Semifinal match threads will come out today! Sabalenka-Muchova is scheduled to come out at 8 am EST, Swiatek-Haddad Maia will come out whenever the first match ends :)
I used to keep telling it back in the day: We took Murray's consistency for granted. Some idiots had the gall to call him "boring"
Give me Murray's "boring" tennis over this pre-Murray and post-Murray anonymity
All this talk about Djokovic-Alcaraz reminds me of #1 Federer playing against Guga Kuerten in RG 2004. Federer looking unstoppable since Wimbledon 2003 and Kuerten plagued by injuries but still playing.
The result: Kuerten def. Federer 6/4 6/4 6/4
Never underestimate an old dog on a turf that he knows so well... I think we will get more than 3 sets but Djokovic straight-setting Alcaraz would funny as hell, considering all the disrespect towards Novak on this sub. I hope Carlos plays his best though.
Tbh it reminds me more of AO 2008
the exact same sentiments actually. A bunch of people saying Federer was unbeatable and that Djokovic was some no talent punk entering the sf. I remember watching USO 2007 and realizing djokvic was batshit insane and with just a bit better mentality could really push fed. Just 1 slam later he straight sets him in the semis.
Then we got all the fed fans claiming djokvic got lucky and it was just mono and fed would clean Wimbledon easy....then Nadal came and beat fed in that match.....was an absolutely crazy time for tennis.
I'm not saying it's gonna be the same ( I don't think either one wins in straights ) but the sentiments from Djokovic fans saying alcaraz has no chance and then the other sentiments of people who clearly hate djokovic and want him to lose more than believing he's going to lose so pick alcaraz in straights is funny.
I agree, I honestly thInk Federer would mop the floor with Carlos at 20. Of course no one knows what Carlos will be in his prime but I think unless he plays spectacularly and takes it from Djoko tomorrow then he’s got no chance.
It’s more about decision making for alcaraz. He has the talent but struggles with closing key games and sets when he has the chance. Look at 2022 us open vs sinner, tiafoe, and cilic. All those matches should’ve been won comfortably in 4. He pushed them to 5 with bone headed mistakes. Even the last match he’s up 5-2 against tsitsipas with multiple match points.
Comes down to a tiebreaker somehow. Luckily he won it, but if he didn’t, that could have ended up being a lot longer match than necessary. Djoker might have the highest tennis iq of all time. If you give him any sort of door opening, he’ll always shut it. That’s why I believe djoker takes it.
V good point. If alcaraz lets any set get to a tiebreak, and unfortunately he permits many of them to get there, he will lose that set.
Based on this fact I think we can predict djokovic in 4 or 5.
Yeah true. It’s amazing that djokovic out lasted alcaraz physically at this stage in his career though. Obviously sad alcaraz was hurt but it was only cramps
So ducking stupid that djokovic alcaraz is the first match on. It’s supposed to be the best match. You put it last. French open organizers have no clue what they’re doing. Also worst highlights out of any slam too.
Djokovic is probably winning this. He almost comes through in monumental matches like this where his legacy is on the line
Hes playing for undisputed GOAT status and he knows people are already going to start alcaraz the future GOAT if he loses to him again
People are literally arguing that how can people say Alcaraz is the favorite against Djokovic given djoko's experience ....but just think...
a 20 year old who is widely expected to rule the next decade of tennis, even if against a goat (if not the goat) when the said goat is 36 years old on a demanding surface like clay in bo5...
I mean, why is it hard to accept.. I personally think it should be a huge let down in terms of the passing of baton or for statements like "Alcaraz is going to smash insane records in this next decade" if he doesn't win it today.
Heart wants Novak, but brain is easily picking Alcaraz's win in 4 sets.!.
Even if alcaraz loses tomorrow, hes going to win 35-40 majors. Any of djokovic nadal or federer would have if they didnt have to compete against each other and alcaraz is on that level so its exactly what hes going to do.
Its a more important match for djokovic, he still has a chance to reach 30 majors but probably only a couple years left to do it so he has to win when he has chances like this.
And getting to 30 for him is the only way to avoid overtaking his status as GOAT in the next 10 years
I need to see him beat a twilight djokovic to be convinced. He’s won one slam with no signature wins. If he beats djokovic and gets the French, he’s on his way to gaining more respect from me
Even if he doesnt beat djokovic all it means is he lost to the GOAT. There still wouldnt be anyone else to give him problems in like 4 years when djokovic fades
Yeah but he’s in his prime and djokovic in his twilight. Either way I need to see him win more slams than just one before claiming he will get 30-35. That requires a lot of consistency and while he does look ahead of the pack, it’s premature to say anything until he asserts more dominance.
It’s much simpler than anything narrative driven
https://www.tennisabstract.com/current/2023RolandGarrosMenForecast.html
The book’s line is almost exactly tennis abstract’s expected outcome by Elo
I think people are forgetting that Novak lost only 1 set in this tournament, exactly like Alcaraz, who looked more dominant but almost lost a set to his pigeon Tsitsipas in the QF. This is going to be Carlos' hardest match this year by far. It's a bo5 and it's Djokovic in the other side of the net.
Except Djokovic has fought wars on the court against Fed Nadal so many times. Alcaraz been cake walking his entire early career. Kids about to get a lesson on what it means to think about winning 20 slams. Djoko in 3 or 4
I think Djokovic fans know. But I'm seeing many Alcaraz fans considering this an easy victory, thinking Carlos will dominate Novak like he dominated Musetti and Tsitsipas with their 1HBH. This will be a completly different match-up with a different tier of player. Djokovic knows how to transform these big duels in "chess matches". Alcaraz won't beat him with speed, power and form alone.
Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz met at sign-in for the Mixed Doubles tournament, 2 minutes before it closed. They were planning to play with other partners, had issues, introduced themselves, exchanged numbers and went on to win the title!
What a crazy story and week for Kato. This was an RG that she will never forget. I hope Japan is producing the anime already! lol
I'm kinda invested in her partnership with the indonesian player Aldila Sutjiadi now. They are 7th in the race, I hope they win more titles this season and qualify for the WTA finals!
Tim Puetz made me a fan too. Such a cool bloke.
> Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz met at sign-in for the Mixed Doubles tournament, 2 minutes before it closed. They were planning to play with other partners, had issues, introduced themselves, exchanged numbers and went on to win the title!
That feels like one of those sliding-door moments. If they hadn’t both been in the same place at the same time they wouldn’t be Grand Slam champions.
> Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz met at sign-in for the Mixed Doubles tournament, 2 minutes before it closed. They were planning to play with other partners, had issues, introduced themselves, exchanged numbers and went on to win the title!
Does this end with babies? I'm hoping this ends with babies.
Ive never been so nervous about a tennis match in a while. I plan on getting absolutely blasted or simply avoiding the match because it is going to kill me. This is World Cup final vibes. This is huge. I don’t know if I will be able to contain myself. We’ll see what I end up doing but yeesh this one is scary man
I will never underestimate Djokovic. Not even peak Nadal had easy matches against him in RG. Even the 3-0's were intense battles were a few points made the difference.
That said, if Carlos beat him decisively tomorrow we can declare the beginning of a new era in tennis. A true "passing of the torch" moment.
I know Carlos looks unbeatable when he’s doing everything right but people forget what he looks like when he’s getting outmatched. Sinner took his legs and Djoko will do the same tomorrow. The disrespect shown here should not soon be forgotten.
How did sinner take his legs when alcaraz proceeded to play another 5 setter in the sfs and then a 4 setter in the final..
Alcaraz likely isn't going to be the one to physically be feeling it if the match goes the distance. That will likely be a 36 year old Djokovic who has already shown even at USO 2021 that it can happen ( not his fault...that's called age )
Doubt Djoko all you want. The man beat Federer and Nadal. Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble but Carlos is no fed or Nadal. Very long way and unbelievable consistency needed to even start talking about him in the same breath as those players.
I'm not doubting Djokovic. I've said from day 1 this is a 50-50 match.
And yes no shit alcaraz isn't Nadal yet... You can't dock alcaraz for not being as consistent as those guys without even giving him a chance to play..
All anyone can do is look at what alcaraz has done and compare it to the few players who have done similar.. that's why people are hyped.
I'm convinced people like you don't actually watch tennis but just tune in to the slams and say djokovic will shit on everyone. He could be 90 yrs old with 2 broken legs and you'd say the same
I think saying that the likely eventual consensus GOAT would be lucky to take 1 set off the 20 year old player, despite how good and special alcaraz is (he is world number 1 after all), is still nothing less than crazy disrespect.
has djokovic not earnt the benefit of the doubt from people by now lol
Well I think he’s the GOAT, but there won’t be a consensus because of the other fanbases of the big 3 and how close all 3 are in majors. People will always debate it.
Sinner plays very aggressive against Alcaraz. You have to to beat him and not give him time. Not sure Djokovic can do that at this age, against him on clay. I guess we'll see.
Even though today’s matches were fun, it’s such a bummer to not get swiatek vs Sabalenka. It’s a big loss for women’s tennis for that to not end up happening- it’s so rare in recent years that a grand slam final on the women’s final to be between the top two players. Swiatek vs Muchova is a far less compelling final and is likely gonna be such a rout. Furthering the Swiatek vs Sabalenka rivalry would have been so much better for the WTA
Agreed. Won’t be tuning into the match now, was really hoping for a closer matchup. Djokovic vs a random unseeded player ranked 43 in a final wouldn’t be much fun either
Muchova isn’t that random. She’s coming back from injury. She’s made a SF at the AO, and QFs at Wimbledon her first two trips. Shes 5-0 against top 3 players (Barty, Osaka, Sakkari, Pliskova, Sabalenka).
That was a couple of years ago. She hasn’t had any great results this year (other than French open), and will likely fade back into the 20-30 range-caliber afterwards. It would be like Dimitrov making the French open final, fairly random
Again, it’s due to injury. It’s unexpected but not a Ostapenko or Raducanu situation. She broke the top 20 in 2021 with her best results, and after the USO that year didn’t play again until March 2022. Suffered another injury at RG 2022, and then had poor results after that. Fell out of the top 200 in the fall, and worked her way back up to the top 40 within half a year. And her record against top players speaks for itself.
She was a late bloomer definitely, but hasn’t really had a full season where we could accurately see her potential.
Ehh, I just don’t think she is a real top player even if not for making injury issues- she has never made a masters final.
It just sucks for the game that we came close to a 1vs2 final, and instead have the number one vs a “tricky round one or round two type” opponent. It’s not a slam final caliber matchup
I agree it would have been nice to have that 1 vs. 2 storyline, but I think you’re too focused on Muchova’s ranking. Muchova’s game has been much better to watch than most of the top 10 to be honest. And she’s brought this type of tennis most of the year, she’s 8th in win percentage this year *before* this tournament (she’ll be 4th after RG).
I guess we’ll find out if she can be a consistent top player.
I think her game is fun to watch aesthetically, but even if I take the ranking out of it, she has simply never been a top player at any point. She just has a good tournament here or there- Lucie Safarova is probably a good comparable imo (she had the one random French open final appearance as well)
To each their own though
Yknow it’s kinda sad to see Djokovic not go into the match as an overwhelming favorite
It shows a sign of time passing by. I remember Djokovic as a kid like Rune. And then , for so long, he was the man to beat. With Murray and him and Nadal slowly obscuring completely, the second generation of players that I saw burst in (the first gen being Roddick, Hewitt, Federer, Safin, Nalbandian and gang) fade way.
You never realize that you’re living in the good times till they start fading away
Tomorrow might be the most important match in a decade. Will there be a change of the guard? Or does Djoker have something left to teach these young challengers?
My personal opinion.. if Alcaraz can take the overwhelming pressure, he will destroy Djokovic tomorrow.
I mean, he might beat Novak , but destroy ? I don’t think so. Novak is going to be giving everything he’s got for this match.
If anything, that concerns me. The pressure on him is immense. Like when he was going for the calendar slam in USO vs Meddy. It was too much.
You are right but i think its more to do with how special Alcaraz is than only him getting older, if it wasnt for Alcaraz and he had to go against Tsitsipas ( since hes the guy who lost to Alcaraz ) Novak would still be a 70/30 fav vs him and also both Zverev Ruud
Crazy that it took Zverev just one year to regain much of his form and equal his best RG result. Don't think he is quite at his 2022 form but he sure is on a great path. I thought it would take him much longer after an injury that could have been career ending.
On the other hand, it's been like two years since Thiem's struggles with his wrist and his form just doesn't seem to be improving and it doesn't look like it will happen soon. Unlike Zverev, he probably stopped believing in himself, which is very sad.
Zverev’s injury was ankle related. Thiem’s is a wrist injury
Wrist injuries are pretty much career Enders for tennis players
It shows that your body cannot support the explosiveness of your technique (this means that the base of your technique was wrong and you were getting by because your body was young)
It’s like pummelling a weak thing over and over again (with every shot you hit). Once it snaps, you can never build it back to the level to sustain the old technique again
Zverev’s on the other hand is more a freak accident. His technique isn’t reliant on the strength of that muscle
Interesting take. I find Zverev's recovery particularly surprising because I too broke a few ligaments on my ankle like 7 years ago and the experience was hell. Probably the worst pain I have ever experienced. Recovery was awful too, I struggled to run for like a year afterwards and my ankle kinda never returned to normal. It still feels quite weird sometimes.
Of course I don't have the resources of one of the best tennis players in the world though lol, but that personal trauma has made Zverev's fast recovery impressive to me. But the point you make about Thiem's wrist is very good.
Haha we don’t live in the same world as them. I can’t imagine how it is for a normal person to tear their ligaments . But these guys do it all the time and recover somehow .
Another person with an unsustainable technique : Juan Martin Del Potro. As much as we liked his shots, his body/wrists couldn’t handle that hammer forehand (although I am not sure if he actually injured his left wrist and couldn’t hit a backhand )
You can never write off Novak Djokovic in a single tennis match anywhere in the world
However, Carlos is not just any other player. If this was literally anyone else ( other than Rafael Nadal of course), Djokovic would be a 70-30 favorite
But against this big booming Alcaraz game, the stature he’s showing plus Novak being 36, it’s gotta be Carlos for me
But if Djokovic wins, I will be really happy to see it
> If this was literally anyone else ( other than Rafael Nadal of course), Djokovic would be a 70-30 favorite
With 23 Majors and a third FO title on the line? I'd say he's 99-1 favorite if it's anyone else. No way he is losing in the final if he gets through Alcaraz. No way Zverev/Ruud have 30% chance against him, lol.
Zverev beat him in a very very high stakes match at the Olympics
We have seen in the past that when Djokovic reaaaaally wants something (first FO title in 2015 against Wawrinka , gold medal for Serbia, calendar slam against Medvedev), he can be vulnerable
That version of Zverev, Medvedev at the US Open and Stan are formidable opponents.
This version of Zverev and Ruud aren't on that level. Even if Djokovic plays badly he'll break a racket, argue with his box, the crowd and himself, and win in 4. He'll die on that court in order to win.
If he wins the semi and that's a very big if, he ain't losing the finals. You're right, he'll die on the court but he ain't losing unless Z suddenly pops into his RG 2022 form.
Djokovic states that Alcaraz is the favorite tomorrow. Game recognizes game.
He's never said it for any other young player. He's even been disrespectful towards them at times - calling himself the nex gen instead of giving praise to the little 3.
My point still stands - he's never said that one of the young players is a favorite against him. In the past he's even said things along the lines of *"Everyone talks about the next gen, but I don't see it"*
Or maybe this is the first time he's called a young opponent 'the favorite' because this is the first time a young opponent actually is 'the favorite'?
He doesn't have to, as the fact that Alcaraz is the favorite is being reported everywhere. Thus, it isn't surprising that Djokovic would acknowledge Alcaraz as the favorite. Because he is the favorite.
The reason he never acknowledged the other young opponents as 'the favorite' is because they were never the favorite.
First year a Rome SF wasn’t followed up with a Geneva win.
Gstaad is fucked though.
Roger Federer was 9-7 at ATP Gstaad and 1-1 in finals
Casper? 8-0, 2-0 (Gstaad is a way “higher caliber” 250 than Geneva)
I wouldn't call it a lot of fun lol.
Alcaraz /Djokovic do enter that final as considerable favorites. It wouldn't be as bad as last yrs final but it'd be close.
If I had to buy tickets for the sfs vs the finals, I would 100% pay for sfs.
It's great to see quite a few non Novak fans these past few days saying Novak will win tomorrow and giving their reasoning behind it but I just don't see that happening you know. Alcaraz is playing a game that has no weakness on slow clay. Only one man could've stopped him and he's not playing. All I wish to see is Novak beat Alcaraz on hard and grass.
If only Zverev was in his RG 2022 form I wouldn't be worried at all. But the truth is he's not there yet and on top of that Alcaraz has improved further. If they meet in the final, Alcaraz might expose his fh again. I wish to be proven wrong however.
Britain could have a new Ladies #1 tomorrow if Boulter wins her match. She is only 6 point behind Emma (who is currently ranked #126) ... mind blowing that Britain #1 is not even in top 100 ....
Zverev is playing too solid this week for Ruud + he has the bigger weapons. I think Zverev wins in 4.
Djokovic will benefit from the faster conditions during the day. His balls aren't as fast as Carlos' but with these conditions he will able to hurt Carlos unlike in a night match. Djokvic will use all his experience in the slams and everything he learnt about Carlos in the past year to win this in 4 or 5.
zverev is a complete wildcard.
He has played I'd argue no one that was considered even a top 25 favorite for the title... It's one of the easiest draws possible. Not to blame the guy but idk how you guys are judging him based on those matches when zverev rarely struggled with these types of players even preinjury
We have seen this too many times where a player plays in an impressive manner vs lower quality opponents and then gets overhyped to the moon before collapsing.
Zverevs run this yr isn't as close to as impressive as what he did last yr. It's too hard to judge and just say " he's too solid". Easy to do that when you play against who he played against. Ruud atleast had his match against rune which was far more impressive than anything zverev did this tourney
SO excited for tomorrow!
I checked the bookies. In all matches in R4 and the QF from the men's draw the pre-match favorite won!
I wonder if this trend will continue.
In the SF the favorites are Alcaraz (by some margin) and Zverev (very slightly).
there were a lot of ppl in the upper seats, the lower seats were the ones that were mostly empty. Probably because they are pretty expensive and rich people buy them early on and don't bother going to the event or they get bought by corporates as gifts and are not used either.
If anyone thinks Alcaraz is gonna beat Djokovic quickly,or other way around is crazy.Last time they met,in Madrid 2022 when both were worse than today it laster 3:38 hours and Alcaraz narrowly won the match.Novak is much better than he was at Madrid 2022,and Alcaraz is too.This is gonna be an epic.
Remember that Djokovic was in terible form prior to Madrid 2022 getting bageled by Rublev in Belgrade final,and losing to Fokina in MC and Vesely in Dubai.Novak is also a lot better than Madrid 2022 version of himself
mods are behaving susss..I posted this twitter stat here.
[https://twitter.com/RelevantTennis/status/1666888874344284164](https://twitter.com/RelevantTennis/status/1666888874344284164)
got it immediately removed.! sigh..
What's the name of the clown reporter who asks the totally ridiculous three-part questions in the pressers?
Novak, you are chasing grand slam title number 23, which was also Michael Jordan's number. Do you want to be like Mike? Who do *you* think are the greatest basketball players of all time? And which current players on tour would you like to play two-on-two basketball against with Nikola Jokic?
I read a comment on Instagram that was really harsh but made me laugh:
'While Zverev is making a comeback on the place he got injured a year ago while Thiem has been posting comeback quotes on IG for 2 years'
These guys are ruthless, I don't think I'd read much comments if I was a pro on a bad period.
Sadly to hear that ATP moves Pune to another place, I don't think my S\*\*t hometown deserves any tennis tournament after what they did to a WTA 250 in 2019
I wonder if the Surbiton Tournament organisers realise that the video and audio quality would be better if they just used an iPhone or Pixel to record it? Or maybe it's the BBC that's to blame for the potato quality? It's the middle of a Sunny day on a Grass Court and yet it looks like a 1955 Western with John Wayne where they pretend it was shot at night by turning the contrast all the way down.
Semifinal match threads will come out today! Sabalenka-Muchova is scheduled to come out at 8 am EST, Swiatek-Haddad Maia will come out whenever the first match ends :)
What time will you guys be watching Djokovic-Alcaraz SF Match for me it is 6:15 PM
I'm at 7:45. It's a pretty good time for me, I can watch after dinner.
For me 10:45pm Aussie time, pretty happy about it
15 45, perfect time ngl
2:45 pm
Novak will win. Carlos simply does not have the same breadth of experience. Harder to say with the other semifinal, I'd give zverev the edge.
There are many paths to victory I can see for Carlos. Novak on the other hand feels like he's limping to the later stages of this slam
2021 US open final broke me. I am not ready for another one like that
I'm expecting Novak to play cold, clinical tennis that wins points. Maybe some emotion at big moments.
Just seen Draper out of Wimbledon, another L for us Brits
I used to keep telling it back in the day: We took Murray's consistency for granted. Some idiots had the gall to call him "boring" Give me Murray's "boring" tennis over this pre-Murray and post-Murray anonymity
What time is gonna be Djoko-Alcaraz? I get different answers by google and RG webpage
2:45 paris time
Thanks my friend
All this talk about Djokovic-Alcaraz reminds me of #1 Federer playing against Guga Kuerten in RG 2004. Federer looking unstoppable since Wimbledon 2003 and Kuerten plagued by injuries but still playing. The result: Kuerten def. Federer 6/4 6/4 6/4 Never underestimate an old dog on a turf that he knows so well... I think we will get more than 3 sets but Djokovic straight-setting Alcaraz would funny as hell, considering all the disrespect towards Novak on this sub. I hope Carlos plays his best though.
Tbh it reminds me more of AO 2008 the exact same sentiments actually. A bunch of people saying Federer was unbeatable and that Djokovic was some no talent punk entering the sf. I remember watching USO 2007 and realizing djokvic was batshit insane and with just a bit better mentality could really push fed. Just 1 slam later he straight sets him in the semis. Then we got all the fed fans claiming djokvic got lucky and it was just mono and fed would clean Wimbledon easy....then Nadal came and beat fed in that match.....was an absolutely crazy time for tennis. I'm not saying it's gonna be the same ( I don't think either one wins in straights ) but the sentiments from Djokovic fans saying alcaraz has no chance and then the other sentiments of people who clearly hate djokovic and want him to lose more than believing he's going to lose so pick alcaraz in straights is funny.
I’m trying to think of excuses to get off early from work otherwise I can’t watch the match :(
Just say you have explosive diarrhea
Is there any website to watch the full match later?
Watch the recording and stay off social media till then.
Djoker in 4. Max 5. Djoker to get the triple career slam and make it hard to argue that he isn’t the goat. I’m a fed fan, but it’s the truth.
I agree, I honestly thInk Federer would mop the floor with Carlos at 20. Of course no one knows what Carlos will be in his prime but I think unless he plays spectacularly and takes it from Djoko tomorrow then he’s got no chance.
It’s more about decision making for alcaraz. He has the talent but struggles with closing key games and sets when he has the chance. Look at 2022 us open vs sinner, tiafoe, and cilic. All those matches should’ve been won comfortably in 4. He pushed them to 5 with bone headed mistakes. Even the last match he’s up 5-2 against tsitsipas with multiple match points. Comes down to a tiebreaker somehow. Luckily he won it, but if he didn’t, that could have ended up being a lot longer match than necessary. Djoker might have the highest tennis iq of all time. If you give him any sort of door opening, he’ll always shut it. That’s why I believe djoker takes it.
V good point. If alcaraz lets any set get to a tiebreak, and unfortunately he permits many of them to get there, he will lose that set. Based on this fact I think we can predict djokovic in 4 or 5.
We were right
For all the wrong reasons 😭😭😭
Yeah true. It’s amazing that djokovic out lasted alcaraz physically at this stage in his career though. Obviously sad alcaraz was hurt but it was only cramps
Exactly. This is the same train I’m on as well. Should be the match of the tournament either way
So ducking stupid that djokovic alcaraz is the first match on. It’s supposed to be the best match. You put it last. French open organizers have no clue what they’re doing. Also worst highlights out of any slam too.
Djokovic is probably winning this. He almost comes through in monumental matches like this where his legacy is on the line Hes playing for undisputed GOAT status and he knows people are already going to start alcaraz the future GOAT if he loses to him again
There's one where he clearly faltered but yeah he has generally come through. Also the Olympics choke which started it all
Looks like it’s going to be a bit windy tomorrow, Novak won’t enjoy that
Why is alcaraz/djokovic match before zverev/ruud? Like how is that determined
zverev/ruud had less rest than alcaraz/djokovic
Is that the actual reason or are you just speculating
Because the French open organizers are fucking idiots
People are literally arguing that how can people say Alcaraz is the favorite against Djokovic given djoko's experience ....but just think... a 20 year old who is widely expected to rule the next decade of tennis, even if against a goat (if not the goat) when the said goat is 36 years old on a demanding surface like clay in bo5... I mean, why is it hard to accept.. I personally think it should be a huge let down in terms of the passing of baton or for statements like "Alcaraz is going to smash insane records in this next decade" if he doesn't win it today. Heart wants Novak, but brain is easily picking Alcaraz's win in 4 sets.!.
Even if alcaraz loses tomorrow, hes going to win 35-40 majors. Any of djokovic nadal or federer would have if they didnt have to compete against each other and alcaraz is on that level so its exactly what hes going to do. Its a more important match for djokovic, he still has a chance to reach 30 majors but probably only a couple years left to do it so he has to win when he has chances like this. And getting to 30 for him is the only way to avoid overtaking his status as GOAT in the next 10 years
Lol 35-40? I like alcaraz but let’s see him win against a twilight djoker first before rushing to these lofty conclusions.
When djokovic is done alcaraz is going to look like mid 2000s federer if djokovic and nadal never showed up. Theres no real competition for him
I need to see him beat a twilight djokovic to be convinced. He’s won one slam with no signature wins. If he beats djokovic and gets the French, he’s on his way to gaining more respect from me
Even if he doesnt beat djokovic all it means is he lost to the GOAT. There still wouldnt be anyone else to give him problems in like 4 years when djokovic fades
He doesn't have a winning record against Sinner and Rune, so I wouldn't be so sure. These guys can hurt him and they proved it already.
Yeah but he’s in his prime and djokovic in his twilight. Either way I need to see him win more slams than just one before claiming he will get 30-35. That requires a lot of consistency and while he does look ahead of the pack, it’s premature to say anything until he asserts more dominance.
It’s much simpler than anything narrative driven https://www.tennisabstract.com/current/2023RolandGarrosMenForecast.html The book’s line is almost exactly tennis abstract’s expected outcome by Elo
I think people are forgetting that Novak lost only 1 set in this tournament, exactly like Alcaraz, who looked more dominant but almost lost a set to his pigeon Tsitsipas in the QF. This is going to be Carlos' hardest match this year by far. It's a bo5 and it's Djokovic in the other side of the net.
> This is going to be Carlos' hardest match this year by far Same is true for Djokovic, but yeah
Except Djokovic has fought wars on the court against Fed Nadal so many times. Alcaraz been cake walking his entire early career. Kids about to get a lesson on what it means to think about winning 20 slams. Djoko in 3 or 4
I think Djokovic fans know. But I'm seeing many Alcaraz fans considering this an easy victory, thinking Carlos will dominate Novak like he dominated Musetti and Tsitsipas with their 1HBH. This will be a completly different match-up with a different tier of player. Djokovic knows how to transform these big duels in "chess matches". Alcaraz won't beat him with speed, power and form alone.
Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz met at sign-in for the Mixed Doubles tournament, 2 minutes before it closed. They were planning to play with other partners, had issues, introduced themselves, exchanged numbers and went on to win the title! What a crazy story and week for Kato. This was an RG that she will never forget. I hope Japan is producing the anime already! lol I'm kinda invested in her partnership with the indonesian player Aldila Sutjiadi now. They are 7th in the race, I hope they win more titles this season and qualify for the WTA finals! Tim Puetz made me a fan too. Such a cool bloke.
> Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz met at sign-in for the Mixed Doubles tournament, 2 minutes before it closed. They were planning to play with other partners, had issues, introduced themselves, exchanged numbers and went on to win the title! That feels like one of those sliding-door moments. If they hadn’t both been in the same place at the same time they wouldn’t be Grand Slam champions.
> Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz met at sign-in for the Mixed Doubles tournament, 2 minutes before it closed. They were planning to play with other partners, had issues, introduced themselves, exchanged numbers and went on to win the title! Does this end with babies? I'm hoping this ends with babies.
Will BadTits play mixed doubles in Wimbledon?
the tennis gods have decided that for muchova to win RG, zverev must also win RG, keeping balance to the force
Ive never been so nervous about a tennis match in a while. I plan on getting absolutely blasted or simply avoiding the match because it is going to kill me. This is World Cup final vibes. This is huge. I don’t know if I will be able to contain myself. We’ll see what I end up doing but yeesh this one is scary man
Does anyone have anything they’d like to see as a 1 million subscribers kind of event? Giveaways, AMAs, stuff?
2021 year end ranking ATP vs. Elo 1) Djokovic (1) 2) Medvedev (2) 3) Zverev (3) 4) Tsitsipas (5) 5) Rublev (11) 6) Nadal (4) 7) Berrettini (8) 8) Ruud (7) 9) Hurkacz (17) 10) Sinner (9) …. 32) Alcaraz (6)
I will never underestimate Djokovic. Not even peak Nadal had easy matches against him in RG. Even the 3-0's were intense battles were a few points made the difference. That said, if Carlos beat him decisively tomorrow we can declare the beginning of a new era in tennis. A true "passing of the torch" moment.
I know Carlos looks unbeatable when he’s doing everything right but people forget what he looks like when he’s getting outmatched. Sinner took his legs and Djoko will do the same tomorrow. The disrespect shown here should not soon be forgotten.
How did sinner take his legs when alcaraz proceeded to play another 5 setter in the sfs and then a 4 setter in the final.. Alcaraz likely isn't going to be the one to physically be feeling it if the match goes the distance. That will likely be a 36 year old Djokovic who has already shown even at USO 2021 that it can happen ( not his fault...that's called age )
Doubt Djoko all you want. The man beat Federer and Nadal. Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble but Carlos is no fed or Nadal. Very long way and unbelievable consistency needed to even start talking about him in the same breath as those players.
I'm not doubting Djokovic. I've said from day 1 this is a 50-50 match. And yes no shit alcaraz isn't Nadal yet... You can't dock alcaraz for not being as consistent as those guys without even giving him a chance to play.. All anyone can do is look at what alcaraz has done and compare it to the few players who have done similar.. that's why people are hyped. I'm convinced people like you don't actually watch tennis but just tune in to the slams and say djokovic will shit on everyone. He could be 90 yrs old with 2 broken legs and you'd say the same
No chance. Alcaraz going to win in straights. Novak will be lucky to take a set.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sure you didnt get the guys wrong?
Lol
I think saying that the likely eventual consensus GOAT would be lucky to take 1 set off the 20 year old player, despite how good and special alcaraz is (he is world number 1 after all), is still nothing less than crazy disrespect. has djokovic not earnt the benefit of the doubt from people by now lol
There will never be a consensus GOAT
If you pay attention there is, and it’s Djokovic. All the data backs it up, picking anyone else is just nostalgia
Well I think he’s the GOAT, but there won’t be a consensus because of the other fanbases of the big 3 and how close all 3 are in majors. People will always debate it.
Got Novak winning the first 2 sets, not sure when he finishes the kid off
Sinner plays very aggressive against Alcaraz. You have to to beat him and not give him time. Not sure Djokovic can do that at this age, against him on clay. I guess we'll see.
Even though today’s matches were fun, it’s such a bummer to not get swiatek vs Sabalenka. It’s a big loss for women’s tennis for that to not end up happening- it’s so rare in recent years that a grand slam final on the women’s final to be between the top two players. Swiatek vs Muchova is a far less compelling final and is likely gonna be such a rout. Furthering the Swiatek vs Sabalenka rivalry would have been so much better for the WTA
Agreed. Won’t be tuning into the match now, was really hoping for a closer matchup. Djokovic vs a random unseeded player ranked 43 in a final wouldn’t be much fun either
Muchova is hardly random; if not for injuries she would be T20.
Muchova isn’t that random. She’s coming back from injury. She’s made a SF at the AO, and QFs at Wimbledon her first two trips. Shes 5-0 against top 3 players (Barty, Osaka, Sakkari, Pliskova, Sabalenka).
That was a couple of years ago. She hasn’t had any great results this year (other than French open), and will likely fade back into the 20-30 range-caliber afterwards. It would be like Dimitrov making the French open final, fairly random
Again, it’s due to injury. It’s unexpected but not a Ostapenko or Raducanu situation. She broke the top 20 in 2021 with her best results, and after the USO that year didn’t play again until March 2022. Suffered another injury at RG 2022, and then had poor results after that. Fell out of the top 200 in the fall, and worked her way back up to the top 40 within half a year. And her record against top players speaks for itself. She was a late bloomer definitely, but hasn’t really had a full season where we could accurately see her potential.
Ehh, I just don’t think she is a real top player even if not for making injury issues- she has never made a masters final. It just sucks for the game that we came close to a 1vs2 final, and instead have the number one vs a “tricky round one or round two type” opponent. It’s not a slam final caliber matchup
I agree it would have been nice to have that 1 vs. 2 storyline, but I think you’re too focused on Muchova’s ranking. Muchova’s game has been much better to watch than most of the top 10 to be honest. And she’s brought this type of tennis most of the year, she’s 8th in win percentage this year *before* this tournament (she’ll be 4th after RG). I guess we’ll find out if she can be a consistent top player.
I think her game is fun to watch aesthetically, but even if I take the ranking out of it, she has simply never been a top player at any point. She just has a good tournament here or there- Lucie Safarova is probably a good comparable imo (she had the one random French open final appearance as well) To each their own though
Alcaraz is 35-3 this year, that is insane.
76-12 in sets And he’s breaking his opponents serve ~2 times for every one time he gets broken.
Should be 35-2. He was injured against Norrie. No way Norrie beats a healthy Alcaraz in a final.
It *should* be what it is, 35-3. Can't argue on assumed superlatives
Marozsan and who are the other two who beat him?
Sinner in Miami and Norrie in Rio
Sinner x2
This is not right. Sinner lost to him in IW. The other loss was Norrie in Rio Di Janerio final
yes - I stand corrected - Alcaraz was injured in that match
Thx
Sinner in Miami comes to mind
TY
Yknow it’s kinda sad to see Djokovic not go into the match as an overwhelming favorite It shows a sign of time passing by. I remember Djokovic as a kid like Rune. And then , for so long, he was the man to beat. With Murray and him and Nadal slowly obscuring completely, the second generation of players that I saw burst in (the first gen being Roddick, Hewitt, Federer, Safin, Nalbandian and gang) fade way. You never realize that you’re living in the good times till they start fading away
Tomorrow might be the most important match in a decade. Will there be a change of the guard? Or does Djoker have something left to teach these young challengers? My personal opinion.. if Alcaraz can take the overwhelming pressure, he will destroy Djokovic tomorrow.
I mean, he might beat Novak , but destroy ? I don’t think so. Novak is going to be giving everything he’s got for this match. If anything, that concerns me. The pressure on him is immense. Like when he was going for the calendar slam in USO vs Meddy. It was too much.
You are right but i think its more to do with how special Alcaraz is than only him getting older, if it wasnt for Alcaraz and he had to go against Tsitsipas ( since hes the guy who lost to Alcaraz ) Novak would still be a 70/30 fav vs him and also both Zverev Ruud
Crazy that it took Zverev just one year to regain much of his form and equal his best RG result. Don't think he is quite at his 2022 form but he sure is on a great path. I thought it would take him much longer after an injury that could have been career ending. On the other hand, it's been like two years since Thiem's struggles with his wrist and his form just doesn't seem to be improving and it doesn't look like it will happen soon. Unlike Zverev, he probably stopped believing in himself, which is very sad.
Zverev’s injury was ankle related. Thiem’s is a wrist injury Wrist injuries are pretty much career Enders for tennis players It shows that your body cannot support the explosiveness of your technique (this means that the base of your technique was wrong and you were getting by because your body was young) It’s like pummelling a weak thing over and over again (with every shot you hit). Once it snaps, you can never build it back to the level to sustain the old technique again Zverev’s on the other hand is more a freak accident. His technique isn’t reliant on the strength of that muscle
Interesting take. I find Zverev's recovery particularly surprising because I too broke a few ligaments on my ankle like 7 years ago and the experience was hell. Probably the worst pain I have ever experienced. Recovery was awful too, I struggled to run for like a year afterwards and my ankle kinda never returned to normal. It still feels quite weird sometimes. Of course I don't have the resources of one of the best tennis players in the world though lol, but that personal trauma has made Zverev's fast recovery impressive to me. But the point you make about Thiem's wrist is very good.
Haha we don’t live in the same world as them. I can’t imagine how it is for a normal person to tear their ligaments . But these guys do it all the time and recover somehow . Another person with an unsustainable technique : Juan Martin Del Potro. As much as we liked his shots, his body/wrists couldn’t handle that hammer forehand (although I am not sure if he actually injured his left wrist and couldn’t hit a backhand )
You can never write off Novak Djokovic in a single tennis match anywhere in the world However, Carlos is not just any other player. If this was literally anyone else ( other than Rafael Nadal of course), Djokovic would be a 70-30 favorite But against this big booming Alcaraz game, the stature he’s showing plus Novak being 36, it’s gotta be Carlos for me But if Djokovic wins, I will be really happy to see it
> If this was literally anyone else ( other than Rafael Nadal of course), Djokovic would be a 70-30 favorite With 23 Majors and a third FO title on the line? I'd say he's 99-1 favorite if it's anyone else. No way he is losing in the final if he gets through Alcaraz. No way Zverev/Ruud have 30% chance against him, lol.
Zverev beat him in a very very high stakes match at the Olympics We have seen in the past that when Djokovic reaaaaally wants something (first FO title in 2015 against Wawrinka , gold medal for Serbia, calendar slam against Medvedev), he can be vulnerable
That version of Zverev, Medvedev at the US Open and Stan are formidable opponents. This version of Zverev and Ruud aren't on that level. Even if Djokovic plays badly he'll break a racket, argue with his box, the crowd and himself, and win in 4. He'll die on that court in order to win.
If he wins the semi and that's a very big if, he ain't losing the finals. You're right, he'll die on the court but he ain't losing unless Z suddenly pops into his RG 2022 form.
Djokovic states that Alcaraz is the favorite tomorrow. Game recognizes game. He's never said it for any other young player. He's even been disrespectful towards them at times - calling himself the nex gen instead of giving praise to the little 3.
but he was the next gen
And Alcaraz himself said that Djokovic is the favorite lol. They're both trying to take the pressure off themselves.
Or he's trying to make himself the underdog to put the pressure on Alcaraz.
My point still stands - he's never said that one of the young players is a favorite against him. In the past he's even said things along the lines of *"Everyone talks about the next gen, but I don't see it"*
Well yeah, he's definitely going to be more worried about this match than any other match he's played against a much younger player.
It's un-Djokovic like - that's all
Have any of them ever actually been the favorite?
He could've "put the pressure on them" though
Or maybe this is the first time he's called a young opponent 'the favorite' because this is the first time a young opponent actually is 'the favorite'?
It's a 50 50 match
No it's not. Oddsmakers say Alcaraz 65%, Djokovic 35%.
I don't think Djokovic is checking the odds, to see whether he is the favorite or not, lmao This is a 50-50 match in everyone's eyes
He doesn't have to, as the fact that Alcaraz is the favorite is being reported everywhere. Thus, it isn't surprising that Djokovic would acknowledge Alcaraz as the favorite. Because he is the favorite. The reason he never acknowledged the other young opponents as 'the favorite' is because they were never the favorite.
Low key rooting for an alcaraz ruud final just to see if ruud actually develops PTSD from incredibly solid Spaniards cockblocking him at a slam final
Nah, Ruud is as grounded as they come. He'll just dust himself off and go win the next 250.
First year a Rome SF wasn’t followed up with a Geneva win. Gstaad is fucked though. Roger Federer was 9-7 at ATP Gstaad and 1-1 in finals Casper? 8-0, 2-0 (Gstaad is a way “higher caliber” 250 than Geneva)
I’d love to see the rematch. But honestly all 4 possibilities are a lot of fun.
I wouldn't call it a lot of fun lol. Alcaraz /Djokovic do enter that final as considerable favorites. It wouldn't be as bad as last yrs final but it'd be close. If I had to buy tickets for the sfs vs the finals, I would 100% pay for sfs.
It's great to see quite a few non Novak fans these past few days saying Novak will win tomorrow and giving their reasoning behind it but I just don't see that happening you know. Alcaraz is playing a game that has no weakness on slow clay. Only one man could've stopped him and he's not playing. All I wish to see is Novak beat Alcaraz on hard and grass.
2 such men exist. Nadal….and the one who actually beat him in slow clay last year : Alexander Zverev
If only Zverev was in his RG 2022 form I wouldn't be worried at all. But the truth is he's not there yet and on top of that Alcaraz has improved further. If they meet in the final, Alcaraz might expose his fh again. I wish to be proven wrong however.
Terrible news regarding Jack Draper
My prediction for tomorrow: Djokovic in 4, Zverev in 5.
Prediction for final then?
Djokovic in 4. Zverev wins the first set.
I feel like I've watched that Djokovic final where he loses the first set so many times
My boy Thiem really went quietly to play a clay challenger this week and still lost 2nd round
After three sets, three plus hours, and a 12-10 final set TB, Paolini overcomes Zavatska in Makarska.
Britain could have a new Ladies #1 tomorrow if Boulter wins her match. She is only 6 point behind Emma (who is currently ranked #126) ... mind blowing that Britain #1 is not even in top 100 ....
Plays Golubic so definitely not a certain win. 16yo Isabelle Lacey in QF's...maybe future star.
Two AMAZING semifinals today! WTA haters get rekt :D
I’m still so pumped! Iga’s third RG final! She’s not playing great rn, but still winning. Great fortitude
Zverev is playing too solid this week for Ruud + he has the bigger weapons. I think Zverev wins in 4. Djokovic will benefit from the faster conditions during the day. His balls aren't as fast as Carlos' but with these conditions he will able to hurt Carlos unlike in a night match. Djokvic will use all his experience in the slams and everything he learnt about Carlos in the past year to win this in 4 or 5.
zverev is a complete wildcard. He has played I'd argue no one that was considered even a top 25 favorite for the title... It's one of the easiest draws possible. Not to blame the guy but idk how you guys are judging him based on those matches when zverev rarely struggled with these types of players even preinjury We have seen this too many times where a player plays in an impressive manner vs lower quality opponents and then gets overhyped to the moon before collapsing. Zverevs run this yr isn't as close to as impressive as what he did last yr. It's too hard to judge and just say " he's too solid". Easy to do that when you play against who he played against. Ruud atleast had his match against rune which was far more impressive than anything zverev did this tourney
Will Alcaraz-Djokovic be on France.tv or Amazon.fr mes amis?
My predictions are Djokovic in 4 and Ruud in 5.
Tomorrow is going to be the Wimbledon 19 for Novak fans xd
SO excited for tomorrow! I checked the bookies. In all matches in R4 and the QF from the men's draw the pre-match favorite won! I wonder if this trend will continue. In the SF the favorites are Alcaraz (by some margin) and Zverev (very slightly).
Why are there so many open seats at the Women's Semifinal (Swiatek vs, Haddad Maia)?
there were a lot of ppl in the upper seats, the lower seats were the ones that were mostly empty. Probably because they are pretty expensive and rich people buy them early on and don't bother going to the event or they get bought by corporates as gifts and are not used either.
If anyone thinks Alcaraz is gonna beat Djokovic quickly,or other way around is crazy.Last time they met,in Madrid 2022 when both were worse than today it laster 3:38 hours and Alcaraz narrowly won the match.Novak is much better than he was at Madrid 2022,and Alcaraz is too.This is gonna be an epic.
Except Alcaraz is a million times better than his 2022 self and novak is slightly better than his 2022 form. Alcaraz is going to blow Novak apart
Remember that Djokovic was in terible form prior to Madrid 2022 getting bageled by Rublev in Belgrade final,and losing to Fokina in MC and Vesely in Dubai.Novak is also a lot better than Madrid 2022 version of himself
mods are behaving susss..I posted this twitter stat here. [https://twitter.com/RelevantTennis/status/1666888874344284164](https://twitter.com/RelevantTennis/status/1666888874344284164) got it immediately removed.! sigh..
amazing two semis today!! 🫶 + miyu kato’s a slam champion 🥰
Anyone have experience using Eurosport and a VPN from the US? Or does it require a euro billing address ?
[удалено]
The Alcaraz vs Djokovic match will air live on Tennis Channel. The Ruud vs Zverev match will be on live on the NBC channel and peacock.
Just wanted to observe that it is tremendously satisfying to me that Muchova, whose appearance is strikingly feline, also moves like a cat.
But her surname means fly.
Because that cat is Superfly…
I couldn’t be happier personally with today’s women’s finals <3
What does "Move the lines, with style" mean?
OMG ALCARAZ DJOKOVIC IT'S HAPPENING
Will the FO be on ESPN tomorrow ? peacock ?
ESPN -> no Peacock -> some of it Tennis Channel -> maybe has exclusive us access to the first match? (djokovic vs alcaraz)
God it’s so hard to just watch tennis in the US… I am considering paying for tennis channel +, but it doesn’t even have the finals !
I know. I hate it :/
What a day today. The women gave us some great tennis!
Today was a beautiful day for women's tennis Two super exciting matches on the biggest stage featuring four great players The future is bright! Jazda!
What's the name of the clown reporter who asks the totally ridiculous three-part questions in the pressers? Novak, you are chasing grand slam title number 23, which was also Michael Jordan's number. Do you want to be like Mike? Who do *you* think are the greatest basketball players of all time? And which current players on tour would you like to play two-on-two basketball against with Nikola Jokic?
Any news from muchova’s injury?
I read a comment on Instagram that was really harsh but made me laugh: 'While Zverev is making a comeback on the place he got injured a year ago while Thiem has been posting comeback quotes on IG for 2 years' These guys are ruthless, I don't think I'd read much comments if I was a pro on a bad period.
Well... both women's semifinals DELIVERED. So much intensity in those two matches today
Does anyone know what Iga wrote on the camera?
Thank you for your support
Breadsticked by a slumping Pedro Martinez yikes
As good as Iga is, imagine how much better she would be if she had a great Serve, and a Carlos level Drop Shot/ Lob!
From your lips to her coach’s ears. She needs to bring back the drop shot
Thiem is so bad
Sadly to hear that ATP moves Pune to another place, I don't think my S\*\*t hometown deserves any tennis tournament after what they did to a WTA 250 in 2019
I wonder if the Surbiton Tournament organisers realise that the video and audio quality would be better if they just used an iPhone or Pixel to record it? Or maybe it's the BBC that's to blame for the potato quality? It's the middle of a Sunny day on a Grass Court and yet it looks like a 1955 Western with John Wayne where they pretend it was shot at night by turning the contrast all the way down.
By the way, Thiem is also on court right now against Martinez. Score is 6-2, 3-5, Thiem serving to stay in set 2.
This match is already a classic
is it me or does the Djoko Alcaraz match really is gonna be the first match tmr?
That's because it will be, they've had more rest than Ruud and Zverat
I'm smelling an upset.
sorry guys sabalenka is grunting so loudly it has defied space and reality, and has jumped from the match thread to the general discussion board now
Muchova's got this. Her body language is >> Sabalenka's stance is looking weird to me - is this her usual?
did Sabalenka just hiya?........