Here we go, it’s Djokovic vs. Nadal…

This is embarrassing, show some fight Novak!

Stop looking at your box like it is a fluke he is beating you. Losing is one thing but acting like a spoiled brat is another.

He shows no sign of being able to break Nadal’s game down, is there any pattern that is working?

I can see this ending in 3

We are lucky to be able to watch matches like these two give us.

Djokovic only had one run in him …

There are some good rallys of course – hey here are facing number one and two.

But just look at the ues on important points/games from Djoko. If u have time: Watch again these two breaks he got in 3rd set. This is not Top10 level! Normally only weak players make silly errors on big points.

Ok pretty sure Toni Nadal, Nadal and the uncles have an end game so that Nadal is, from slam count, the undisputed best player in history. He has 13 slams. Four short of course of Federer. At age 27 – and he just turned 27 – 5 slams is not impossible.

Nadal has been winning slams now for 9 years. Hard to believe that will change next year: no one’s close. I think Djokovic should regain his top form – you don’t make the final of every slam without being in top form. But it’s hard to see him beating Nadal at Nadal’s new best.

Scoop,

Why do you say Djoko should’ve won this match? It isn’t like he was up 2 sets to 1 and had love-40 on Nadal’s serve in the 4th set.

Jerzy had a sub-par with the exception of Wimbledon, and was it Rome, where he did well. Gulbis, that boat has left the slip. Nadal has two competitors next year and they are Djoko and Murray. I wouldn’t be surprised if like this year, they made the slam finals of all four events.

How about Uncle Toni saying Rafa doesn’t run as well as he used to. It’s a bummer to be 27 and at the prime of your life. According to Uncle T, he’s already on the decline physically.

Thonk all GOAT discussions are over. Nadal is the one. 13 Majors and not done yet, 3 DC’s, Olympic Gold . Dominated someone with 17 Majors when that guy was in his prime. 22-15 against a guy with 6 Majors and counting and a huge winning record against the rest of the top 10 of his gen.

Federer might have been had most visually pleasing game, but you have to give props to Nadal. Scary where he has taken defense to offense tennis. Every point is a war

Another tremendous battle in every sense of the word between the Top 2 Tennis Players on the planet… Credit where it’s due to Novak for playing superb tennis befitting of a guy who has been a very worthy #1 in the world for most of the last 2 years… He always makes guys work extremely hard to beat him & has my full respect/appreciation for being Rafa’s ONLY true challenge & consistent competition… All that said, Rafa is simply the Greatest Competitor & Champion ever to step foot on a tennis court… The way he overcomes obstacles on & off the court is simply astonishing… An athletic, determined PHENOM the likes of which Tennis has never before seen & likely won’t see again… The way Rafa handles adversity in the biggest matches during the most important points is why he’s so DOMINANT-the jaw dropping physical talent doesn’t hurt either… Lol No player has ever not only consistently beaten the greats of his era but also ripped their hearts out & broken their spirit/will to compete in the process the way Rafa has on so many occasions… He is poised to take over the sport yet again for the foreseeable future though nothing is a given… PSYCHOLOGICALLY CRUSHING DEFEAT for Novak who threw haymakers left & right at Rafa during the 2nd & 3rd sets in which he was displaying 2011 like Novak form & Rafa just kept coming like a STORMING BULL or should I say like Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed in parts I & II… Some serious doubts have to be entering Novak’s head these days… His CAREER DEFINING MOMENT & VICTORY, the EPIC ’12 Australian Open Title over Rafa, may indeed end up being a blessing & curse because it gave Rafa renewed belief even in valiant defeat while awakening AN UNCONTROLLABLE MONSTER that Novak can no longer handle… The ’14 Australian Open is going to be vital I believe for Novak’s future prospects in Grand Slams… He is literally on the brink of reverting back to pre 2011 form with the mental state he’s in after so many deflating defeats in the MOST IMPORTANT MATCHES against Rafa even Murray but more so Rafa… The way Rafa has turned the tide of this rivalry back in his favor quite possibly for good is as impressive as his many significant accomplishments are IMO which is say something… Congrats Rafa for reclaiming your status as THE BEST IN THE WORLD & clearly GOAT!! VAMOS

Just have to see if Novak has it in him to regroup… Talent wise he certainly does but from a mental standpoint, it’s far from a given… Novak may be Rafa’s most evenly matched opponent in terms of physical & strategic play on the court but from an overcoming & handling adversity standpoint, he’s nowhere near Rafa’s league & falls way short of possessing Rafa’s mental strength/unbreakable determination & will to compete… Alarming for Novak & his camp the way he’s really reverted back to FALLING APART & basically TAPPING OUT in the Biggest Matches like he has this year!!

Uncle Toni is all about psyching out the opponent – if he says Nasals knees are fragile the opponent thinks Rafa is slow and then sees a faster than ever Rafa. If Toni says he isn’t as fast opponents try to run him and Rafa shows off the wheels. Rafa never admits he is the world’s best player- he goes out of his way to overestimate ever opponent and then gives the beat down of an athletic lifetime.

Either Toni makes Nadal actually paranoid to prepare or its one big elaborate PR thing to lower opponents expectations before smashing them on court. So many fans call it modesty but if you read the press conference after every win Nasal gives an Agassi like assessment of his opponent ( no favoritism for Ryan Harrison for example ). Nadal knows exactly what he is doing and where he stands against opponents.

Quit the false modesty nadal. I will buy that his knees hurt and that his game worsens them but not the humility schtick. This guy knows he’s one of the best of all time. If not why write an autobiography before your career is up ?

Take that humility . Nadal has you beat also !

To cs3 Sampras and federer certainly crushed opponents. Don’t think nadal , who considers Sampras very highly didn’t get that will and outlook from other greats of the sport. There is a baton of sorts you know.

All Great Champions have been inspired by those who came before them I’m well aware Andrew… It’s just Rafa’s combination of will to go along with skill is on a whole other level… Jimmy Connors’ like effort & passion along with Bjon Borg kind of special ability & athleticism on a tennis court… Novak is younger but only by a year so that youth advantage really isn’t much of an edge at all… 2011 was Novak’s PEAK YEAR & it’s very likely the results he produced that year including his unprecedented, extended dominance of Rafa over a series of matches was a 1 year only kind of thing… Novak was supposed to truly take over & start dominating the Grand Slams-DIDN’T TURN OUT THAT WAY… No doubt Novak is an All Time Great but he’ll always be #3 in the era of Roger-Rafa or more correctly Rafa-Roger… If Novak is the 3rd best player of an era, THAT’S A VERY SPECIAL & DAMN GOOD ERA because he is 1 of the Best & Most Complete Players in Tennis History… CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE!!