I really like how you broke down the significance between Olympics and Year-end championships. With that being said, it's a shame Nadal never won an ATP Finals title 😔
I recently attended the Challenger indoor hard court event in Knoxville. I was very impressed with the quality of the players, but I was surprised that the balls did not seem to pop off the rackets faster.
Regarding best Nadal matches, good list but you omitted two matches with amazing quality: 2013 and 2011 US Open Finals between Rafa and Nole. Highly recommend watching those two matches again 💪🏻🎾
2018 Wimbledon gets kinda overshadowed by 2019 which is a shame, because as far as quality of tennis goes, 2018 absolutely demolished 2019. 2019 Wimbledon was middling quality at best.
@@SJ-di5zu I rewatched the Nadal-Novak SF last year sometime remembering it for being close (obviously 5-sets) but totally forgetting how crazy good they both played. Super entertaining match!
Agreed on every match you said in response to my question! It’s really splitting hairs when you’re looking at the quality of the best Rafa matches, and also can be hard to compare matches across surfaces. I was trying to make a list that to me combined tactics, shotmaking, offense, defense, athleticism overall. So like I considered that USO2018 QF; one of my favorite matches ever, but ultimately left it off because I felt the 2009 SF had a more athletic Rafa which added an extra layer of defensive brilliance. I do love the parallel you made between those two because literally watching USO2018 live, during the first set Thiem redline I was reminded instantly of the famous Verdasco 4th set tiebreak redline. Both similar style of matches, both on hard courts vs a peaking and very aggressive baseliner. And yeah, can’t argue with those other picks; I considered all of them at some point or another. RG2013, Wimbledon 2007, AO2012 are all greats. I’d like to appreciate Wimbledon 2007 really quick; I do think 2008 was a bit better due to Nadal’s serve and return taking a leap, but from the baseline he may have put on the best display of baseline tennis on grass I’ve ever seen. He was hyperaggressive to the point of nearly recklessness, I believe finished with more winners than Federer, and his 4th set performance was terrifying. At one point he got wrong-footed so badly that he fell, but in mid-fall he swung at the ball and hit a clean backhand winner before landing on his butt. One of the most underrated points ever and I don’t know why we don’t see it in more compilations.
It should not be a reminder to you Gill to be careful off the air, but just to be a respectful person. Don't talk bad about other peoples physical appearance period.
We play tennis and do boxing, the cross training is amazing. The eye hand coordination and the capacity to fight during adversity goes to an other level.
Just a quick thought on the "Post Big 3 era popularity slump"... I think it was a concern 2 years ago when Roger retired. Alcaraz and Sinner weren't the guys that they are today, but they stepped up to fill the void after Roger finished, and Rafa went on decline (and now retired too). I think there'll always be stars in the game. Alcaraz has already won 4 Slams at age 21, Sinner is starting to rack up Slams and dominate at world #1. They're both champions, and very watchable! Those 2, along with a "supporting cast" of Zverev, Medvedev, Rublev, Ruud, Demon, Rune, Tsitsipas, are already stars, and they have more than enough star-power to carry the sport for the next decade.
Regarding cross-training, as someone who has been skiing, playing tennis, soccer (as a goalkeeper), and volleyball, I would say that soccer and volleyball really helped my serve returns (which are probably the strongest part of my game). I always say that returning a serve in tennis, receiving a serve in volleyball, and playing as a goalie are basically the same. You need to move well, be light on your feet, and react to a fast-moving ball. Of course, the details are different, but in the big picture you are trying do to the same thing. In addition to skiing, I would guess that gymnastics, marital arts, or any other sport that involves balancing and body control would be a great complement to tennis, too.
LOVED how you handled the - no YEC and / or no OG medal - when not a Major Champion - agree 100% with what you said. As well as his 14 FOs, I think one of Nadal's "features" of his records / career in tennis - is never, throwing or breaking a racquet - in a career of 23 yrs of professional tennis, that is AS INSANE as 14 FOs - neither will ever "fall," or be matched.....great podcast, huge thanks Gil ( from Bermuda ! )
Here in spain people are talking of doing a proper farewell at the bernabeu stadium with rafa and roger playing a friendly match, imagine if it happens!
Shapo similar to Alcaraz? I am puzzled by the eye some people here have for the game. Apart from their explosiveness and willingness to come to the net these two couldn't be more different from each other.
@jermaine1545 Shapo plays left handed, Carlos right handed. Shapo hits a one handed BH, Carlos a two hander. Both play aggressive and like to come to the net, but Carlos has better hands and footspeed. Both are emotional but Shapo is more prone to outbursts.
@@al1976-v7m And not to mention what has Shapo achieved in his career vs Carlos? I mean we are talking about a 4 time GS, 5 Masters title Champion at 21 vs what exactly?
I heard that Mouresmo suggested to a ceremony for him in 2022 and every year after that probably but Rafa didn’t wanted it. I am sure there were many other offers and I don’t think anyone would refuse if Rafa went with an offer. He is not the person of big gestures and doesn’t like to get the spotlight on himself. I also feel like he especially didn’t want smt like Roger’s retirement. All attention on him, everybody is emotional and crying etc. It is not his thing. He probably wanted to say goodbye with his team in Spain and hoped that the team would go further but he is also the first person to know everything possible in tennis and nobody can take anything for granted. I agree there should have been more worthy of his legacy and career but those will stand like colossals no matter what.
Jon Wertheim made it all about himself. Look at his apology on Roddick's podcast. He was sorry he got caught, not that he made sexist comments. Who knows what other comments he makes when the cameras aren't filming.
@@jimmyfoxWhen you are in a public role as a commentator you need to adhere to a different standard. And also to say negative things about an appearance is maybe more toxic than being complementary. Especially when it is a feature such as a forehead which Krijckova was born with. and cant change.
Not shocking that capitalism seeks profit over anything else. Profit is Capitalism's raison d'être. So making a crappy ball? No surprise. Who cares if the players get injured, there are always more players. So unless the players put the ATP and the WTA's feet to the fire and refuse to go along nothing will change. Just the complaints will remain.
Regarding other sports that can be complimentary to tennis, in the ATP feature on next gen finalists, it was revealed that Alex Michelsen was a talented baseball player. He is left handed, but plays tennis right handed because the backhand as a righty is the same as a lefty swing in baseball, I thought that was super interesting.
You made it sound as if Rafa had stronger oponnents on clay than Djokovic had on hard courts... That's absurd. 10 Australian Opens in an Era of Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Del Potro, Dominic Thiem, Danill Medvedev and freaking Rafael Nadal is at least equally impressive as 14 Roland Garrosses...
10 titles isn’t as impressive as 14. That’s an entire gap of 4 titles. Also Nadal’s RG2013 and 2014 are looked at as two of the hardest slam paths in history, and in general RG has been very chalky to where Nadal often does play the best opponents on his way to winning. For example, none of his paths have been as easy as Djokovic’s 2023 AO.
@SJ-di5zu That's not true. In his 2010 RG title run, Nadal only faced one top 10 oponnent, and that was in the final against Soderling, and prior to him the highest ranked was 19 and rest were out of top 20... Even so, this was Prime Nadal, compared to a 36 Year Old Djokovic winning AO23 facing two top 10 oponnents and multiple masters champions and Slam runner-upson his way to the title.
Knowing what we know now that Nadal didn't win another grand slam I wish he would've taken the strongest pain killer possible and tried to win Wimbledon 2022. He was playing at such a high level that tournament and his forehand was on fire especially in the match against Fritz. He was showing flashes of his younger self at Wimbledon and I truly believe he would've had a big chance of beating Kyrgios and Djokovic.
The revisionism around Novak's status pre 2011 is crazy. He openly admits he contemplated quitting tennis in 2010 due to his well documented health issues. Yes he was already a slam winner by that stage but that was January 2008 and he hadn't won a great deal since then, definitely not enough to expect a year where he went 41 matches unbeaten, won 3 slams and became Number 1. I'm not here to argue which of Jannik and Novak's seasons was more unexpected, that is entirely up for debate but to say that Novak was "knocking on the door" coming into 2011 is a wild stretch...
I remember Patrick McEnroe picking Djokovic to win the Aussie in 2011. He said something like “Novak has turned the corner” …… Djokovic was not some distant thought getting into 2011
@@vivahernando1 Of course he wasn't an outsider, Serbia won Davis Cup in 2010 and Djokovic had quite a strong end to the year (not as strong as Sinner's 2023 post USO), and yes had 1 slam to his name but that was in 2008 as I said. I just don't like the framing of Novak as this guy that was about to breakthrough and become a dominant force, that wasn't the case. Nobody could've foreseen him winning 41 matches to start the year in a row, and 3 slams. Nadal had just come off an excellent year in 2010 and was highly tipped to do the same again, and obviously Federer was still very much in his pomp.
@@cgh08443Nobody could foresee anything. Sinner's 2024 is even more dramatic. Sinner literally had zero big titles before Canada 2023. Nobody knew he was going to be a dominant number 1. Djokovic was already a Grand Slam Champion, ATP Finals champion and multiple Masters 1000 titles in the bag, Multiple Slam finals and he was world no 3 in the Fedal dominated era. Sinner hadn't even made a Slam final, his success has been more unexpected.
@@alburaq3290 People's reading comprehension is atrocious. I'm not arguing about whose season was more unexpected, I tend to agree that Sinner's was. I'm disagreeing at the way Gill has framed Novak going into 2011. Gill claims he was "knocking on the door." He wasn't. He says he was thinking of quitting in the middle of 2010, and it was good end to 2010, plus hiring the doctor who discovered his gluten intolerance that saved his career. To say Novak was "knocking on the door" of a 3 slam, 41-0 start to the season, is ridiculous imo
He literally made a US Open final in 2010 beating Federer on the way. Of course he was knocking on the door to winning another slam, he damn near did it on the final hard court slam of the year. If you recall, Sinner’s first slam final was literally this year. If anything I think you’re engaging in revisionist history.
14 at RG no doubt is from another planet however tennis isn't limited to just one surface. If anything a great tennis player is one who can adapt and be incredible on all surfaces. Nadal did have quite a resume on hard surfaces and grass as well but just no where near Joker and FedEx. Hence I can't put Rafa above either.
So when you talk about "popularity," the first thing that comes to your mind is WTA in a negative way, but when you can talk about WTA in a positive way - like in the context of dominance at Roland Garros - you of course forget about the most dominant player of this generation (both men and women) in "one slam," Świątek, who has 4 Roland Garros titles in 5 years, and you're talking about Carlos... You should learn a lot from Alex Gruskin, who can appreciate both tours in his podcasts...
Responding to Joe's question about fans leaving the game after the retirement of big 3: I think the problem with this particular time as that this crop of newer players have been rivals of the big three in the latter stages of their careers. So it's really hard to be a massive fan of the guy who has dumped your idol out of grand slams. When there is more space between generations, I think it will be easier for dedicated fans of the big 3 to get fully behind other players.
@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegetenThat shows that you have an opinion but haven't informed yourself. Zverev wasn't "overtaken" for the time being, he fought his way back and is now above Alcaraz in the rankings. He also got this information from the manufacturers he spoke to about it. I don't know if the figures are correct, but even if it's only 30-40% instead, it's still impressive that he was able to explain this off the cuff in his non-first language. And he wasn't complaining on his own behalf. He let actions speak for themselves and got himself a new racket because of the new balls and won Paris with it... But in his position on the players' council, he has to stand up for other players, many of whom now have wrist problems because of the new balls, for example...And if you really are tennis fans, don't you want the players to be able to play with good balls instead of just saving money? The only way things will change is if the big players speak out. this senseless hatred of various players is really annoying
@@rbarreira2 Yes, I understand your thoughts. According to Sascha, yes. He spoke yesterday in a podcast (Volleys and Tweeners, ) about a two-set training match in Shanghai with Cerundolo in which the two of them took 3.5 hours to finish because the balls were so slow... He said that until he changed rackets, he wouldn't have been able to hit a 200km/h serve with the same power he usually hits 225 km/h (the fact that he can do that again now is really no secret)...I mean as number 2 in the world with the best serve on the tour and the last Masters in his pocket, he really has no reason to make that up
@@cas5196 Thank you for the extra details! I'll have a listen to that one. It must be noted though that 225 -> 200 km/h is an 11% drop which sounds more believable to me.
Phil Taylor won the world Darts Championship 16 times which is only once a year so I guess that rivals Rafa's dominance at RG (and as blasphemous as it is to say here, maybe even surpasses it!). In fairness, he could play well into his 50s but he didn't play his first World Championship till he was 30 so you could say his dominance for 20 years is in a similar league to Rafa's at RG! (He won it 11 years in a row!)
@@jbm8167 gonna be real tough to find a match up that epic again. I've missed Nadal the last 1.5 years. At least we got the first half of 2022. He was on fire and had what turns out to be that final run at glory.
I wanted more for Rafa’s retirement. It was lackluster. To your Serena point. I was traveling for work through multiple airports during her retirement matches. I’ve never seen more Americans watching tennis and cheering her on in different states, multiple restaurants and bars. All the goats should get that treatment
I don’t think the reports are true. Rafa said he did not ask Roger you can look it up. They are not there it’s because it’s Davis cup. It’s for team Spain. It would be weird to have his rivals root for Spain. It is also why Murray’s big retirement is at Wimbledon not at the Olympics.
Is it possible that the heavier balls have put stress on Daniil’s shoulder over the course of the last few seasons, leading to the serving issues we’ve seen? I feel like this possibility is missing from your answer but you know better than me.
Disagree with the advice given to Zverev. I don't think it's particularly helpful. If he doesn't trust his forehand, it's important to see why he doesn't. And this is something he has to figure out off court. It's not as simple as "Just trust your forehand" or any of that generic advice. The generic "just believe in yourself" BS advice is just that. BS. Beliefs have to be grounded. Without that, it's all going to fall apart.
Senna in Monaco is close I'd say. Sure he didn't win that GP 14 times, but he absolutely dominated on that track. And he probably would have continued to dominate if he didnt have that accident that killed him in 1994.
One of my favorite stats is that Serbia is #2 in "weeks spent at #1 by country," entirely based on Novak. The U.S. is ahead of them, but includes 6 players.
If WADA's late peevish entry into the Clostebol cluster etc.causes Sinner to be suspended, then the tennis establishment is beyond hope. Silly stupid business.
Wish Americans would stop putting Serena on the same level as the big three, globally she's not even close, only America really cares about her and that's due to their specific "unique" hero culture. The rest of the world aren't that fussed about her, many don't know who she is but just about everyone knows the big 3.
@@taiwoajayi8469 yes but you're a tennis fan, we all are if we're watching Gill, we all know Serena. I'm talking the general population outside of America.
The film was 12 Final Days. Despite having many comparable viewpoints about the direction of tennis, legacies, setting an example, encouraging future gens &etc as they have both claimed, Roger & Rafa are very different personalities. Roger has always had a shy side, you see it still in certain moments, despite his smooth style in handling interviews & all the hoopla around his sponsorship duties. But at the same time, he loves being the centre of attention and being centre stage hence eg the Met Gala jacket & the Laver Cup Farewell. Otoh, Rafa who is more the classic introvert, and always looks more awkward, revealed he is an adreneline junkie, whereas Roger is known to be scared of practically everything, except skiing. Rafa also showed another side to his character in his celebrations - eg the lawnmower, the triumphal raised leg & fist, but also always made sure on winning a Championship to lie down on the court, limbs akimbo star-shaped, directly under the camera. He reserved his showmanship tendencies for the tennis court.
Why is Serena unequivocally considered the goat when she has neither most weeks at no.1 nor most slams? If that applied to djokovic or any male tennis player we would hear about it
One could argue Weeks at Number 1 is meaningless! Dinara Safina for example has more weeks at Number 1 than Venus Williams but which woman WON 7 majors in singles? How many majors did Ivan Lendl win compared to Nadal but which guy spent longer at Number 1? Would Wawrinka prefer to have had a career high ranking of 1 instead of NO majors like Marcelo Rios or have the career that he's had? Do you see my point? And regarding Margaret Court winning 24 majors, many of those came when the game was Amateur so yeah Serena is the women's GOAT
@DaveOwen-vn6ie I see your point, but clearly weeks at no.1 is not meaningless. I agree, GS are more important. But after GS, weeks at no.1 could arguably be the next most important stat
Rafas painfully slow retirement made me like him less. It was just not fun anymore watching someone play who OBVIOUSLY cannot compete with the top 20 anymore. I get it. Its hard to give up something you love. But I would have loved it had he retired after one of the latter wins. Go out on a high note. Anyways, glad its over. I really hope Novak will go out after he wins another GS.
Gill Gros you are true american. You reduce Djokovic's successes and increase Nadal's successes, this is not just about grand slam records, or week at number 1 or end year being number 1, ATP finals title, masters records etc, i know nobody like a serbian boy but evrybody like pump Rafa Nadal, and i even cry at the ceremony because i respect Rafa as ultimate warrior i miss epic matches with Nole but this diminishing of a goat and he is still play and 24 for sure not the end mark my word, all others crazy fans i will not answer nobody there is one GOAT for now and that is like or not Novak Djokovic
It takes a lot for Gil to say a record is unbreakable. 14RG is up there
Only 10 more RG for Iga 😊
To be honest... I'd say anything beyond 8 is impossible 😬
@@luki2806
That sounds like a mountain to climb
I think she can reach double digits on RG but 14 hmm😅@@TecInformamos
@@luki2806 That would be a different record, she does not ever play the best tennis players in the world.
I really like how you broke down the significance between Olympics and Year-end championships. With that being said, it's a shame Nadal never won an ATP Finals title 😔
I recently attended the Challenger indoor hard court event in Knoxville. I was very impressed with the quality of the players, but I was surprised that the balls did not seem to pop off the rackets faster.
Regarding best Nadal matches, good list but you omitted two matches with amazing quality: 2013 and 2011 US Open Finals between Rafa and Nole. Highly recommend watching those two matches again 💪🏻🎾
2013 was not great from Djokovic to be honest. 2011 was poor serving and windy, but had an amazing third set.
Great to hear shout outs for Wimbledon SF '18 and F '07
Both insanely high-level matches that deserve recognition
2018 Wimbledon gets kinda overshadowed by 2019 which is a shame, because as far as quality of tennis goes, 2018 absolutely demolished 2019. 2019 Wimbledon was middling quality at best.
@@SJ-di5zu I rewatched the Nadal-Novak SF last year sometime remembering it for being close (obviously 5-sets) but totally forgetting how crazy good they both played. Super entertaining match!
Agreed on every match you said in response to my question! It’s really splitting hairs when you’re looking at the quality of the best Rafa matches, and also can be hard to compare matches across surfaces. I was trying to make a list that to me combined tactics, shotmaking, offense, defense, athleticism overall. So like I considered that USO2018 QF; one of my favorite matches ever, but ultimately left it off because I felt the 2009 SF had a more athletic Rafa which added an extra layer of defensive brilliance.
I do love the parallel you made between those two because literally watching USO2018 live, during the first set Thiem redline I was reminded instantly of the famous Verdasco 4th set tiebreak redline. Both similar style of matches, both on hard courts vs a peaking and very aggressive baseliner.
And yeah, can’t argue with those other picks; I considered all of them at some point or another. RG2013, Wimbledon 2007, AO2012 are all greats.
I’d like to appreciate Wimbledon 2007 really quick; I do think 2008 was a bit better due to Nadal’s serve and return taking a leap, but from the baseline he may have put on the best display of baseline tennis on grass I’ve ever seen. He was hyperaggressive to the point of nearly recklessness, I believe finished with more winners than Federer, and his 4th set performance was terrifying. At one point he got wrong-footed so badly that he fell, but in mid-fall he swung at the ball and hit a clean backhand winner before landing on his butt. One of the most underrated points ever and I don’t know why we don’t see it in more compilations.
Mad respect to Gill Gross for the tribute!
It should not be a reminder to you Gill to be careful off the air, but just to be a respectful person. Don't talk bad about other peoples physical appearance period.
Exactly. The goal should be being a more respectful person, NOT being a more respectful person off the air.
Nonsense. Of course Gill is very respectful person.
@yanair2091 I never said he isn't
We play tennis and do boxing, the cross training is amazing. The eye hand coordination and the capacity to fight during adversity goes to an other level.
Just a quick thought on the "Post Big 3 era popularity slump"... I think it was a concern 2 years ago when Roger retired. Alcaraz and Sinner weren't the guys that they are today, but they stepped up to fill the void after Roger finished, and Rafa went on decline (and now retired too).
I think there'll always be stars in the game. Alcaraz has already won 4 Slams at age 21, Sinner is starting to rack up Slams and dominate at world #1. They're both champions, and very watchable! Those 2, along with a "supporting cast" of Zverev, Medvedev, Rublev, Ruud, Demon, Rune, Tsitsipas, are already stars, and they have more than enough star-power to carry the sport for the next decade.
Totally agreed with Gill, 2018 Wimbledon semi Rafa showed his craftsmanship and talent skills in tennis.👍
We also have to remember the great Rome 2005 Final between Nadal and Coria, which went all the way to a 5th set tiebreak.
Rafa vs fed wim 08
rafa vs djokovic Ao 12
rafa vs novak FO semi 13
are heighest quality matches for rafa , no doubt
Also nadal dimitrov in my opinion was great for the best matches!
Regarding cross-training, as someone who has been skiing, playing tennis, soccer (as a goalkeeper), and volleyball, I would say that soccer and volleyball really helped my serve returns (which are probably the strongest part of my game). I always say that returning a serve in tennis, receiving a serve in volleyball, and playing as a goalie are basically the same. You need to move well, be light on your feet, and react to a fast-moving ball. Of course, the details are different, but in the big picture you are trying do to the same thing.
In addition to skiing, I would guess that gymnastics, marital arts, or any other sport that involves balancing and body control would be a great complement to tennis, too.
2018 Wimbledon vs. Del Potro was also an unbelievable match.
LOVED how you handled the - no YEC and / or no OG medal - when not a Major Champion - agree 100% with what you said. As well as his 14 FOs, I think one of Nadal's "features" of his records / career in tennis - is never, throwing or breaking a racquet - in a career of 23 yrs of professional tennis, that is AS INSANE as 14 FOs - neither will ever "fall," or be matched.....great podcast, huge thanks Gil ( from Bermuda ! )
36:29 In MotoGP Marc Marquez has won at the Sachsenring Circuit in Germany 11 times. He is particularly strong at tracks with many left turns.
I watched Jannick in 2018 as a skinny kid and I always thought he would be a super star after watching him painting lines in 2018
And Sinner still only won 2 GS, 4 Masters titles at 23 years of age vs 4 GS, 5 Masters titles Alcaraz at only 21 years of age. Go figure.
Here in spain people are talking of doing a proper farewell at the bernabeu stadium with rafa and roger playing a friendly match, imagine if it happens!
Wow uploaded 36 seconds ago 😂 saved my morning here in Europe man. Thanks Gill!
Same morning commute hits better
38:20 same thing in soccer as well with Cristiano and Lionel
Shapo similar to Alcaraz? I am puzzled by the eye some people here have for the game. Apart from their explosiveness and willingness to come to the net these two couldn't be more different from each other.
Not to mention their mentalities are different as well…
@jermaine1545 Shapo plays left handed, Carlos right handed. Shapo hits a one handed BH, Carlos a two hander. Both play aggressive and like to come to the net, but Carlos has better hands and footspeed. Both are emotional but Shapo is more prone to outbursts.
@@al1976-v7m And not to mention what has Shapo achieved in his career vs Carlos? I mean we are talking about a 4 time GS, 5 Masters title Champion at 21 vs what exactly?
I heard that Mouresmo suggested to a ceremony for him in 2022 and every year after that probably but Rafa didn’t wanted it. I am sure there were many other offers and I don’t think anyone would refuse if Rafa went with an offer. He is not the person of big gestures and doesn’t like to get the spotlight on himself. I also feel like he especially didn’t want smt like Roger’s retirement. All attention on him, everybody is emotional and crying etc. It is not his thing. He probably wanted to say goodbye with his team in Spain and hoped that the team would go further but he is also the first person to know everything possible in tennis and nobody can take anything for granted. I agree there should have been more worthy of his legacy and career but those will stand like colossals no matter what.
Jon Wertheim made it all about himself. Look at his apology on Roddick's podcast. He was sorry he got caught, not that he made sexist comments. Who knows what other comments he makes when the cameras aren't filming.
like basically anyone else, only thing is he was stupid enough to let it slip
How was that comment sexist? People judge other people's appearance ALL THE TIME.
Where's the sexism?
Define sexism
@@jimmyfoxWhen you are in a public role as a commentator you need to adhere to a different standard. And also to say negative things about an appearance is maybe more toxic than being complementary. Especially when it is a feature such as a forehead which Krijckova was born with. and cant change.
Not shocking that capitalism seeks profit over anything else. Profit is Capitalism's raison d'être. So making a crappy ball? No surprise. Who cares if the players get injured, there are always more players. So unless the players put the ATP and the WTA's feet to the fire and refuse to go along nothing will change. Just the complaints will remain.
Regarding other sports that can be complimentary to tennis, in the ATP feature on next gen finalists, it was revealed that Alex Michelsen was a talented baseball player. He is left handed, but plays tennis right handed because the backhand as a righty is the same as a lefty swing in baseball, I thought that was super interesting.
Hi Gill, you are well thought
did seem slower and getting those easy cheap service games with the new balls seems down but maybe it’s a bit the ball maybe weather and courts
You made it sound as if Rafa had stronger oponnents on clay than Djokovic had on hard courts... That's absurd. 10 Australian Opens in an Era of Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Del Potro, Dominic Thiem, Danill Medvedev and freaking Rafael Nadal is at least equally impressive as 14 Roland Garrosses...
10 titles isn’t as impressive as 14. That’s an entire gap of 4 titles. Also Nadal’s RG2013 and 2014 are looked at as two of the hardest slam paths in history, and in general RG has been very chalky to where Nadal often does play the best opponents on his way to winning. For example, none of his paths have been as easy as Djokovic’s 2023 AO.
@SJ-di5zu That's not true. In his 2010 RG title run, Nadal only faced one top 10 oponnent, and that was in the final against Soderling, and prior to him the highest ranked was 19 and rest were out of top 20... Even so, this was Prime Nadal, compared to a 36 Year Old Djokovic winning AO23 facing two top 10 oponnents and multiple masters champions and Slam runner-upson his way to the title.
Knowing what we know now that Nadal didn't win another grand slam I wish he would've taken the strongest pain killer possible and tried to win Wimbledon 2022. He was playing at such a high level that tournament and his forehand was on fire especially in the match against Fritz. He was showing flashes of his younger self at Wimbledon and I truly believe he would've had a big chance of beating Kyrgios and Djokovic.
The revisionism around Novak's status pre 2011 is crazy. He openly admits he contemplated quitting tennis in 2010 due to his well documented health issues. Yes he was already a slam winner by that stage but that was January 2008 and he hadn't won a great deal since then, definitely not enough to expect a year where he went 41 matches unbeaten, won 3 slams and became Number 1. I'm not here to argue which of Jannik and Novak's seasons was more unexpected, that is entirely up for debate but to say that Novak was "knocking on the door" coming into 2011 is a wild stretch...
I remember Patrick McEnroe picking Djokovic to win the Aussie in 2011. He said something like “Novak has turned the corner” …… Djokovic was not some distant thought getting into 2011
@@vivahernando1 Of course he wasn't an outsider, Serbia won Davis Cup in 2010 and Djokovic had quite a strong end to the year (not as strong as Sinner's 2023 post USO), and yes had 1 slam to his name but that was in 2008 as I said. I just don't like the framing of Novak as this guy that was about to breakthrough and become a dominant force, that wasn't the case. Nobody could've foreseen him winning 41 matches to start the year in a row, and 3 slams. Nadal had just come off an excellent year in 2010 and was highly tipped to do the same again, and obviously Federer was still very much in his pomp.
@@cgh08443Nobody could foresee anything.
Sinner's 2024 is even more dramatic. Sinner literally had zero big titles before Canada 2023. Nobody knew he was going to be a dominant number 1.
Djokovic was already a Grand Slam Champion, ATP Finals champion and multiple Masters 1000 titles in the bag, Multiple Slam finals and he was world no 3 in the Fedal dominated era. Sinner hadn't even made a Slam final, his success has been more unexpected.
@@alburaq3290 People's reading comprehension is atrocious. I'm not arguing about whose season was more unexpected, I tend to agree that Sinner's was. I'm disagreeing at the way Gill has framed Novak going into 2011. Gill claims he was "knocking on the door." He wasn't. He says he was thinking of quitting in the middle of 2010, and it was good end to 2010, plus hiring the doctor who discovered his gluten intolerance that saved his career. To say Novak was "knocking on the door" of a 3 slam, 41-0 start to the season, is ridiculous imo
He literally made a US Open final in 2010 beating Federer on the way. Of course he was knocking on the door to winning another slam, he damn near did it on the final hard court slam of the year. If you recall, Sinner’s first slam final was literally this year.
If anything I think you’re engaging in revisionist history.
Did not notice much of Nadal's level - as "such" great guy in his outings about Novak in Movistar Plus interview end last year
...😮
Djokovic fans try not to be toxic for 5 seconds challenge
@SJ-di5zu NADAL FANS - SEE YOUR IDOL IN HIS FULL LIGHT ;)
14 at RG no doubt is from another planet however tennis isn't limited to just one surface. If anything a great tennis player is one who can adapt and be incredible on all surfaces. Nadal did have quite a resume on hard surfaces and grass as well but just no where near Joker and FedEx. Hence I can't put Rafa above either.
So when you talk about "popularity," the first thing that comes to your mind is WTA in a negative way, but when you can talk about WTA in a positive way - like in the context of dominance at Roland Garros - you of course forget about the most dominant player of this generation (both men and women) in "one slam," Świątek, who has 4 Roland Garros titles in 5 years, and you're talking about Carlos... You should learn a lot from Alex Gruskin, who can appreciate both tours in his podcasts...
Gill the undisputed GOAT of tennis TH-cam 😮💨
He is the GOAT of tennis analysis for sure, but the undisputed GOAT of tennis youtube is Daria Kasatkina!
@@amugsgame9936
The GOAT is Cult Tennis
Completely agree about Medvedev. Also, Sinner saying that Medvedev is the one who plays the most mind games totally makes sense!
Responding to Joe's question about fans leaving the game after the retirement of big 3: I think the problem with this particular time as that this crop of newer players have been rivals of the big three in the latter stages of their careers. So it's really hard to be a massive fan of the guy who has dumped your idol out of grand slams. When there is more space between generations, I think it will be easier for dedicated fans of the big 3 to get fully behind other players.
Did Zverev really say the balls are 30-60% slower than before COVID? That seems hard to believe.
Lol yeah it makes it seem like him and Medvedev are trying to cope with the fact that Sinner and Carlos overtook them this quickly.
@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegetenThat shows that you have an opinion but haven't informed yourself. Zverev wasn't "overtaken" for the time being, he fought his way back and is now above Alcaraz in the rankings.
He also got this information from the manufacturers he spoke to about it. I don't know if the figures are correct, but even if it's only 30-40% instead, it's still impressive that he was able to explain this off the cuff in his non-first language.
And he wasn't complaining on his own behalf. He let actions speak for themselves and got himself a new racket because of the new balls and won Paris with it... But in his position on the players' council, he has to stand up for other players, many of whom now have wrist problems because of the new balls, for example...And if you really are tennis fans, don't you want the players to be able to play with good balls instead of just saving money? The only way things will change is if the big players speak out. this senseless hatred of various players is really annoying
@@cas5196 30-40% still sounds crazy to me. Are we supposed to believe that a 100 mph forehand became a 65 mph forehand?
@@rbarreira2 Yes, I understand your thoughts. According to Sascha, yes. He spoke yesterday in a podcast (Volleys and Tweeners, ) about a two-set training match in Shanghai with Cerundolo in which the two of them took 3.5 hours to finish because the balls were so slow... He said that until he changed rackets, he wouldn't have been able to hit a 200km/h serve with the same power he usually hits 225 km/h (the fact that he can do that again now is really no secret)...I mean as number 2 in the world with the best serve on the tour and the last Masters in his pocket, he really has no reason to make that up
@@cas5196 Thank you for the extra details! I'll have a listen to that one. It must be noted though that 225 -> 200 km/h is an 11% drop which sounds more believable to me.
Phil Taylor won the world Darts Championship 16 times which is only once a year so I guess that rivals Rafa's dominance at RG (and as blasphemous as it is to say here, maybe even surpasses it!). In fairness, he could play well into his 50s but he didn't play his first World Championship till he was 30 so you could say his dominance for 20 years is in a similar league to Rafa's at RG! (He won it 11 years in a row!)
nostalgia is a mighty aphrodisiac.
Great Rafa Nadal❤
Vamooooooos
I think Djokovic is the greatest player that ever lived. He is probably the strongest Goat out there.
Hey Gill, for most physical match; how about the FO final where Novak was puking on the court?
What match was that?
@@malekat8539 I think it was actually a SF not a F. 2013 FO My bad.
It was the 2014 final
@@jbm8167 Thanks for clearing it up. That 2013 SF was a big time battle too.
@@jbm8167 gonna be real tough to find a match up that epic again. I've missed Nadal the last 1.5 years. At least we got the first half of 2022. He was on fire and had what turns out to be that final run at glory.
phelps at the Olympics and nadal at RG
I googled "last eight days rafael nadal" - nothing! What's was Gill talking about?
I think he was talking about the Federer doc called Twelve Final Days
@@melaniefowler8841 Thanks.
I wanted more for Rafa’s retirement. It was lackluster.
To your Serena point. I was traveling for work through multiple airports during her retirement matches. I’ve never seen more Americans watching tennis and cheering her on in different states, multiple restaurants and bars. All the goats should get that treatment
If they take Sinner out any wins for Carlos or any other player than Nole would be hollow victories.
Nah, if WADA take Sinner out it would all be his own fault for being caught twice with a steroid called Clostebol.
I don’t think the reports are true. Rafa said he did not ask Roger you can look it up. They are not there it’s because it’s Davis cup. It’s for team Spain. It would be weird to have his rivals root for Spain. It is also why Murray’s big retirement is at Wimbledon not at the Olympics.
Logically also wouldn’t make sense, why would anyone assume Spain would for sure win against Netherlands
Murray's last match was at the Olympics but yeah, he was effectively retired by WImby
Is it possible that the heavier balls have put stress on Daniil’s shoulder over the course of the last few seasons, leading to the serving issues we’ve seen? I feel like this possibility is missing from your answer but you know better than me.
Disagree with the advice given to Zverev. I don't think it's particularly helpful. If he doesn't trust his forehand, it's important to see why he doesn't. And this is something he has to figure out off court. It's not as simple as "Just trust your forehand" or any of that generic advice. The generic "just believe in yourself" BS advice is just that. BS. Beliefs have to be grounded. Without that, it's all going to fall apart.
Selfish to the end. What a legend.
Who are you referring to?
Gill do you ever do live streams?
1:09:20 i love the hipster pushback. So true.
36:31 No, no one in F1 is even close on any single track to the level of dominance Rafa had at RG.
Senna in Monaco is close I'd say. Sure he didn't win that GP 14 times, but he absolutely dominated on that track. And he probably would have continued to dominate if he didnt have that accident that killed him in 1994.
@@samy29987 He was 34 in 1994, max 4 more wins for him there
Skiing boxing tennis are all perfect cross training. Sinner happens to be a junior champ in skiing , Nole nearly went pro and I bet fed can ski well.
Sinner wouldn‘t have any chance against Marco Odermatt in Skiing, it‘s good for him he stayed in tennis.
2012 how long were they wasting time come on bouncing balls sitting down probably played maybe 4 hrs top
One of my favorite stats is that Serbia is #2 in "weeks spent at #1 by country," entirely based on Novak. The U.S. is ahead of them, but includes 6 players.
Nadal Dimitrov ao 2017 is the best match I have ever seen
Good riddance, never liked Wertheim anyway.
What happened?!
If WADA's late peevish entry into the Clostebol cluster etc.causes Sinner to be suspended, then the tennis establishment is beyond hope. Silly stupid business.
Sinner was still tested positive twice for Clostebol, a serious steroid substance. We will see how WADA reacts.
If the balls got slower why hasn't the speed of serve also slowed down or has it?
Wish Americans would stop putting Serena on the same level as the big three, globally she's not even close, only America really cares about her and that's due to their specific "unique" hero culture. The rest of the world aren't that fussed about her, many don't know who she is but just about everyone knows the big 3.
I knew Serena before I knew any of the big 3.
In terms of popularity, she is at their level.
@@taiwoajayi8469 yes but you're a tennis fan, we all are if we're watching Gill, we all know Serena. I'm talking the general population outside of America.
She won 24 slams!!?!
@TendoASMR 23* and that means nothing to most people
The film was 12 Final Days.
Despite having many comparable viewpoints about the direction of tennis, legacies, setting an example, encouraging future gens &etc as they have both claimed, Roger & Rafa are very different personalities.
Roger has always had a shy side, you see it still in certain moments, despite his smooth style in handling interviews & all the hoopla around his sponsorship duties.
But at the same time, he loves being the centre of attention and being centre stage hence eg the Met Gala jacket & the Laver Cup Farewell. Otoh, Rafa who is more the classic introvert, and always looks more awkward, revealed he is an adreneline junkie, whereas Roger is known to be scared of practically everything, except skiing. Rafa also showed another side to his character in his celebrations - eg the lawnmower, the triumphal raised leg & fist, but also always made sure on winning a Championship to lie down on the court, limbs akimbo star-shaped, directly under the camera. He reserved his showmanship tendencies for the tennis court.
I will take a year or two break from tennis.. without Nadal nothing will ever be the same. The real GOAT and by quite a distance.
Best on clay. There is a player coming, leftie. He will be very good. Just wait a couple of seasons more
@@ZlatniPlast Best on tennis.
On clay
@@YerdiYunus On tennis
23:11 Ees eet eh Kyet een eh Het?
Why is Serena unequivocally considered the goat when she has neither most weeks at no.1 nor most slams? If that applied to djokovic or any male tennis player we would hear about it
One could argue Weeks at Number 1 is meaningless!
Dinara Safina for example has more weeks at Number 1 than Venus Williams but which woman WON 7 majors in singles?
How many majors did Ivan Lendl win compared to Nadal but which guy spent longer at Number 1?
Would Wawrinka prefer to have had a career high ranking of 1 instead of NO majors like Marcelo Rios or have the career that he's had?
Do you see my point?
And regarding Margaret Court winning 24 majors, many of those came when the game was Amateur so yeah Serena is the women's GOAT
@DaveOwen-vn6ie I see your point, but clearly weeks at no.1 is not meaningless. I agree, GS are more important. But after GS, weeks at no.1 could arguably be the next most important stat
Rafas painfully slow retirement made me like him less. It was just not fun anymore watching someone play who OBVIOUSLY cannot compete with the top 20 anymore. I get it. Its hard to give up something you love. But I would have loved it had he retired after one of the latter wins. Go out on a high note. Anyways, glad its over. I really hope Novak will go out after he wins another GS.
Nadal real personality has been shown vs rafa
yay love nadal
Gill Gros you are true american. You reduce Djokovic's successes and increase Nadal's successes, this is not just about grand slam records, or week at number 1 or end year being number 1, ATP finals title, masters records etc, i know nobody like a serbian boy but evrybody like pump Rafa Nadal, and i even cry at the ceremony because i respect Rafa as ultimate warrior i miss epic matches with Nole but this diminishing of a goat and he is still play and 24 for sure not the end mark my word, all others crazy fans i will not answer nobody there is one GOAT for now and that is like or not Novak Djokovic
Rafa last wish was to win Wimbledon again..but it didnt never happen...two chances was missed one due to injury . another one again a server bot
On recommended improvements for Sinner: I’m sure there are some ‘special’ supplements he can take to help his endurance. 😅
What an overused and tasteless joke...
@ it was cruel! I take it back. Tennis needs both Sinner and Alcaraz leading the sport.