Who will end up with more slams, Nadal or Djokovic?

By the time they both are retired from the sport, who will have more slams?

nadal, by some distance.

Agree...one swallow doesnt make a summer and all that...

Nadal, easy. Djokovic could be finished by 2013.

bogbrush wrote:Nadal, easy. Djokovic could be finished by 2013.

At this rate it could be enough to overtake Nadal!

You've got to say Nadal at the moment because Djoko needs at least 7 more slams would be a hell of a career in its own right (equivalent to McEnroe or Wilander, better than Becker or Edberg) and there's no telling whether Djoko's fitness could sustain such a run.

However, if Djoko can stay fit then 10+ slams is a real possibility.

He has the versatility to make 10 or 11 slams, could be close with him and Nadal if Nadal can't find some extra gears..

It's a bit like Nadal/Federer - 2012 will be crucial. Both probably have to close 2 Slams on the man ahead to keep the aim going.

nadal obviously..cant see djoko reaches double digit

Djokovic's year took a hell of a lot out of him, I think, physically and mentally.

Additionally, the injury that he has, hopefully will not become chronic but his game is very stressful to his body.

That said, as commented upon in a previous post, Djokovic winning another 7 Majors, would give him the equivalent of McEnroe or Wilander - seemingly a gargantuan task.

Don't think his mastery akin to 2011, will continue in 2012. It's one thing to do it for one year, but quite another to do it again, with the pressures, media, etc., on him to defend, defend, defend.

Winning one or two, alternating every 2nd year, sees him at 3 Majors every two years from this point on - he'd have to continue that though 5 years from now. Possible, sure - though I feel unlikely. But stranger things have happened, and not rarely - just hope the health will allow him to continue at the highest of levels.

An interesting question is....who's game takes more out of them, Nole or Rafa?

lydian wrote:An interesting question is....who's game takes more out of them, Nole or Rafa?

Clearly Nadal's. Nadal can't generate pace easily. Not only has he got to retrieve more than Djokovic but needs twice as much energy to achieve 80% of the other players pace. That's why Nadal goes for moonballs. His best chance to score points is his opponents UEs, not his groundies.

Look at Djoko yesterday, he was back to his best in no time.

Either player's form might drop off a cliff due to physical issues. For all we know Nadal might be resurgent in 2012 with Djoko unable to sustain the physical feat of competing at the highest level. Or the opposite might be the case.

At some stage a younger player is going to step up to the plate. It's possible that either Nadal or Djoko will get 2 more years of a near clean GS sweep but it seems very unlikely. So there's almost no chance that Djoko will get near Nadal's GS total whereas the odds are fair that Nadal may grab a few more. In fact, if Djoko's form drops Nadal has a shot of reaching Fed's total.

Realistically, since movement and speed is the core of both of their games I doubt either will stay at the top of the game for more than another year.