Emerson (left) and Laver (right) are two legends of tennis.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Rod Laver... all these men are legends of the game of tennis. They will all be remembered for their greatness and success in major championships. Now a new name can be added to that list. Novak Djokovic's display at the Australian Open has surely convinced any doubters that he is one of the all time greats. The amazing thing is that Djokovic is still only 24 and has plenty more time to add to his five major championships. Yes he is still no where near Roger Federer and Pete Sampras' major haul, but time is on Djokovic's side. The scary thing at the moment is that the Serb is only getting better. In the open era, only eleven people have secured more grand slams than Novak Djokovic. This is quite a biased figure as Rod Laver won six majors before the open era began, and Ken Rosewall won four of his eight before the end of the amateur era. By not including the amateur era, legends such as Bill Tilden (10 time major winner), Fred Perry (8), and Roy Emerson (12) would not get a mention. In fact there are many more from the amateur era who have secured more than five grand slams. In fact, 26 people have won more than five major championships since records began. However, only seven men in history have secured more than eight majors. So if Djokovic wants true legendary status, he has a few more to win.
Two of the greatest, Federer and Sampras.
The truth is though that the amateur era is no longer really considered when talking in terms of modern legends. So Djokovic is in modern day terms, one of the top 15 players of all time if one was to talk in terms of major championships. The list of players in front of him though is a great one. By no means is Djokovic the best player of all time, he is not even close, but the reality is that he has the potential to be up there. Federer and Sampras are still regarded as the greatest of all time. No one has a record that can be compared to these two, Federer has sixteen major championships and Sampras has fourteen. So what gives people the right to mention Djokovic in the same sentence as the likes of Sampras, Federer, Nadal, Borg, and Lendl? Well Djokovic has the fourth highest earnings in terms of prize money of all time, the only people in front of him are Federer, Nadal and Sampras. In 2011 Djokovic became only the sixth player of all time to win three majors in a calendar year. On top of that, Djokovic's winning percentage certain puts himself up there with the greats. But what adds to Djokovic's cause is that he is setting records at a time when he is playing against two of the other best players of all time. Even though Djokovic has an overall losing record in head-to-heads to both Federer and Nadal, a different picture is painted in these records since 2009. Since Djokovic has developed into a great player his head-to-heads against both Nadal and Federer have significantly improved. In the last eleven meetings between Djokovic and Federer, Djokovic holds a 6-5 record, and in Djokovic's last eleven meetings with Nadal, Djokovic has won nine of them.
Djokovic won possibly the greatest ever final this year.
2011 also contributed to Djokovic's status as an all time great. Pete Sampras suggested that Djokovic's 2011 season was one of the greatest he had ever seen. Novak 'Nole' Djokovic won 43 games in a row at the start of the season as he claimed the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Djokovic also claimed a record five masters series 1000 titles in 2011 and finished the season as the undisputed world number one. Nole lost just six games all year. But 2012 already stands out as a significant step forward in Djokovic's short career. The year may only be a month old, but Djokovic's victory at the Australian Open will have cast fear into the hearts and minds of his closest rivals. The Serb's supreme performances throughout the tournament were a pleasure and a marvel to watch. If there was always one chink in the Djokovic armour, it was that he didn't have the mental or physical toughness in tight long games. The 2012 Australian Open disproved the theory. From the jaws of defeat Djokovic beat Murray over five sets in a semi final lasting nearly five hours. Two days later, Djokovic faced a well rested Nadal in the final. Even though Djokovic had won their previous five meetings, it seemed that fatigue would play a big factor in the match. This seemed even more so after Nadal took the first set in a gruelling one hour and twenty minutes. Yet two magnificent sets of tennis later, and Nole was a set away from his third Aussie Open. But then, as Nadal does, the Spaniard fought with all his might to take the fourth set on a tie-break sending the game into a deciding set. Before the final set had even begun, the game was the longest final in Australian Open history. Surely Djokovic had nothing left in the tank. Nadal took the early break in the fifth leaving Djokovic seemingly down and out. The old Djokovic certainly would have crumbled at this point, but not this determined machine. Djokovic clawed his way back into the match with a break in the seventh game before getting another break in the eleventh game. After facing a break point on his own serve, Djokovic served out for his greatest victory yet in a match that lasted five hours and fifty three minutes.
Djokovic has had the upper hand in recent meetings with Nadal
However, if Djokovic wants to truly be considered one of the greats, he certainly has to add to his five grand slam titles, there is no question in that. But there is also something else Djokovic needs, the French Open. Victory at Rolland Garros still eludes the Serb, but this won't be an easy title to win. Djokovic has proved supreme on hard courts and grass, but Nadal stands in Djokovic's way as he is the joint most successful player at the French Open in the modern era. The Spaniard along with Bjorn Borg has won six titles, and only Federer has stopped Nadal from winning in Paris since 2005. Only three men in the modern era have won the career grand slam. Andre Agassi was the first to complete it with Federer and Nadal following this century. Winning the French Open will certainly set apart Djokovic from a lot of the other greats, not even pistol Pete Sampras could win the career grand slam.
So Djokovic still has a way to go to be the best player ever, but if he continues to play the way he has, it won't be long until he is right up there. The French Open is the next hurdle for Djokovic to overcome but Nole now has the awe factor that was Federer's a few seasons ago. Federer and Nadal will always be there to try to prevent the Serbian from achieving greatness, along with a resurgent Andy Murray, which means Djokovic has a tough ride in store. But Djokovic's new found attitude, physical and mental strength puts him in a potentially untouchable position. There is no question that tennis is experiencing one of its greatest ever eras.
As Andy Murray falls to yet another defeat by one of the big three, questions will undoubtedly fly around the media concerning whether Murray will ever become a grand slam champion. The last time Murray defeated one of the top three at a grand slam was in 2010 at the Australian Open quarter-finals where Murray defeated Nadal. Yes Nadal may have retired hurt from that game, and in fact came into the game with injury concerns, however Murray was the dominant player, and thoroughly deserved his victory. Since then, Murray has suffered 4 semi-final defeats at the hands of Nadal, and 2 defeats to Novak Djokovic. His record before that 2010 encounter with Nadal showed another 2 defeats at the hands of Nadal and a loss against the great Roger Federer. The one glimmer of hope for Murray in fact came against Nadal in 2008. In an epic encounter Murray played the game of his life in beating Nadal 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4. Murray was magnificent and gave every British fan the hope that we may finally have another grand slam winner. Not to be however, as Federer made Murray look the child in a brutal demolition of the young Scot. The Swiss master taking full advantage of Murray's lack of grand slam final experience.
Murray's grand slam record
already surpasses Tim
Henman's achievements.
With all that said however, Murray has reached 3 grand slam finals and 6 grand slam semi-finals. Tim Henman only ever made 6 semi-finals in his whole career, and Murray at the age of 24 has already surpassed that achievement. Surely if tennis wasn't so blessed with 3 greats all at one time, Murray would have at least a couple of grand slams to his name. But as with every generation of players there is always someone who dominates grand slams, Murray seems to be unfortunate that he has three at once.
Murray holding the Rogers Cup
after defeating Federer in Toronto.
Murray does not have a problem beating the top three (Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer) in finals. In Murray's short career, he has won 22 out of the 31 finals he has been in. Murray knows how to win. In August 2008, Murray beat Djokovic in straight sets to win the Cincinnati Masters. In February 2009 at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam Murray beat Nadal in three sets, defeating Nadal 6-0 in the final set. The list goes on, Murray beat Djokovic in 2009 at another Masters event in Miami. Then in 2010 Murray beat Federer in consecutive finals in Toronto and Shanghai. Even in 2011, the year of Novak Djokovic, Murray beat the Serb in Cincinnati for his second title in Ohio. Two months later Murray defeated Nadal in Tokyo, again winning the deciding set by handing Nadal a bagel. Apart from the victory over Nadal in Rotterdam and Tokyo, all the other victories came in ATP World Tour Masters events, which are only second in importance to grand slams in the tennis world.
Murray has a winning record
against the great Federer.
On the other side of the coin, Murray has lost 9 finals. 3 of them were in majors (to Federer twice and once to Djokovic), but in the other 6 he has only lost twice to the big three. In Thailand 2005 when Murray was but a rookie, Federer defeated the young Scot. The only other occasion was March 2009 when Nadal hammered him 6-1, 6-2 at the Indian Wells Masters event. In the 15 finals in which Murray has faced the big three, he has a 7-8 record. Unfortunately 3 of those 8 came in grand slam finals. Yet when you look at Murray's overall head-to-head record with the big three, you can see that Murray can compete with them. Murray has a winning record against Federer (8-6), which is where the good news ends. Djokovic has the upper hand in their head-to-head by 7-4, and Nadal holds a 13-5 advantage over Murray. So in his career Murray has beaten the big three 17 times in 43 meetings. Murray's record against everyone else though is impressive. His career record stands at 333-108 which equates to a 75% success rate.
Murray and Djokovic embrace after
Murray falls to another GS defeat.
The issue for Murray though despite all these stats is that his defeats have come on the big stage. Grand slams are what a player is remembered for, and at the moment Murray has none to his name. In the grand slam spotlight Murray hasn't lived up to his promise. Yes there are glimpses and sometimes long periods of pure class, but the rest of the time is the real worry. When Murray is on top of his game, he can outplay the best, but Murray has never been able to sustain it for a long enough period. Today, at 2 sets to 1 up Murray seemed to have finally broken his hoodoo at grand slams, but a lack of concentration and an inability to keep up his intensity led to Djokovic being let back into the game. Now usually critics would say that Murray has given up, choked, bottled it, or whatever they say. This however was different. At 5-2 down in the fifth, the game looked over. Murray's serve had been inconsistent all day and serving at 2-5 down Murray had to hold. He did and so forced Djokovic to serve for the match. Djokovic wilted and after another good Murray service game, the Scot was level in the final set. In the 11th game of the set Murray had a couple of break points but was unable to take advantage. Djokovic held and then broke Murray to win the match.
Many of us could have left feeling disappointed and upset that yet another grand slam campaign had ended fruitlessly. The reality was much different. Murray can leave holding his head up high after taking the undisputed world number 1 all the way. Murray could quite easily have one this game, but it wasn't to be. Murray must now feel though that he can compete with the best at Grand Slam's as long as he can control his mental fragilities. Today was a marked improvement, and hopefully with the help of Ivan Lendl, Murray can look forward to the rest of 2012 with hope and excitement.
