Novak Grand Slam 2023

Provided he's allowed in to the US, this is surely on imo.

I can see Novak winning at RG and losing the US open. The French is now set up as a quite extraordinary 'Clash of les Titans' and Novak's motivation to get ahead in the slam count on Rafa's 'home patch' will be through the roof. He's not really had to expend too much here and he's already said he has no interest in masters events now so he should be absolutely primed for the French.

Whereas the data shows that Novak historically is (relatively!) spent by the time New York comes along. Just because of the way he manages his intensity, expends what he has in the annual tank.

But that assumes that Rafa has run his race now and I'm wary of that trap.

There's a legendary exchange between mophead and canaryboy on this forum where they agree that Rafa is done, won't win another hard court slam, maybe not even another French Open.
That was in November 2009!!!

So you can never write off the Elite. They are in the business of pushing the limits of what is theoretically, logically or physically possible.
Anyway I reckon he wins the Australian, the French and Wimbledon.

Btw the Guardian newspaper has just said on its Oz open final commentary page that Novak is motivated to catch up with Serena's 23 slam titles.
Have I missed him saying that or are they smoking something.

I see media has started to move the goalposts again and started to put both men and women in the same Slam race. Nonsense.

Yeah typically moving goalposts to suit their woke agenda.

Interesting that Margaret Court seems never to get a look in.

Guardian has a very small readership, the size of the average London borough, their impact is akin to a rain drop on a ocean of news stories and reports whilst largely being overestimated in an era of mass media, but it serves a purpose as if there were no left wing rags they'd be no balance to the right wing rags, it's just preaching to the converted, pushing an open door, printing what their readers want to read, left, right, they're all the same, opposite wings of the same bird. I'd hazard a guess they even deliberately rile people with such headlines to generate clicks and whatnot, that's what pays the bills for old media now to keep up with new social media and the like.

Court's records incidentally are practically meaningless for many different reasons, it was a different sport back then, she won several slams playing 5 or 6 rounds and not 7 as you had byes in them days, her home tournament really was a home tournament with the top players not flying all the way down there as it was very expensive back then, a draw full of Aussie no hopers. It's an artificial number but I'm glad she has it as it does annoy the militant feminist's such as your Navratilova's and Billie Jean King, who by the way, has basked far too much in the sun as the trailblazer for women's tennis when she was in fact one of several women who got the ball rolling for professionalism in the WTA.

Whilst I don't agree with Court with her views, she's just relaying what her book teaches her which is why I can't understand the outcry, views are the same in many religious texts including the Koran. Kyrgios jumping all over it to make himself popular as well is just as laughable and transparent. Serena has the real record and that's probably never going to be broken in my lifetime, though I remember thinking the same with Sampras' 14, Novak could end up doubling it given how weak nextgen is, if anyone slows him down it will be Alcaraz.

Kind Regards.

Good post Mes. I agree with most of that except even as a Serena fan I will never agree Serena has the real record, essentally because it requires a historical rewriting of what she was trying to achieve between 2017 and retiring in 2022.
She could just have put her feet up and avoided that ugly scene with Carlos Ramos at the 2018 US open.

She was of course trying to catch Margaret Court's record and I doubt anyone could deny that with a straight face. I don't agree with Court's views either and if stellar names like Navratilova, McEnroe and er Laura Robson want the name of the Margaret Court Arena changed then they have every right to make that protest.
However what it seems the media are attempting here is quite an extraordinary piece of Orwellian doublethink.

1 - Have mens and womens slams in the same count while at the same time
2 - Whitewash Courts' slams out of the equation (because otherwise you'd have Roger trailing Court by 4 slams which would be ridiculous )

To me it's a dangerous road once the media start being able to reshape history to their preference

They keep moving the goalposts, imo to create selling points. Not just The Guardian, I saw AUS Open tweet the same numbers.
The Open Era was the number for the longest time. Then when Serena surpassed Steffi and that chase was over, they changed their criteria so that Court's 24 was the real number and what Serena needed to chase.
Now that Serena is retired, her final number is 23 and that chase is over they're bringing the men into the discussion to create another selling point. This is of course complete nonsense, no other sport does this. Seems they have decided Serena's 23 is the number to beat for now. Wouldn't surprise me though, that once Novak reaches 24 they will bring back Court's 24 as the real number to do the "Can Novak reach 25 to end all discussion about who the greatest tennis player that ever lived is?" deal.

Think you're spot on caramba. Just seen Novak was specifically asked this in his post match press conference

'Are you also motivated by trying to finish your career with more Grand Slams than anybody and by that I mean Serena and also Margaret Court?'

Novak is clearly caught by this ludicrous question and the circumstances in which it is being asked.

But then takes a few seconds considering how to answer and in trying to be as diplomatic as possible gives a very extended and illuminating answer.

I've transcribed this as best I can myself directly in case the printed versions in any way 'colour' his answer.

'Uhhh well... ummm of course I am motivated to win as many slams as possible at this stage of my career, these trophies are the biggest motivational factors of why I still compete so... taht's the case um without a doubt... you know I never really liked comparing myself to others but of course it's a privilege to be part of the... discussion of you know as one of the greatest players of all time and if people see me this way it's very flattering because I know that I give as much effort and energy into (big sigh) trying to you know win slams as anybody else and I still have lots of motivation, let's see how far it takes me. I really don't want to stop here I don't have intention to stop here, I feel great about my tennis um, I know that when I'm feeling good physically mentally present that I have a chance to win any slam against anybody so I like my chances forward going forward but... again uhhhh (laughs) nothing is given or nothing is for granted um of course awareness that there's a lot of players that want this trophy or want the number one position in the world... but you know I've been so many times in these situations that experience and I guess being in those circumstances and those shoes helps me always to keep my mind fresh and know what's expecting me. i don't know how many more years I'm going to play or (laughs) how many more slams I'm going to play. It depends on various things you know it doesn't depend only on my body. I think it's extremely important for me to be of course firstly to have the support and love from close ones and ability to go and play and keep the balance with the private life but at the same time have the mental clarity or how should I say... aspirations to really strive to chase these trophies. Because physically you know I can keep myself fit you know 35 is not 25 even though i want to belive it is um but I still feel there is time ahead of me and let's see how far I go'

Novak could very easily be on 25 slams already but for politics & a dq @ USO 2020.

Reckon he'll end up on 28-30.

That DQ at US Open 2020 is absolutely crazy when you think back about it!

Caption: Thanks, you've just cost me a slam by not ducking.

I reckon the 35s are probably gone now.

Jan 30, 2023 -- 1:09PM, wisewords wrote:

her face sums up the wokery in the world, she looks terrified after a kind man's mistake as he compassionately consoles her !

Wokery ffs
Fwiw, I think her stare was more like: wot the f*ck were you thinking?

I think he'll win Wimbledon easily enough but seems to run out of steam mentally by the US

Can't hold it against him he's put so much in by that tournament

He'll have plenty in the tank this time around imo.

Not played as much tennis like before plus the opposition is carp currently.

Only Medvedev or Alcaraz can touch him on hard court & Alcaraz has virtually admitted he's a mental midget against him.

Is this the season slam - are you on it at the big prices?

WP if so, think it could be a lock potentially..

Not me unfortunately.

35's would be a tad juicy now wouldn't it!

wimbledon looks a formality.........he will be gunning to win the USO, given he wasnt allowed to play last year.

One match off!

Yep, chance gone forever now.