Tennis: Wimbledon 2023 [July 3-16]

[Novak Djokovic]

I'm sorry, but people who consider Roger the GOAT really have no idea as to what they're talking about. Maybe the most liked or the most fashionable/innovative or the most whatever you want to imagine in your dreams. It's like saying Pavel Datsyuk is the greatest hockey player (I'm obviously exaggerating here) because he played with so much finesse and style.

There is no statistic where he even comes close to Novak in anything important, GS or Masters or ATP finals.

Novak's shown to be a better all court player (clay, grass, hard court), has more titles and has most weeks at #1. The goal post keeps moving every time. "If Novak one wins one more", "If he gets to 25, then he is...".

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Novak's shown to be a better all court player (clay, grass, hard court)

I prefer Djokovic on hard court, Federer on grass and they're arguably 2nd/3rd best clay court players in history just not as good as Nadal (I think I like how Djokovic's game fits clay a little more than Federer's)

I'm ok with putting Djokovic ahead but I think it's relatively close.

 

[VMBM]

they're arguably 2nd/3rd best clay court players in history just not as good as Nadal (I think I like how Djokovic's game fits clay a little more than Federer's).

Björn Borg would like to have a word; he won 6 French Open titles, his first at barely 18 years old in 1974, and would have probably won a few more if he hadn't retired so young.

 

[Fantomas]

Although I'm a Federer and American women fan, I consider weeks at #1 the true indication of the goat.

Rankings were a mess before the 1990s and a pretty useless metric. Then again, so were the majors.

 

[Fantomas]

I'm sorry, but people who consider Roger the GOAT really have no idea as to what they're talking about. Maybe the most liked or the most fashionable/innovative or the most whatever you want to imagine in your dreams. It's like saying Pavel Datsyuk is the greatest hockey player (I'm obviously exaggerating here) because he played with so much finesse and style.

There is no statistic where he even comes close to Novak in anything important, GS or Masters or ATP finals.

Novak's shown to be a better all court player (clay, grass, hard court), has more titles and has most weeks at #1. The goal post keeps moving every time. "If Novak one wins one more", "If he gets to 25, then he is...".

Someone recently made an edit on Youtube showing all of Nadal's clay court losses; there aren't many. Djokovic shows up on that list I think seven times, including two big wins against Nadal at the French. Federer only twice, and in meaningless tournaments.

Federer's problem, aside from falling behind the other two in the grand slam count, were all the times Nadal absolutely embarrassed him on clay. Thrashed him mercilessly, and Federer was powerless to stop him. Djokovic did much better and yeah, his legacy will age better.

Fed also didn't win the US Open after 2008. Hard to believe, but true.

Björn Borg would like to have a word; he won 6 French Open titles, his first at barely 19 years old in 1974, and would have probably won a few more if he hadn't retired so young.

Borg won his first French at 17, actually. Otherwise yes, I completely agree.

Borg's domination at the 1978 French Open is unsurpassed. No one has ever dominated a major to that extent. It's insane what he did.

Was as dominant on clay as Nadal, but pretty much stopped playing at 25.

Other great clay court players: Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, Henri Cochet, Ivan Lendl. All much better on the surface than Federer.

 

[VMBM]

Borg won his first French at 17, actually. Otherwise yes, I completely agree.

18 actually (although barely), and that's my final answer!

But yeah, thanks for the correction; somehow I managed to count that wrong (19).

 

[Fantomas]

18 actually (although barely), and that's my final answer!

But yeah, thanks for the correction; somehow I managed to count that wrong (19).

Yeah I looked it up and indeed I remember Borg being 17, nearly 18, at that tournament. He turned 18 during it and played the final at 18.

 

[Jack Straw]

Federer is arguably the best grass court player of all time.

15 Best Grass-Court Players of All Time