Topic: Tennis League All Thread - page 199. (Read 202126 times)

It is too bad that Federer is retiring but he is already 41 years old and had too much injuries the last couple of years. In my eyes, he is the greatest of all time and it doesn't matter to me that Nadal and Djokovic won more grandslams. Federer is one the the most naturally gifted players of all time and he was always a pleasure to watch!

Federer is one of the biggest players in tennis history but to me he is just under Djokovic and Nadal. For the best in history nadal and djokovic are fighting heavily but i think if Djokovic didnt miss all of this tournament due to this stupid protocol he would have already had 24+ grand slam titles for sure

I think for the generation that really saw Roger  won the Canadian Open in early 2000's and become one of the big 3 and the GOAT, it really sadden to see him retire like this. However, it's obvious as you have said that he has lost his prime already in the last 3 years and although he has competed and won tournaments, it is not the same Federer because of the wear and tear on his body. He had accomplished a lot and for me he is just a shade above Nadal and Djkovic, so personally he is my top 1 regardless of the numbers.

It is really sad to see him go, but he should have done it a few years ago. We have already forgotten what kind of a player he was because the last 5+ years he was forcing it although he was physically unable to cope.

If we boil it down to numbers alone, we can always discuss that Nadal or Đoković are better than Roger. But for me the 'eye test' is the most important factor when deciding who is the best player and there can be only one player on top.

Federer is the essence of how tennis should be played. One of the most impressive athletes of all time.

It seems unlikely that Federer will make a comeback in the tennis world. I think he sometimes hits a ball in his backyard, but then on a friendly basis or with a trainer. He has been out of circulation for a while now, if you wouldn't move or play tennis at all, the body can no longer handle that either. After all, Roger isn't 25 anymore. He has won everything you can imagine in tennis, his legacy will live on forever. I don't think there is a greater tennis player that has ever existed. Even if it may not be the player with the most titles.

It is soo hard to digest that we wont see Federer at Wimbledon, one last time. I was hoping he'd come back to 23 season for one last time and play a couple of slams. Sad to see him retire. Will surely watch the Laver Cup, just for him.

Tennis lost a great champion today and it will never be the same again  It was sort of expected he was dragging that knee injury and he isn't getting any younger.

I guess there will be a lot more spectators at Laver Cup just to see him play one last time. I know I will be watching, granted only on TV.

Another thing I am really worried about is that I hope he doesn't get carried away with the amount of money that he is going to get. At the moment, Alcaraz is the number one player in the world, and it is very easy for him to acquire a lot of money because of his position. Additionally, he will be able to gain more money by accepting unfair means. And we know that at this age it is very easy to get carried away with all the money. Thus, I hope he is satisfied with what he has, and concentrates all of his attention on improving as a player and staying content with what he has.

BREAKING: ROGER FEDERER TO RETIRE AT LAVER CUP

https://www.tennis.com/

There we go, thats an end to the speculation about his tennis career. The Laver cup is a
nice way to bow out I suppose and at least he gets a chance to retire while playing so to speak.


We have seen now the first of the Big 3 retiring, Nadal would probably be next, possibly if
he is no longer in contention for either the Australian or French opens.

It is good that younger talents are springing up. Added to the list of great tennis players we will not be seeing playing professionally again due to retirement is Roger Federer. The talent that the young players coming up like Alcaraz show is reassuring that there are still players to look out for in competitions and they will still be exciting. I was looking to see the young man Alcaraz play in the Davis cup final opener for his country, but I then remembered that he may not play because of how rigorous the past few weeks have been from his just finishing from one competition. Spain still beat Serbia.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/roger-federer-retire-tennis/

^^ It might be because Father time is really on the heel of Nadal, he is older that Djokovic so most likely he will retire much earlier than Djokovic and I have a feeling that his game might be  deteriorate and then only Djokovic will have to content with the onslaught of new players. Alcaraz for one has proven himself already but still wanted him to see against a healthy Djokovic in any tournament specially a finals because for sure we will see if he can match Djokovic mentality in that game, gonna be fun to watch.

"Carlos Alcaraz, 19, becomes youngest world No. 1 in men's ATP rankings history after US Open title. Carlos Alcaraz won the 2022 US Open on Sunday, earning his first Grand Slam title. The 19-year-old also became the youngest world No. 1 in the history of the ATP rankings."

I think that the way Alcaraz played his matches and also how he won the one encounter at the ATP 1000 Madrid semifinal against Djokovic is quite promising. He played amazingly strong tennis with some magical shots again and again. I think in his current physical and mental state he might be able to also beat Djokovic head to head frequently. I am not saying in every single game, but I think he would definitely be a very worthy opponent.

A lot will also depend on how many tournaments will be played by Nadal and Djokovic when it comes to the ATP ranking. Nadal has by far played the least tournaments this year out of all top 10 players. That alone gives his less chances to collect enough points in order to get back to rank 1. Djokovic, we all know his problem. Missing one GS after another does decrease his chances significantly to make it back to rank 1. I think Alcaraz might be in a position to stay there for quite some time. He is hard to beat and yes, if he also stays without injuries of course.

I got your point, even in other sports, being young and on top of the game and everyone is trying to get your spot, it's going to be hard. So there will be competitions around for years and Alcaraz should be ready by it. Because there are a lot that is going to chase him, like Ruud and then former number 1 Medvedev and the rest of the top seeded. And we still have the last of the great big 3, Djokovic. So it's going to be a fun tournaments, the last remaining calendar games that we still have.

Djokovic has been told that he can participate in the Australian Open in Melbourne from 2023, what could be the rationale behind that? The minister of Australia has been very determined so far and has always denied Djokovic the country. Would Djokovic be vaccinated after all? The virus will then be impossible next year. And that tournament is already in January, so that will be in a few months. I wonder what the actual reason is that they let Djokovic back in. Perhaps too much pressure from society or diplomacy from Serbia and the tennis world.

Whenever a player is injured, first of all, he can not compete for quite some time. And secondly, during the time when he is injured, he is out of the equation. It is also quite hard to recover from an injury and perform at the top level once more. After coming back from an injury I feel like the first priority of a player is not to get injured again. So, at that time he does play a little safe. That is a big reason why some players are not able to perform as they should after coming back from an injury.

I really hope that the rising players and younger players do not get injured early on in their careers. But tennis is a very physical game. Even players who have a really good physique can get injured.

I really like this type of competition where nothing is absolutely given. I really like that most of the players have the quality to be in the top three spots.
When a 19 year old kid is at the number one spot then you know that the sport is very competitive and players who are actually good can be at the top.
I am not saying that there is no space for the older generation. But people have to realize that in every sport there should be a balance between age and skill, I see that existing now in tennis. And it's always really good to see young players at the top of the food chain.

True, it takes a lot of mental toughness, a good example as well is Djokovic, who gets injured and then chances course and it took him sometime to win a tournament and a major grand slam. And we now know how this guy, the big 3 is just above level, it's not just the talent per se, but the psychology behind, the belief in yourself that you can come back and be the same you before the injuries and so the hard and grind continues for Djokovic up to this day, although he wasn't able to compete in the US Open.

It is never easy to return from serious injuries, it requires a mental component as well. You have to be strong enough and realistic enough in your head to accept that you are not on the top 10 level any more and that you have to grind it out once again.

Unfortunately, due to nature of professional sports and thight schedule it is almost a question of when, not if, some player will get injured.

Hopefully it will not be the case for Alcaraz, to get injured early in his career and then suffered the worst, then losing the number 1 and his career over in an instant.

You mentioned Thiem, he is a prime example, although he was supposed to be the next generation and almost reaching the top spot, then suddenly injuries get a better of his career and although he try to comeback this year, it seems the competition has up the ante so he can't climb back as he wanted it to be.

That is what I wrote, that his body and mental fitness have to work. But there will always be injuries and it is important that the players fight their way back afterwards.
Because you mentioned Alexander Zverev. Actually he wanted to play in the Davis Cup in Hamburg after his injury. But a new injury has now made him take a new break. I hope that he will be healthy afterwards and can play again.