Djokovic - Path To Greatness

Novak Djokovic is tennis's frontrunner.

Here are some achievements he could achieve this year.

Make all 4 Slam finals in 1 year - Only 6 players have done this.
Hold all 4 Slams - Only Laver, Budge, Perry have done this.
Win the Career Golden Slam - Only Nadal and Agassi have achieved this.
Win the Calendar Golden Slam - Never been done on the mens side.
Win 6 Slams back to back - Don Budge stands alone.

Can the Serb achieve the above?

As long as he's fit and Federer remains out of his half of the draw then he stands a chance but even then Murray may close the gap between them and he might not be able to maintain his advantage over Nadal. I think if he wins the French open he can go on to do the other things.

If this is a weak era then yes.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:If this is a weak era then yes.

Yes indeed! In years to come cyberspace will be full of claims that this indeed must have been a weak era for such a 1-dimensional player as the Joker to win everything so easily. It'll make Federer's own so-called weak era achievements pale into insignificance in comparison.

Also

Win 3 slams on 3 different surfaces in 1 year - Only Nadal have achieved it.

Djokovic will need the FO and Wimbledon. Ironically he could have lost the AO and still be on course for it.

Reading an interview from him where he has made the FO and Olympics his main priorities for the year. He needs the career Golden Slam to join the highest ranks of Agassi and Nadal.

If Nadal wins the olympics then he could be on course to be a double golden career slam winner.

In fairness I think defending his Slams from last year should be his priority. I know Nadal in the past has often spoken of Clay being his priority.

3 Slams and a Olympic Gold is a tall order in one season.

Th olympics are worthless in terms of legacy

He needs the career Golden Slam to join the highest ranks of Agassi and Nadal.

Agassi achieved this on different surfaces, Nadal's were on pretty much same surfaces.

LK actually you can split the "hold all 4 slams" into

holding all 4 consecutively if he wins the French (first two this year plus last two in previous year). If he does that it'll need a more appropriate title than a "Serena slam" and he'll be the first male tennis player to do so since the two calendar years grand slam first was mooted

the holy grail of all 4 in the same calendar year. If he wins the French (and would you bet against it?) he'll be half-way there. Adding the Olympics into the mix actually makes it more difficult and if he's won both the French and Wimbledon by that time won't his focus necessarily be more on the US open?

Either way fascinating times for Novak fans and tennis lovers alike.

newballs wrote:LK actually you can split the "hold all 4 slams" into

holding all 4 consecutively if he wins the French (first two this year plus last two in previous year). If he does that it'll need a more appropriate title than a "Serena slam" and he'll be the first male tennis player to do so since the two calendar years grand slam first was mooted

the holy grail of all 4 in the same calendar year. If he wins the French (and would you bet against it?) he'll be half-way there. Adding the Olympics into the mix actually makes it more difficult and if he's won both the French and Wimbledon by that time won't his focus necessarily be more on the US open?

Either way fascinating times for Novak fans and tennis lovers alike.

His focus would be more on the USO than the olympics regardless of what happens beforehand.

I repeat, the olympics has little value in terms of tennis legacy. If Djokovic (or indeed any other player) was given a choice between OG and one of the slams you can bet your house on it that he'd take the slam.

you can bet your house on it that he'd take the slam.

Indeed. The Nad fanboys would be the saying the same as us if Nadal hadn't won it in '08 and Federer had. Who cares about a tournament that's once every 4 years?

Why are these Federer fans forcing themselves in believing the Olympics is not important? Djokovic has made it his priority. Who are you to argue against him for that. He has won 3 of the 4 slams on offer and is making the FO and Olympics his aim for the year. A Golden Slam opportunity does not come often and the Olympics is growing in status. It's value will not decrease so unlike those that had the chance and did not take it, Djokovic will do well to complete the Golden Slam.

Wrong. Most likely the importance and lustre of Olympic Gold will vary according to the amount of attention given to it by the top pros. Sampras for example couldn't be bothered to take part. Federer has talked about it a lot and that is why it has taken on more significance on the mens side. On the WTA side it is hardly mentioned.

In the coming years it may take on more significance or less depending on how highly the pros of that time regard it. Contrast this with the slams which are universally regarded as the ultimate benchmark.

I'd be happy if Nole won RG at any stage in his career and the Olympics this year. Anything else is a bonus.

Djoko is on the right path. The question which comes to my mind is that how the grand slams kept Djoko away from Nadal with such regularity? Nole lost to Fed at USO for 3 years in succession. And he hardly ever met Nadal in slams.

0-7 again confirms that had the draws not been rigged, Nadal wouldn't even have managed 10 slams, maybe 6 or 7 by now. But nothing can be done now, beating Nadal at RG will prove that what a lucky grand slam winner rafa have been.

Another thing I fail to understand is commentator's bias. At Wimby 2011 all experts other than Henman were favouring nadal on the basis that Nole has not beaten him in a 5 setter. At USO again rafa was favourite he had most expereince in grand slam finals. Cometh Aus Open and the same story was repeated, rafa is in great form and will beat Nole. Why can't these legends or greats can see that Djoko now has rafa's number and a slam win in likely only in a case when either nole is injured or fed/andy takes him out.
Nole wins FO and he will certainly become the second best player of all time behind Federer.

"Why can't these legends or greats can see that Djoko now has rafa's number and a slam win in likely only in a case when either nole is injured or fed/andy takes him out. "

because being a tennis "legend" does not guarantee an IQ

noleisthebest wrote:"Why can't these legends or greats can see that Djoko now has rafa's number and a slam win in likely only in a case when either nole is injured or fed/andy takes him out. "

because being a tennis "legend" does not guarantee an IQ

I was pretty shocked to hear that rafa was favourite to win the Aus open

stratocumulus wrote:Djoko is on the right path. The question which comes to my mind is that how the grand slams kept Djoko away from Nadal with such regularity? Nole lost to Fed at USO for 3 years in succession. And he hardly ever met Nadal in slams.

0-7 again confirms that had the draws not been rigged, Nadal wouldn't even have managed 10 slams, maybe 6 or 7 by now. But nothing can be done now, beating Nadal at RG will prove that what a lucky grand slam winner rafa have been.

Another thing I fail to understand is commentator's bias. At Wimby 2011 all experts other than Henman were favouring nadal on the basis that Nole has not beaten him in a 5 setter. At USO again rafa was favourite he had most expereince in grand slam finals. Cometh Aus Open and the same story was repeated, rafa is in great form and will beat Nole. Why can't these legends or greats can see that Djoko now has rafa's number and a slam win in likely only in a case when either nole is injured or fed/andy takes him out.
Nole wins FO and he will certainly become the second best player of all time behind Federer.

Becareful, Strato, I have kept saying that the draws are odd in that they seem to always put Fed and Novak on a collision course. Now all of sudden fed is a little older and a small gap opens up between his play and the top 2 and now in the AO they give Fed to Nadal in his half. 6 straight grandslams that Novak and Roger where in the same half. Now they will start calling you a conspiracy theorist.

On to the OP's post, I think any of those things are highly unlikely as it is very hard to win every big tournament or reach the finals of every single grandslam. Can Novak do it absolutely but he is bound to have an off day or two. I'd like to see Novak win the french. It would make him the only player in the open era along with Laver to win 4 straight slams. An accomplishment that neither fed, Nadal, nor sampras could match; and it would give him the career grandslam. But I actually think that Nadal did serve notice that Novak will have to up his play further from his AO level to beat Nadal on clay where he feels most comfortable. Plus RG centre court is a very large court that enhances Nadal's defensive skills further, but I guess Novak's as well. Anyone ready for a 7 hour final!

If the draw puts Nadal and Djokovic in the same half and Federer and Murray in the other, we may find some other result. Nadal or Djokovic are favourites, but it is by no means a certainty. I am wishing to be surprised.