courts monster now. Back in 2022 this stick legged kid was getting behind handed by hurkacz. His serve lacked punch and his stamina.

That 2022 raz despite being young was far better physically. Saying sinner win is so impressive and how raz did that is over exaggeration.

He also had stick arms. But Sinner played great that QF, you gotta give credit to Raz where credit is due.

 

[nolefam_2024]

He also had stick arms. But Sinner played great that QF, you gotta give credit to Raz where credit is due.

I always give credit to raz.

 

[GoatNo1]

Last part is correct. Djoker was the only one whoever came close.

But we literally saw the difference in winning 4 in a row and winning 4 in a row in a calendar slam.

Now, maybe it is how we hold it in comparison, but the pressure was ten fold.

it is to short sample to make any conclusion. all in all NCYGS and CYGS happened once each in the OE despite that the second one has 3 times less chances to be done. and to do it on 3 surfaces must be harder to do no matter if it is CY or NCYGS!

 

[fedfan24]

You can see the difference between Fed and Djokovic clearly here. At peak on clay (no, 2004 Fed was not peak on clay), Fed was only stopped by peak clay GOAT Nadal. On the other hand peak Djokovic was stopped by Federer (1 FO) and Wawrinka (clay novice).

Djokovic never quite had the peak level of the other two.

 

[Garro]

Definitely no guarantee Djokovic comes back against Fed at the US Open if he has the pressure of the calendar year slam on his shoulders.
Ditto for 2015...and 2007 for Fed by the way.

But I just can't see Fed losing the 2006 US Open, even if he had won the French that year. So it's between that and 2021 because Djokovic actually WAS one win away from winning all 4.

 

[gamelovergold]

DONT COUNT YOUR CHICKEN BEFORE THEY HATCH.
Only NOVAK can claim some regret not winning CYGS but he was completely outplayed by medvedev