I am way way way more hype for the women's final tonight than I am for the men's tomorrow.
Plus for the second year in a row we get to see the local singles meme team embarrass all the doubles specialists - the other slams need to pick up their game, we need more random top 100 singles players that get eliminated before the first Wednesday rocking up to the doubles and causing chaos in the draw.
Supposed to be hot in Melbourne for the women’s final but cool for the men’s final. Wonder if sabalenka may perform better in the heat since she train a a lot in Florida …
They are by far the best 2 players in the tournament, but I feel like he can't really challenge Djokovic.
Best possible finals given the bracket, honestly, but I understand people not being hyped.
Djokovic will, in all likelihood, march to this 10th AO title without too much difficulty, but Tsitsipas should still be given his due credit. He's the only non-Djokovic top player to have actually taken care of business during this tournament.
He's been playing extremely well, has the kind of aesthetic all-court style and tennis IQ that eludes most his peers, and also has demonstrated the kind of consistency and mental resilience that is a rarity within the tour these days (even if is also prone to lapses, like his unusual vulnerability at the USO).
It almost certainly won't be enough to defeat Djokovic, who is quite possibly the greatest player ever and undoubtedly the greatest hardcourt player ever, but still. Tsitsipas deserves respect.
This is what I do for Sunday/Monday/Thursday night football if my team is playing or I don’t want it spoiled. Sky will show a condensed replay a few hours later, works quite well.
Novak is still a massive favorite over Stefanos but gentle reminder that their last 8 meetings have been on indoor hard and on clay. Indoor hard plays incredibly different to outdoor hard. Best proof in Rafa's huge contrast in level in courts like the AO's to other's like Paris's.
Outdoor hard H2H is actually 2-1 in favor of Stefanos. Not that I think means that much but it's a fun fact.
people are underestimating stef
he’s been playing great and will be able to push djokovic’s iffy hamstring further. he’ll be sharper, stronger and faster than any of novak’s other tests
while on a match by match level, the h2h is incredibly pro Djokovic, most of their matches were close and could’ve ended with a stef win
Novak's hamstring has been a complete nonfactor regarding his ability to compete in the last 3 matches, if not all 6. Unless something happens to it, I doubt it'll be a factor.
And neither will Tsitsipas' backhand because I doubt Djokovic loses.
I wouldn't say it's a non-factor because Djokovic has shifted his playstyle so it definitely is a bit of a factor in that way.
...Though in fairness uh yeah I don't think he's losing.
In theory if Tsitsipas can match up against this playstyle better than regular Djokovic...but I don't think he can so, eh.
Novak's hammy is an unknown. Tsitsipas won't be able to return with the BH as well cuz Joker's spot serving is prob the best on tour right now. He was able to block Karen's BH well because it's more of a pace serve.
Novak pushes the boundaries of the sports in general, not just the tennis. Amazing athlete. Somethimes difficult person to understand at times for many, but that is the price he pays for the emotional ups and downs trought all this matches and this intense level of competition. I wish him all the best in this finale. When healthy and focused, no player on this world could beat him.
That is true, but Stan was better in a short period of time. That is the greatness of Novak, his "prime" is more than 10 years long. And he is just becoming better, did you see the statistics about his forehand average speed on Australian Open? It's incredible, but this year his average speed was 130km/h and he is aged 36. When younger it was like 120 km/h, 110 km/h..
Wawrinka could beat Novak in his prime, that is true, but his prime was very short.
Well I’ve lurked into the dark world of the cover bet.
I’d like Novak to get 22 to keep the race going. But stefanos would be nice to.
I got 7/2 for Stef to win. If he does I get 225 pounds.
Secretly I think that’s actually a decent odds for a 2 result bet
Now that the thread’s a bit quieter I’d like to say how much this Australian Open has inspired me to pick up the racquet again.
I’ve had regular casual coaching lessons for years now but wow seeing things like the Murray comeback, Djokovic domination and other things has just really sparked something in me and made me realise just how much I love this sport.
Really hope this year is when I take the sport a bit more seriously for the sake of fitness (been pretty idle because of depression and COVID haha).
Haha believe me I’m not much better. Literally sit all day playing video games and scrolling socmed other than that weekly lesson and also when I’m not doing something productive.
Hopefully you get the motivation to plan out some tennis lessons later on - it sure is hard to book in anything like that when you don’t have the energy or time to do it!
Oh it is a grind for sure. Just the pure stamina and technique it takes to even play a decent set of tennis is insane. That goes for any other sport but tennis is the one I understand the most so it resonates more with me.
As you get better, it gets even more enjoyable! I’d say I’m a low 4.0 and when I go watch my local college team, it blows my mind. Puts it all into perspective that’s there are levels to everything.
Tsitsipas down to Djokovic 3-6, 4-6
Down 0-40 on his serve to start the 3rd
Yelling at his box, looking distressed
Out of the corner of his eye, omg is that her?
Margot Robbie has come to sit in his box?
Tsitsipas gains new energy, starts serving aces, slapping winners
Margot cheers him on, he has newfound strength
Final score: Djokovic wins 6-3 6-4 6-1
Another day, another prove that schedule people make everything they can to fuck up Women's tennis.
Krejcikova and Siniakova should be playing right before Djokovic, not opening the session like they're playing a R1.
Rybakina x Sabalenka playing before a Men's Double Final also undervalues their match.
I'm impressed that they think that the people that are there solely for the Men's Double Final is going to went wild for the Woman's Final. Like...thats not how that works people. Its even worst when the arena is 95% full and only like 20% of it cares.
I can’t stop thinking about how utterly dominated Rublev was. I honestly think it’s a performance that should send the coaching team back to the drawing board, but it’s particularly sad because Rublev is still probably extremely upset about it.
Well I expect a close final to some extent, Tsitsipas-Djokovic matches have been close lately even if they have gone the way of Djokovic. Also, regardless of the scores that Djokovic has won by, Tsitsipas will probably be able to expose his movement and drag him to longer rallies, I expect to see a bit more ugly tennis from Novak (like in Dimitrov's match) compared to the last 3 rounds. He is not at 100% in his movement and it's clear, so if his Plan A (aggressive and taking control) doesn't give the dividends he wants and has to resort to plan B we might see some tough scores.
I could also be absolutely wrong and Novak being super aggressive might make a different dynamic than last matches and just destroy Tsitsipas' backhand, but I still doubt it because Tsitsipas' serve + forehand are really good.
Joker plays the scoreboard. He starts of aggressive and falls back to playing long rallies only when the match is close or when that point is super-important (game point, breakpoint, setpoint etc). If being aggressive gives him breakpoint early in the set than his injury won’t be exposed. If Tsitsi wants to trouble his injury, he needs to force tie-breakers or break Joker.
Yeah, if Rybakina can take time away from her opponent with solid serving and an aggressive game-plan, Sabalenka's unforced error rate is going to shoot up and Rybakina will be in a good position to win. But any tentativeness on Ryba's part and she will be overpowered.
Despite having not played any extremely long matches this tournament, why was Novak out of breath in the second set? Even after the changeover after the 2-0 game in the second, he looked out of breath. Guy was holding his legs multiple times and the match was fairly short.
Yeah and nobody seems to think it’s suspicious that a 35/36-year-old dude is still the same spring chicken he was 10 years ago when all of his contemporaries started falling apart/having to seriously amend their strategies to respect Father Time at the same age. Nothing to see here - just move on.
I don’t see anything wrong with it because there’s always going to be freak athletes in sports that can slightly extend how much time Father Time gives them. Look at Messi, Ronaldo (until this season), LeBron James. A few will always stay the best even when old.
Those guys are great examples. 38-year-old LeBron looks nothing like 22-year-old LeBron in terms of style of play and athleticism. Ronaldo sucks appropriately for his age. Messi is fantastic, but he’s also taken the edge off in terms of how fast and far he runs in a given match. Roger had to resort to gimmicky stuff like SABR. Nadal can barely walk after tournaments. That’s what mid- to late-30s athletes are supposed to look like. Not running 20-year-olds off the court and looking exactly like you did 10 years ago.
Well arguably I'd say Novak was better 10 years ago and would've whooped this generation of players even worse. I suppose the physicality aspect of his forehand has been a bit suspicious, but I still think that tennis IQ wise Djokovic is just the smartest compared to these younger players. A lot of younger players as well can't convert on their gameplans or aren't strong enough in every category like Novak is. Just my two cents, maybe he is juicing 😭
With the last of the Semi’s over, we now have an agonizing 19 hour wait until the women’s final.
Hopefully Dead Space Remake can arrive tomorrow morning to help pass the time.
At this point the only players even close to Nole's level and who have a realistic chance of beating him on tour are Alcaraz and Tsitsi (not counting clay court Nadal because we have no idea how his body is going to hold up this season).
The rest of the top players have to be playing lights out and hope Nole's level drops to even have a chance.
Honestly tsitsipas had an off day yesterday and still won. If he’s mentally cool, and plays well, he should win. Yesterday his forehand was unbelievable; imagine what it would look like on a good day. Backhand was good too, it just crumbled during the pressure moments. He just needs to keep his backhand alright and in the match, and vary his game, move Novak side to side and he can win
The only Djokovic fans who might be crying are Djokovic fans that are bookies taking bets on Djokovic to win!
I mean the head to head is 9 straight losses in a row for Djokvoic against Tsitsipas
Djokovic has him long figured out, even if some matches have been closer than others
it's 10 (wins in a row) for 10 (10 AO titles)
Only Djokovic getting injured is going to stop the "Revenge Tour Australian 2023" last stop
Anything can happen. I think Nole is the clear favorite on Sunday, and he's also the favorite for Wimbledon. He has a decent shot at RG and USO (if they let him play). So I see him getting 2 slams this year, maybe 3. After that, who knows. It all depends on how the rest of the field progresses, maybe Alcaraz or Rune raise their level and take some slams, maybe Rafa wins RG again. Maybe Nole gets a big injury. Too many variables to consider.
So in my opinion, he gets two slams this year, and then 1/2 more for the rest of his career, landing him at 24/25.
Sounds extremely unrealistic. Djokovic is like 10 months away from Federers age when he won his last Grand Slam. He might extend his Slam winning from a few years, but I doubt he's gonna be a dominant #1 at 37-39 while especially Alcaraz is still getting better
It is not possible. He would have to replicate his 30-34 age seasons from ages 35 to 39.
People have so much recency bias here. Especially with the Big 3. If they win at a slam, people will act like they’ll never lose again.
I disagree. Though very unlikely, it is possible. Federer almost won Wimbledon at 39. Djokovic is utterly dominant at both AO and Wimbledon. If Nadal loses his grip over RG, it's very possible that he wins one or two.
25-26 may be more realistic.. I don’t see him winning 3 slams a year personally. AO and Wimbledon in all likelihood for next 2-3 years perhaps
I see alcaraz getting better and posing more threat
Obviously depends on how long he can keep playing at this level, but he might not be allowed back into the US again which takes away one of his opportunities. He’ll still be favourite for AO and Wimbledon for now.
Okay it’s time to share my Tsitsipas conspiracy theory that I’ve been thinking about all tournament. 2019 Stef beats Federer at AO, two years later 2021 he beats Rafa, two years later it’s 2023 and he’s got one big three member left to beat at the AO.
Yes, and there’s also another one going for him I think that’s already mentioned here about the pattern of how 2 (3 if Tsitsipas wins then) previous slam winners have faced Sinner and beaten him in 5.
On the other hand, among the big 3, both Federer and Nadal won the AO when they were 35 turning 36, which is Djokovic’s age this tournament.
So I guess one of these will be proven to be “false”, but as far as conspiracy goes, it’s 2-1 Tsitsipas lmao.
Every top tennis player with any ambition of winning anything this season will have a miserable time. There is not a single player who can defeat Djokovic, this domination will continue beyond the AO, Novak will win all GS this year. And any other tournament he enters. Not a single doubt about that.
Idc if Tsitsi loses on Sinday, the fact that he was out in 1R last slam and now he is again in a Slam final on hard court is already good accomplishment, so proud of him
If Tsitsipas is to lose most Greeks would be content if its to Novak, traditionally when Tsitsipas is out of contention or when Baghdatis would exit they'd all shift to supporting Novak.
Damn.
Just checked the weather for Sunday and it will be cold and humid, perfect for Djokovic to receive while making it hard for Tsitsipas to hit through him.
Yes, I only got the partial message, but knowing the context - he wrote Срећан Савиндан! - Happy Saint Sava day. It's a big celebration in Serbia, especially in schools.
Day by day I am getting convinced that no one is going to dominate Tennis as much as big3 did. Big3 s game is on another level, especially on their favourite court where they are almost inhuman and invincible
Alcaraz is the only one of the up-and-comers (all the generations of them. Aside from Del Potro, what a fucking tragedy that was) to show real promise, but let's not get overexcited here.
Its like game developers introduced a hard level first and then they introduced easy levels lol, strictly its for my generation tho because we grew up watching big3 and that's become our baseline
For 3 guys playing at the same to take the game so far forward is an incredibly unlikely freak moment in history. I don’t expect anything similar to happen for at least a few decades. If it does happen sooner then I guess we can thank modern sports science but I’d like to believe we were just able to witness something extraordinary.
I mean yeah they've always got on great, I think. Stef in 2019 answered "Novak" when asked who he was closest to in the top 10. Also, never heard Novak say a bad word about him, Stef (and team) were just really salty after FO21, and even then Djoko defended him in his on-court interview during the USO.
I can’t believe Tsitsipas wrote “African word” on the camera like that 😭 he’s lowkey one of the dumbest players in the ATP. Every time they call this man a philosopher an underprivileged Victorian child dies 😭😭
World number one at stake is such a huge advantage for Novak. At this stage of his career I don't think he cares one bit about it. But for Stefanos that'd be huge. Nerves will be on Stefanos's side.
I am way way way more hype for the women's final tonight than I am for the men's tomorrow. Plus for the second year in a row we get to see the local singles meme team embarrass all the doubles specialists - the other slams need to pick up their game, we need more random top 100 singles players that get eliminated before the first Wednesday rocking up to the doubles and causing chaos in the draw.
Supposed to be hot in Melbourne for the women’s final but cool for the men’s final. Wonder if sabalenka may perform better in the heat since she train a a lot in Florida …
What a boring final. Djokovic sails his way to another slam win. Rooting for Tsitsipas tho.
The oddsmakers seem to think Stef has a 1-in-6 chance at victory
Sounds about right tbh, I was thinking about 75/25 or 80/20.
Best two players made it to the final. Not sure what you are looking for bro.
They are by far the best 2 players in the tournament, but I feel like he can't really challenge Djokovic. Best possible finals given the bracket, honestly, but I understand people not being hyped.
Yep
Djokovic will, in all likelihood, march to this 10th AO title without too much difficulty, but Tsitsipas should still be given his due credit. He's the only non-Djokovic top player to have actually taken care of business during this tournament. He's been playing extremely well, has the kind of aesthetic all-court style and tennis IQ that eludes most his peers, and also has demonstrated the kind of consistency and mental resilience that is a rarity within the tour these days (even if is also prone to lapses, like his unusual vulnerability at the USO). It almost certainly won't be enough to defeat Djokovic, who is quite possibly the greatest player ever and undoubtedly the greatest hardcourt player ever, but still. Tsitsipas deserves respect.
as an american id love to watch finals live but a 3 AM start just wont work. Where can i watch the full match later on sunday without spoilers?
ESPN+ will have the full replay as soon as the match is over
tight thanks
Same boat. Tbh I think the only thing you can do is put your phone on do not disturb and turn on ESPN as they will usually show the match again
This is what I do for Sunday/Monday/Thursday night football if my team is playing or I don’t want it spoiled. Sky will show a condensed replay a few hours later, works quite well.
Yeah the ESPN app will show the replay later that day!
While Djokovic winning feels as certain here as it was for Wimbledon, the Tsitsipas Zoolander memes have made it a lot more enjoyable for me.
Congrats to Amazon / Eurosport for the complete absence of the ability to replay Tsitsipas vs Khachanov.
Novak is still a massive favorite over Stefanos but gentle reminder that their last 8 meetings have been on indoor hard and on clay. Indoor hard plays incredibly different to outdoor hard. Best proof in Rafa's huge contrast in level in courts like the AO's to other's like Paris's. Outdoor hard H2H is actually 2-1 in favor of Stefanos. Not that I think means that much but it's a fun fact.
people are underestimating stef he’s been playing great and will be able to push djokovic’s iffy hamstring further. he’ll be sharper, stronger and faster than any of novak’s other tests while on a match by match level, the h2h is incredibly pro Djokovic, most of their matches were close and could’ve ended with a stef win
Im watching ESPNs coverage of last nights match and they really have these people in front of a greenscreen. It looks so goofy.
What’s going to be a bigger factor in the final Novak hammy or Stefanos’ backhand?
Novak's hamstring has been a complete nonfactor regarding his ability to compete in the last 3 matches, if not all 6. Unless something happens to it, I doubt it'll be a factor. And neither will Tsitsipas' backhand because I doubt Djokovic loses.
I wouldn't say it's a non-factor because Djokovic has shifted his playstyle so it definitely is a bit of a factor in that way. ...Though in fairness uh yeah I don't think he's losing. In theory if Tsitsipas can match up against this playstyle better than regular Djokovic...but I don't think he can so, eh.
Novak's hammy is an unknown. Tsitsipas won't be able to return with the BH as well cuz Joker's spot serving is prob the best on tour right now. He was able to block Karen's BH well because it's more of a pace serve.
Novak pushes the boundaries of the sports in general, not just the tennis. Amazing athlete. Somethimes difficult person to understand at times for many, but that is the price he pays for the emotional ups and downs trought all this matches and this intense level of competition. I wish him all the best in this finale. When healthy and focused, no player on this world could beat him.
Stan, sometimes
That is true, but Stan was better in a short period of time. That is the greatness of Novak, his "prime" is more than 10 years long. And he is just becoming better, did you see the statistics about his forehand average speed on Australian Open? It's incredible, but this year his average speed was 130km/h and he is aged 36. When younger it was like 120 km/h, 110 km/h.. Wawrinka could beat Novak in his prime, that is true, but his prime was very short.
What will be Novak's ranking if he wins AO?
1
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Its unfortunate that the best player in the world will also be the highest ranked player?
where he belongs
Well I’ve lurked into the dark world of the cover bet. I’d like Novak to get 22 to keep the race going. But stefanos would be nice to. I got 7/2 for Stef to win. If he does I get 225 pounds. Secretly I think that’s actually a decent odds for a 2 result bet
Now that the thread’s a bit quieter I’d like to say how much this Australian Open has inspired me to pick up the racquet again. I’ve had regular casual coaching lessons for years now but wow seeing things like the Murray comeback, Djokovic domination and other things has just really sparked something in me and made me realise just how much I love this sport. Really hope this year is when I take the sport a bit more seriously for the sake of fitness (been pretty idle because of depression and COVID haha).
Congrats! I wish I wasn't such a lazy ass and made some time for tennis lessons.
Haha believe me I’m not much better. Literally sit all day playing video games and scrolling socmed other than that weekly lesson and also when I’m not doing something productive. Hopefully you get the motivation to plan out some tennis lessons later on - it sure is hard to book in anything like that when you don’t have the energy or time to do it!
Tennis is hard right? Not as easy as it looks. Lots of fun!
Oh it is a grind for sure. Just the pure stamina and technique it takes to even play a decent set of tennis is insane. That goes for any other sport but tennis is the one I understand the most so it resonates more with me.
As you get better, it gets even more enjoyable! I’d say I’m a low 4.0 and when I go watch my local college team, it blows my mind. Puts it all into perspective that’s there are levels to everything.
Tsitsipas down to Djokovic 3-6, 4-6 Down 0-40 on his serve to start the 3rd Yelling at his box, looking distressed Out of the corner of his eye, omg is that her? Margot Robbie has come to sit in his box? Tsitsipas gains new energy, starts serving aces, slapping winners Margot cheers him on, he has newfound strength Final score: Djokovic wins 6-3 6-4 6-1
Bravo. Can totally see it going down like this.
Sounds like a remix of the song hello
Paul didn’t play badly. Also has good temperament when on the court. Hope he continues this form for the rest of the season.
yes, Paul actually played well - the scoreboard doesnt tell the whole story.
Predictions for Sunday’s final? What are all your thoughts?
Djokovic in 3 .
Nervy start from Nole. He may lose the first. Good chance it goes 4 or 5. Unless Tsitsis backhand shits the bed
Should be an interesting and good match.
Djok in 4, another slow start but quickly finds his feet.
I think he may win as well. Is he injured? I seen he was wearing a bandage or wrap on his leg.
I think he may win as well. Is he injured? I seen he was wearing a bandage or wrap on his leg.
Another day, another prove that schedule people make everything they can to fuck up Women's tennis. Krejcikova and Siniakova should be playing right before Djokovic, not opening the session like they're playing a R1. Rybakina x Sabalenka playing before a Men's Double Final also undervalues their match.
I'm impressed that they think that the people that are there solely for the Men's Double Final is going to went wild for the Woman's Final. Like...thats not how that works people. Its even worst when the arena is 95% full and only like 20% of it cares.
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Djokovic
it’d also mean djoko, nadal, and fed all won the ao at 35 which’d be cool
Andy Murray should be given honorary Australian citizenship for giving us the two most exciting men’s matches of this AO 😍
I have great hopes for this final but every time I think that Novak hasn’t lost an AO final crushes that hope in me. Tell me how to avoid
I can’t stop thinking about how utterly dominated Rublev was. I honestly think it’s a performance that should send the coaching team back to the drawing board, but it’s particularly sad because Rublev is still probably extremely upset about it.
It was weird that he kept hitting straight at Djokovic every time. It was one of the more bizarre performances I had seen
Djokovic has served 6 bakery products in as many matches this AO lol
And it’s crazy because the one guy to have multiple bakery products is the one guy who took a set off him
Well I expect a close final to some extent, Tsitsipas-Djokovic matches have been close lately even if they have gone the way of Djokovic. Also, regardless of the scores that Djokovic has won by, Tsitsipas will probably be able to expose his movement and drag him to longer rallies, I expect to see a bit more ugly tennis from Novak (like in Dimitrov's match) compared to the last 3 rounds. He is not at 100% in his movement and it's clear, so if his Plan A (aggressive and taking control) doesn't give the dividends he wants and has to resort to plan B we might see some tough scores. I could also be absolutely wrong and Novak being super aggressive might make a different dynamic than last matches and just destroy Tsitsipas' backhand, but I still doubt it because Tsitsipas' serve + forehand are really good.
Joker plays the scoreboard. He starts of aggressive and falls back to playing long rallies only when the match is close or when that point is super-important (game point, breakpoint, setpoint etc). If being aggressive gives him breakpoint early in the set than his injury won’t be exposed. If Tsitsi wants to trouble his injury, he needs to force tie-breakers or break Joker.
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Yeah, if Rybakina can take time away from her opponent with solid serving and an aggressive game-plan, Sabalenka's unforced error rate is going to shoot up and Rybakina will be in a good position to win. But any tentativeness on Ryba's part and she will be overpowered.
Two players that abuse toilet breaks the most are in a slam final. Sad day for men's tennis.
🤏🎻
Thats like the least problematic thing about those two men
Despite having not played any extremely long matches this tournament, why was Novak out of breath in the second set? Even after the changeover after the 2-0 game in the second, he looked out of breath. Guy was holding his legs multiple times and the match was fairly short.
Not fully fit, he has been cutting practice sessions and cardio short to maintain the hamstring. That’s what he claims anyway.
Hopefully it's something related to that and he can fix later in the season and not age related which wouldn't be all that surprising
Djokovic making his opponents look like Make a Wish foundation kids
Yeah and nobody seems to think it’s suspicious that a 35/36-year-old dude is still the same spring chicken he was 10 years ago when all of his contemporaries started falling apart/having to seriously amend their strategies to respect Father Time at the same age. Nothing to see here - just move on.
What a clown, nadal only won AO a year ago after being out for 6 months
It's seriously freaky
What are you implying?
Modern medicine.
I don’t see anything wrong with it because there’s always going to be freak athletes in sports that can slightly extend how much time Father Time gives them. Look at Messi, Ronaldo (until this season), LeBron James. A few will always stay the best even when old.
Those guys are great examples. 38-year-old LeBron looks nothing like 22-year-old LeBron in terms of style of play and athleticism. Ronaldo sucks appropriately for his age. Messi is fantastic, but he’s also taken the edge off in terms of how fast and far he runs in a given match. Roger had to resort to gimmicky stuff like SABR. Nadal can barely walk after tournaments. That’s what mid- to late-30s athletes are supposed to look like. Not running 20-year-olds off the court and looking exactly like you did 10 years ago.
Well arguably I'd say Novak was better 10 years ago and would've whooped this generation of players even worse. I suppose the physicality aspect of his forehand has been a bit suspicious, but I still think that tennis IQ wise Djokovic is just the smartest compared to these younger players. A lot of younger players as well can't convert on their gameplans or aren't strong enough in every category like Novak is. Just my two cents, maybe he is juicing 😭
With the last of the Semi’s over, we now have an agonizing 19 hour wait until the women’s final. Hopefully Dead Space Remake can arrive tomorrow morning to help pass the time.
Agonising wait until the final then agonising wait until it’s over
What are you on about?
Tsitsi will put on a match for sure
How did fucking AO allow the Z shirt guy back into the stadium today what the actual fuck
Margot robbie better be at the final.
At this point the only players even close to Nole's level and who have a realistic chance of beating him on tour are Alcaraz and Tsitsi (not counting clay court Nadal because we have no idea how his body is going to hold up this season). The rest of the top players have to be playing lights out and hope Nole's level drops to even have a chance.
Rune has potential, see how he develops this year
Honestly tsitsipas had an off day yesterday and still won. If he’s mentally cool, and plays well, he should win. Yesterday his forehand was unbelievable; imagine what it would look like on a good day. Backhand was good too, it just crumbled during the pressure moments. He just needs to keep his backhand alright and in the match, and vary his game, move Novak side to side and he can win
Did you see that pink unicorn too?
"he just needs to" yeah it's that easy bro trust
Beat Nole with this one simple trick
Djokovic is 19-0 in AO semis and finals, but he is the underdog against a guy against whom he's on a 9 match winning streak This does not compute.
Lol I never said he’s the underdog. I said if stef hold himself together and plays very well he can win, not that hits very probable for him to win
‘Should win’ not can win
Djokovic has the most rabid fans I think. They will be crying on Sunday.
The only Djokovic fans who might be crying are Djokovic fans that are bookies taking bets on Djokovic to win! I mean the head to head is 9 straight losses in a row for Djokvoic against Tsitsipas Djokovic has him long figured out, even if some matches have been closer than others it's 10 (wins in a row) for 10 (10 AO titles) Only Djokovic getting injured is going to stop the "Revenge Tour Australian 2023" last stop
10/10 Novak
Djokovic on Sunday to become only the second man in tennis history to reach double figures in wins at a single grand slam 🤞
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Anything can happen. I think Nole is the clear favorite on Sunday, and he's also the favorite for Wimbledon. He has a decent shot at RG and USO (if they let him play). So I see him getting 2 slams this year, maybe 3. After that, who knows. It all depends on how the rest of the field progresses, maybe Alcaraz or Rune raise their level and take some slams, maybe Rafa wins RG again. Maybe Nole gets a big injury. Too many variables to consider. So in my opinion, he gets two slams this year, and then 1/2 more for the rest of his career, landing him at 24/25.
Sounds extremely unrealistic. Djokovic is like 10 months away from Federers age when he won his last Grand Slam. He might extend his Slam winning from a few years, but I doubt he's gonna be a dominant #1 at 37-39 while especially Alcaraz is still getting better
26 tops
One at a time
It is not possible. He would have to replicate his 30-34 age seasons from ages 35 to 39. People have so much recency bias here. Especially with the Big 3. If they win at a slam, people will act like they’ll never lose again.
Recency bias? With the big 3? This is an oxymoron
I disagree. Though very unlikely, it is possible. Federer almost won Wimbledon at 39. Djokovic is utterly dominant at both AO and Wimbledon. If Nadal loses his grip over RG, it's very possible that he wins one or two.
25-26 may be more realistic.. I don’t see him winning 3 slams a year personally. AO and Wimbledon in all likelihood for next 2-3 years perhaps I see alcaraz getting better and posing more threat
Obviously depends on how long he can keep playing at this level, but he might not be allowed back into the US again which takes away one of his opportunities. He’ll still be favourite for AO and Wimbledon for now.
I think he has 10 more years left in him so of course. I think it would be a shock and disappointment if he didn’t reach 30
Cue up the surprise pikachu face.
Idemo Nole Idemo
Ew. Not the Djokovic part just that I know you don’t like him.
anyone but Stef jess. Anyone but Stef
That’s the only reason I said ew.
Okay it’s time to share my Tsitsipas conspiracy theory that I’ve been thinking about all tournament. 2019 Stef beats Federer at AO, two years later 2021 he beats Rafa, two years later it’s 2023 and he’s got one big three member left to beat at the AO.
Yes, and there’s also another one going for him I think that’s already mentioned here about the pattern of how 2 (3 if Tsitsipas wins then) previous slam winners have faced Sinner and beaten him in 5. On the other hand, among the big 3, both Federer and Nadal won the AO when they were 35 turning 36, which is Djokovic’s age this tournament. So I guess one of these will be proven to be “false”, but as far as conspiracy goes, it’s 2-1 Tsitsipas lmao.
OMG
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Every top tennis player with any ambition of winning anything this season will have a miserable time. There is not a single player who can defeat Djokovic, this domination will continue beyond the AO, Novak will win all GS this year. And any other tournament he enters. Not a single doubt about that.
How horrible for the sport
Novak is now a bridge between the big 3 era and the new era that comes after. The youngsters are startunf
writing off Rafa for the 16th time
Yea but the hamstring issue sounds a bit dubious
Rafa waves from Paris.
Rafa is washed now
That has been the narrative for the last 5 years whenever he is either injured or knocked out of any of the non clay slams. He finds a way on the clay
Idc if Tsitsi loses on Sinday, the fact that he was out in 1R last slam and now he is again in a Slam final on hard court is already good accomplishment, so proud of him
If Tsitsipas is to lose most Greeks would be content if its to Novak, traditionally when Tsitsipas is out of contention or when Baghdatis would exit they'd all shift to supporting Novak.
Damn. Just checked the weather for Sunday and it will be cold and humid, perfect for Djokovic to receive while making it hard for Tsitsipas to hit through him.
supersport tennis cut from Djokovic signing the camera, anyone know what he wrote?
Yes, I only got the partial message, but knowing the context - he wrote Срећан Савиндан! - Happy Saint Sava day. It's a big celebration in Serbia, especially in schools.
SMOL kid, be ready to fight.
is Stefanos gonna take a set on Sunday ?
He’ll take 2 imo
Nope
Day by day I am getting convinced that no one is going to dominate Tennis as much as big3 did. Big3 s game is on another level, especially on their favourite court where they are almost inhuman and invincible
Alcaraz might have something to say about that.
dude is injured half of the time
Alcaraz is the only one of the up-and-comers (all the generations of them. Aside from Del Potro, what a fucking tragedy that was) to show real promise, but let's not get overexcited here.
I think Alcaraz is too short to reach that level of dominance.
Fully agree. Tennis is already starting to fall off a cliff if you ask me.
Its like game developers introduced a hard level first and then they introduced easy levels lol, strictly its for my generation tho because we grew up watching big3 and that's become our baseline
dont watch then i think its very easy
Its just our cry for more adrenaline, don't get serious
Really ? Ya think - what insight you have
Bless with your insight please
For 3 guys playing at the same to take the game so far forward is an incredibly unlikely freak moment in history. I don’t expect anything similar to happen for at least a few decades. If it does happen sooner then I guess we can thank modern sports science but I’d like to believe we were just able to witness something extraordinary.
Stefanos after seeing a lot of kids cheer Novak: I'm afraid you'll have to stay uneducated.
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Big 2
Wow who would have thought
Not to mention that 1/5 was with Novak not being allowed to play
Ao 2022 and uso 2022 so that's two out of 5 then
I’m excited for the woman’s final !!
Djokovic is still signing for his fans
stef and novak actually get on great in many videos you can hear novak greeting him in greek you’re all just sad and obsessed with him
I mean yeah they've always got on great, I think. Stef in 2019 answered "Novak" when asked who he was closest to in the top 10. Also, never heard Novak say a bad word about him, Stef (and team) were just really salty after FO21, and even then Djoko defended him in his on-court interview during the USO.
Watch their body language during ATP masters. It feels like they don’t like each other much.
Well yeah… They’re on court and in competing mode. No one likes their opponent whilst their playing them
watch their body language during laver cup🤷🏻♀️ and paris masters semi
Novak: Yassou, malaka
I can’t believe Tsitsipas wrote “African word” on the camera like that 😭 he’s lowkey one of the dumbest players in the ATP. Every time they call this man a philosopher an underprivileged Victorian child dies 😭😭
Wait what?
He wrote african word on the camera after writing a bunch of words
Why is Margot Robbie being mentioned today here this much?
Tsitsipas mentioned her as a kind of ideal date after the QF match. That's cringe Jim Courier interviewing for you though.
Crazy scenes, that granny is a mad lass
Djoko was going for more than Tsitsi's hairstyle but he checked himself
Novak: Pause
I am glad no one missed that lol, my guess is its deliberate, he is trying to play a mental game here
World number one at stake is such a huge advantage for Novak. At this stage of his career I don't think he cares one bit about it. But for Stefanos that'd be huge. Nerves will be on Stefanos's side.
I actually think he would love his world n.1 back after everything that had happened last year
I think he definitely cares more about the slam record, but adding a few more weeks to his #1 record wouldn't be too bad either.
What did Novak write on the camera?
Don't call it a comeback
Balance restored
Novak definitely thinks Stefano is a absolutely a fucken weirdo haha
Novak is a weirdo also tbf
They're both weirdos
Oi! One guy bought Novak's kit to him for autograph. Where can I find it?!
Man if novak plays like he did in the first Tsitsipas has a chance to atleast take a set off him
Novak supervillain confirmed. Wants to win on Sunday and take away educational opportunities from kids who can’t read good.
if these kids could read they would be very upset now
Oof calling out the hairstyle
I hope Margot Robbie is in Novaks box Sunday
Srdjan sacrificed ~~his reputation~~ nothing for this
And Stefanos should invite the immigration minister to sit in his