We've seen the start of the transition of power

nick doesnt have the brain to beat nole in 5

NK will never get near another slam final.

I think he will now he's got a taste of it, his game is good for hard and grass, 3 of the 4 slams, has a home slam as well which'll help. If he didn't have his little meltdown when losing his serve 40-0 up things could have been different, might not be the US Open because of he might not be seeded and could get a big fish too early again like he did with Tsitsipas, although he won. US open however is always where top player like Novak is at his most fatigued, there's a reason why he's won 9 Aussies but only 3 US Opens, swap their place on the calendar around and that stat would be switched with it. Has every chance of winning the Australian open and with a good draw, the US Open as well providing he stops mugging himself off, that's the only thing holding him back, he need a psychological coach to help him over the line. Ranting at his box like he did was just his way of preparing an excuse incase he loses.

i think u might be right platini.....he has a court case to deal with now......i think his comment about wanting a long holiday may relate to that issue rather than reaching a slam final because he only played 2 tough games all week........he didnt even play a semi where if he played a fit rafa the result would have been the same as todays final. he has the talent but hes a total nutjob. blaming his box for losing when hes 40-0 up is hilarious.

He has the game to do it, no question, Mes. But he's a mental midget and a cry baby and if he hasn't grown out of that by 27, I don't see how that changes.
I said on another thread that this is, and will be forever his peak achievement. Let's see.

His detractors can also say that he has still never won a Slam semi final.

I hope brain dead jockeys is right that his post-match speech referred to his court case because if he really was saying he wanted a rest because he was tired then that would incline me against thinking he can win one. When he was laughing along with Joker's talking about him in his speech he seemed to not have a care in the world. I prefer to see losers distraught. When Novak lost twice to Murray in 2012-13 he was so distraught he hired Becker to copy Murray's 'get coached by an 80s icon' secret recipe.

Be surprised if he couldn't manage a top or close to top finish in the grass slam again - no-one would want to face him at Wimbledon.

Lol.

Can't believe all this eulogizing over this mental midget.

Had a dream run thru to the final - Tsitsipas the only decent player he faced who's a no-show on grass.

The player who should be kicking himself is Berrettini.

agree wesdag.........covid testing needs to be dropped when they reach the last 8........imagine if novak tested positive for covid yesterday and they handed kyrgios the trophy.......it can easily happen.

Just the same as 1980 when Borg beat McEnroe.

Next year he murdered him.

That's quite a prediction. McEnroe had already won the US Open and been World Number 1 by the time he reached his first Wimbledon final. Kyrgios has (still) achieved nothing like that.

The player who should be kicking himself is Berrettini.

I backed Berrettini before it started this year (lucky to get the money back as didn't play). I'd say both he and Kyrgios would be dangers to almost any player on grass in future.

wimbledon being cancelled in 2021 cost novak a slam. missing the aussie open probably cost him one and that lines lady getting hit by a ball may have cost him another one at the us open.......lets add 2 to his 21 and reduce rafa by one.....it should be 23-21 really.......if novak misses the us open this year its beyond a joke and if he misses the aussie open in 2023 its getting crazy.....we all talk about rod laver for what he achieved 50 years ago. try explaining to future tennis fans in 2070 how the record books are skewed by the vaccine affair. novak getting to play in only 2 slams a year is madness.

Rafa's injuries cost him lots of Slams. The only thing that counts in the Slam count is how many Slams they have actually won. I'm still liking Novak's chances to end up with the most given how easily he wins Wimbledon and how Rafa is closer to the end of his career.