jl809
Legend
This topic comes up a lot across GPPD so I’m dealing with it properly here.
I’ll go age-by-age like this:
30 years old
Federer: 2012 AO, 2012 FO, 2012 W, 2011 USO
Nadal: 2017 AO, 2016 FO, 2016 W, 2016 USO
Djokovic: 2018 AO, 2017 FO, 2017 W, 2017 USO
Federer’s level is clearly highest in all of the slams, with Nadal’s body breaking on clay
Fed 4, Ned 0, Djok 0
31 years old
Federer: 2013 AO, 2013 FO, 2013 W, 2012 USO
Nadal: 2018 AO, 2017 FO, 2017 W, 2017 USO
Djokovic: 2019 AO, 2018 FO, 2018 W, 2018 USO
Clear win for Rafa at the FO, clear win for Djokovic at the AO and Wimbledon, debatable at the USO so I’m not going to give it to anyone. Fanboys will just say their guy.
Fed 4, Ned 1, Djok 2; up for debate: USO
32 years old
Federer: 2014 AO, 2014 FO, 2014 W, 2013 USO
Nadal: 2019 AO, 2018 FO, 2018 W, 2018 USO
Djokovic: 2020 AO, 2019 FO, 2019 W, 2019 USO
Clear for Rafa at the FO, then it gets tough. I will just about give Wimb to Federer over Nadal because of level vs the field, even though in that matchup I still think Federer might lose due to confidence and bad BH. USO, no-one wins. I can’t pick the AO because it’s all round awfulness, which would depend on surface speed a bit.
Fed 5, Ned 2, Djok 2. Up for debate: AO, Wimbledon
33 years old
Federer: 2015 AO, 2015 FO, 2015 W, 2014 USO
Nadal: 2020 AO, 2019 FO, 2019 W, 2019 USO
Djokovic: 2021 AO, 2020 FO, 2020 W, 2020 USO
I’ll give Rafa the FO for sure and Federer Wimby for sure. Then Djokovic sneaks the AO in a super low quality competition. I’ll give Rafa the USO too as Fed was already creaking before the Cilic match, and Rafa imo does better against that Monfils and Cilic.
Fed 6, Ned 4, Djok 3.
34 years old
Federer: 2016 AO, 2016 FO, 2016 W, 2015 USO
Nadal: 2021 AO, 2020 FO, 2020 W, 2020 USO
Djokovic: 2022 AO, 2021 FO, 2021 W, 2021 USO
This is hard because of the pandemic; Nadal went AWOL for 2 slams and Djokovic was banned from the AO. FO goes to Nadal again, USO would definitely go to Fed, Wimby and the AO are all over the place. Wimby to Djokovic, as he is the least injured? And Fed probably gets the AO because of the ban, although I think this is a bit ridiculous for an across-year “level” discussion, so won’t count it
Fed 7, Ned 5, Djok 4
35 years old
Federer: 2017 AO, 2017 FO, 2017 W, 2016 USO
Nadal: 2022 AO, 2021 FO, 2021 W, 2021 USO
Djokovic: 2023 AO, 2022 FO, 2022 W, 2022 USO
Here we’re basically at the end of the road because we’ve reached the present and have to guess if Djokovic will play the HC slams / what level he’d produce if he could, etc. Atm no 35 year old is playing the US Open.
Wimbledon to Federer for sure (unless Djokovic does something amazing in a few weeks), and FO to Nadal again. Probably AO to Fed too.
Fed 8 or 9, Ned 6, Djok 4
Looking further ahead, we can forecast where Federer would definitely win more: 36 year old (AO 2018), 37 year old (Wimb 2019). Nadal would probably win the next few FO matchups unless he retires rn. Djokovic’s bans make speculating a nightmare.
what it tells us??? Federer, unsurprisingly, has displayed the highest level at slams overall in his 30s, although not by as much as his fans would have you believe. Most of his lead here comes from that atrocious 30 year old year for Djokodal. But his mid/late 30s level (particularly age 35) is not to be messed with for sure.
There is one other thing to think about: how many times Djokovic and Nadal actually benefited from the age gap. I.e., how many times they actually won a slam whilst being at a a lower level than the one Federer had been at years earlier
Djokovic won Wimbledon 2019 whilst playing at a lower level than Federer did in 2014. Nadal won the 2022 Australian Open whilst playing at a lower level than Federer did at the AO in 2017.
Other than that, it can be argued that Djokovic won the AO 2020 whilst at a comparably **** level to 2014 Federer, and won the US Open in 2018 against a draw which 2012 Federer would also have (probably) got through. Nadal also won the 2017 US Open against a draw which 2012 Federer would also have (probably) got through. But there are far more debatable
What does this mean? Even though Federer played at a higher level across more slams than Djokodal in his 30s, Nadal and Djokovic actually barely gained slams in the slam race as a result.
Most of the slams where Federer was at a higher level than Djokodal (e.g. at the US Open, aged 34), Djokodal didn’t end up winning those slams anyway. And most of the slams Djokodal won were the ones where they were at the highest level of the 3 anyway.
I’m sure there are a few slams which people here would debate (especially that early US Open), so go ahead.
I’ll go age-by-age like this:
30 years old
Federer: 2012 AO, 2012 FO, 2012 W, 2011 USO
Nadal: 2017 AO, 2016 FO, 2016 W, 2016 USO
Djokovic: 2018 AO, 2017 FO, 2017 W, 2017 USO
Federer’s level is clearly highest in all of the slams, with Nadal’s body breaking on clay
Fed 4, Ned 0, Djok 0
31 years old
Federer: 2013 AO, 2013 FO, 2013 W, 2012 USO
Nadal: 2018 AO, 2017 FO, 2017 W, 2017 USO
Djokovic: 2019 AO, 2018 FO, 2018 W, 2018 USO
Clear win for Rafa at the FO, clear win for Djokovic at the AO and Wimbledon, debatable at the USO so I’m not going to give it to anyone. Fanboys will just say their guy.
Fed 4, Ned 1, Djok 2; up for debate: USO
32 years old
Federer: 2014 AO, 2014 FO, 2014 W, 2013 USO
Nadal: 2019 AO, 2018 FO, 2018 W, 2018 USO
Djokovic: 2020 AO, 2019 FO, 2019 W, 2019 USO
Clear for Rafa at the FO, then it gets tough. I will just about give Wimb to Federer over Nadal because of level vs the field, even though in that matchup I still think Federer might lose due to confidence and bad BH. USO, no-one wins. I can’t pick the AO because it’s all round awfulness, which would depend on surface speed a bit.
Fed 5, Ned 2, Djok 2. Up for debate: AO, Wimbledon
33 years old
Federer: 2015 AO, 2015 FO, 2015 W, 2014 USO
Nadal: 2020 AO, 2019 FO, 2019 W, 2019 USO
Djokovic: 2021 AO, 2020 FO, 2020 W, 2020 USO
I’ll give Rafa the FO for sure and Federer Wimby for sure. Then Djokovic sneaks the AO in a super low quality competition. I’ll give Rafa the USO too as Fed was already creaking before the Cilic match, and Rafa imo does better against that Monfils and Cilic.
Fed 6, Ned 4, Djok 3.
34 years old
Federer: 2016 AO, 2016 FO, 2016 W, 2015 USO
Nadal: 2021 AO, 2020 FO, 2020 W, 2020 USO
Djokovic: 2022 AO, 2021 FO, 2021 W, 2021 USO
This is hard because of the pandemic; Nadal went AWOL for 2 slams and Djokovic was banned from the AO. FO goes to Nadal again, USO would definitely go to Fed, Wimby and the AO are all over the place. Wimby to Djokovic, as he is the least injured? And Fed probably gets the AO because of the ban, although I think this is a bit ridiculous for an across-year “level” discussion, so won’t count it
Fed 7, Ned 5, Djok 4
35 years old
Federer: 2017 AO, 2017 FO, 2017 W, 2016 USO
Nadal: 2022 AO, 2021 FO, 2021 W, 2021 USO
Djokovic: 2023 AO, 2022 FO, 2022 W, 2022 USO
Here we’re basically at the end of the road because we’ve reached the present and have to guess if Djokovic will play the HC slams / what level he’d produce if he could, etc. Atm no 35 year old is playing the US Open.
Wimbledon to Federer for sure (unless Djokovic does something amazing in a few weeks), and FO to Nadal again. Probably AO to Fed too.
Fed 8 or 9, Ned 6, Djok 4
Looking further ahead, we can forecast where Federer would definitely win more: 36 year old (AO 2018), 37 year old (Wimb 2019). Nadal would probably win the next few FO matchups unless he retires rn. Djokovic’s bans make speculating a nightmare.
what it tells us??? Federer, unsurprisingly, has displayed the highest level at slams overall in his 30s, although not by as much as his fans would have you believe. Most of his lead here comes from that atrocious 30 year old year for Djokodal. But his mid/late 30s level (particularly age 35) is not to be messed with for sure.
There is one other thing to think about: how many times Djokovic and Nadal actually benefited from the age gap. I.e., how many times they actually won a slam whilst being at a a lower level than the one Federer had been at years earlier
Djokovic won Wimbledon 2019 whilst playing at a lower level than Federer did in 2014. Nadal won the 2022 Australian Open whilst playing at a lower level than Federer did at the AO in 2017.
Other than that, it can be argued that Djokovic won the AO 2020 whilst at a comparably **** level to 2014 Federer, and won the US Open in 2018 against a draw which 2012 Federer would also have (probably) got through. Nadal also won the 2017 US Open against a draw which 2012 Federer would also have (probably) got through. But there are far more debatable
What does this mean? Even though Federer played at a higher level across more slams than Djokodal in his 30s, Nadal and Djokovic actually barely gained slams in the slam race as a result.
Most of the slams where Federer was at a higher level than Djokodal (e.g. at the US Open, aged 34), Djokodal didn’t end up winning those slams anyway. And most of the slams Djokodal won were the ones where they were at the highest level of the 3 anyway.
I’m sure there are a few slams which people here would debate (especially that early US Open), so go ahead.
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