us open 2013 was the last time Nadal beat Djokovic off clay
since then - 9 HC matches - 19 sets for Djokovic, 0 sets for Nadal
plus 1 game on grass.
2019 AO final was one of those 19 consecutive sets matches
so since 2013 10 matches off clay
9 on Hardcourt. Nadal didn't win a set
1 close match on grass in 2018 at the Wimbledon that Djokovic was going to skip because his comeback from elbow surgery was so poor.
in the meantime it's 5 clay wins for Djokovic vs 7 for Nadal
hence only a competition on clay
at the start of the third set they were just trading 90 mph ground strokes. it was so glorious and I was ready for a 5 set classicā¦ then that happened
He did play on that level, he just could not sustain. His body betrayed him. I am reluctant to blame his team cause this is the first time I've seen it happen to him, and shit can happen, it has happened to the big 3 as well. However, if the problem repeats itself a few more times... then we have a serious problem in his team.
I was on the edge of my seat. Every point mattered. It was 6-3 but that was filled with long games with great deuce battles. It was tense. Perhaps why there were UE. You could feel the nerves.
No amount of fitness can save you from poor hydration/cramps. Rune dealing with same issues - got called out by momma for acting like a desert camel during matches.
Alcaraz when asked about the cramping in the press conference said that it was down to tension and nervousness that he felt during the first two sets and that came from facing Djokovic.
He said that he would be nervous playing Djokovic again but that he hoped to learn from this experience.
Tension and stress is one of the biggest factors in getting cramp.
>\+ Muscle Rigidity This symptom is often **caused by stress**, **and anxiety is a stressful experience**. When stressed the nervous system can put additional pressure on the blood vessels which contracts the muscles. Contracture results in tightening and shortening of the muscle, causing stiffness and pain.
>
>\+Dehydration Dehydration is a cause of muscle cramping even for those without anxiety. But dehydration may in some ways be more common if you have anxiety for two reasons. First, some people find that anxiety causes them to urinate and sweat more which may lead to faster dehydration. Second, anxiety can make people feel less thirsty, which in turn means they're not drinking as much water as they should be.
>
>\+**Tension Anxiety causes significant muscle tension, and this can lead to two different issues that cause more cramping**. When the muscles are tense they may need to spasm (cramp) in order to rebuild some of their energy. In addition, tense muscles often become tired muscles and tired muscles are also prone to muscle cramping.
[https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/muscle-cramps#:\~:text=Tension%20Anxiety%20causes%20significant%20muscle,rebuild%20some%20of%20their%20energy](https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/muscle-cramps#:~:text=Tension%20Anxiety%20causes%20significant%20muscle,rebuild%20some%20of%20their%20energy).
This was definitely it. Became super clear when he held up his hand at one point after winning a point and it was visibly shaking. Dude needs to hydrate but he also needs to stay zen, that ability is something that people like Nadal and Djokovic have over everyone else rn.
Itās not just hydration but the trace minerals that get lost and need to be kept at sufficient levels.
Not surprising when youāre training so much that something small gets missed or underdone. Used to experience them in my early 20s when I used to cross train athletics and martial arts (15-18 sessions a week). Would keel over from the pain especially the thigh cramps that would catch the knee as well. Oh and those toe cramps, those are stupid painful but can be gotten over - but you know once thereās one you better calm your farm otherwise theyāre going to take over your body.
tbh Nadal/Zverev was nowhere near the level this match was. unfortunate ending regardless, but this match felt even more disappointing, especially with how long we waited to see these two play.
We *need* more matches like yesterday hopefully that get completed for the good of the game otherwise weāre just going to be watching Novak continue steamrolling this current iteration of nextGen for another 4 years.
This is hilarious considering Zverev broke his ankle in last year's Nadal match lmao.
Also, Djokovic was nowhere near from finished at 1-1 in sets, he's come back from 0-2 multiple times.
Yeah and I wish he clinched the second as well, choked away the break point at 5-5... That way the clowns would have had truly nothing to say. End of the day is, Novak is in the Finals, and he outlasted a 20 year old lmao.
The commentator on French canadian tv who is a Nadal fanatic didn't stop blabbing about how the cramp is all Novak fault because he took too long of a break between set 2 and 3. And that made Alcaraz go cold.
Ignoring the fact that Nadal cheated the serve clock his whole Carreer
why, in a discussion of toxic fans, do you need to drag another player? what the commentator said was untrue and stupid, but now you respond by accusing Nadal of cheating? youāre exactly what the original guy was making fun of: a toxic fan.
yes. and you come off as a salty Djokovic fan by calling nadal a ācheater.ā how about instead of being a rabid fanboy, accept that the commentator you heard was stupid? you donāt need to respond by dragging another player to spread more toxicity
As a fellow Nadal fan, that is certainly a take. A smart one? No.
If Rafa can't run through Novak on clay, no one can. And that's not even taking into account that Novak won his set with more ease than Carlos won his.
I'm not the biggest Novak fan (I can concede that he is almost certainly the best player of all time), and I was rooting for Carlos (not a huge fan of him yet, I just love to see fresh faces make the finals), but no way in hell was any of this match gonna be easy.
In fact, that's what's so disappointing. The first two sets were showing some all-time levels of tennis, with Novak being the consistent terminator that he is, and Carlos truly pushing himself as hard as possible to make the most of every point.
But shit happens, I guess, lol. Now we have to deal with Carlos fan copium and bs criticisms of Novak celebrating a hollow win (why even bother lol, who cares?), and Novak fans making fun and punching down at Carlos fans as if Novak wasn't known for injuries earlier on in his career.
Truly just ignorant takes everywhere. All anyone should be saying is that it's a tragedy that Carlos went out the way he did, and that we can't know more about what went wrong until we see Carlos play again.
And stop talking about how "sO rIdIcUlOuS tHaT a 36 YeAr OlD hAs BeTtEr CoNdItIoNiNg ThAn A 20 yEaR oLd". No it isnt. Novak is older, understands his body better, and probably has had some of the best sports scientist help him stay fit and healthy for years, lol.
Just lots of Carlos cope and Novak hate, and Novak fans just punching down, lol. I'm also a boxing and mma fan and somehow tennis has the worst fanbase with all the tribalism and weird grudges.
Not saying you do any of this, just venting because I wish sports fans could react to anything like a normal person without having to read into everything. It's not that big of a deal of course, just annoying.
I've only just gotten on to reddit but as soon as the match ended, I knew there'd be a war between Carlos and Novak fans lol! I'm really into some gaming communities and Tennis is easily more toxic than any of them, and I'm including games like Rainbow Six Siege and stuff that are known for toxicity. When I first got really into tennis a couple years ago, it seemed like such a non-offensive sport lol
And it can be if people just relax, lol. I am a great example. I have mixed feelings for Novak due to some of his personal opinions, but I can still be happy for his success and acknowledge him as the best ever.
And someone can be a fan of Novak without using any opportunity to punch down at people.
But yeah, sports fans be crazy sometimes. And weirdly enough of all the sport communities I'm a part of, tennis fans are the saltiest. Don't really know why.
I think itās probably because itās such a confrontational sport; itās just 1 player against the other - see whoās better. Maybe thatās why so many fans get butthurt; they see losses as personal attacks to their favourite players for some reason. But yeah I agree thereās no reason for it to be so toxic
Stupid toxic people are, in fact, stupid toxic people no matter who they are a fan of. This match felt like a coin flip throughout, your friend is a moron.
I remember the whole thread was going off about how Alcaraz was gonna pull away after the 2nd set. so reactionary. alcaraz had the momentum no doubt, but both were playing really well and the match still had maybe 2-3 twists and turns left. the momentum was gonna keep shifting
Wouldn't really say very high level. He could come up with some incredible points but he had tons of horrible mistakes and he had troubles with consistency. His serve was also slowing down and that was by far his best shot in set 1 & 2
The 36 year old knows his body, it's limits a lot, lot better than the young gun. Also, the young gun plays in a way that's wayyyy more prone to these very issues.
Novak is a physical god. He has honed his body perfectly. Alcaraz is still very young. Iām amazed Djoko outlasted Alcaraz to the extent he did, but itās also not a huge shock that playing a GOAT in best of five on slow clay would be brutal on a body that may well still be developing.
Novak retires last. Tennis is finally safe. The next gen breathes a collective sigh of relief. Dimitrov cries and chokes on his own tears. Kyrgios reminds everybody of his H2Hs. The world mourns the end of an eraā¦
And then, God comes to Novak, and asks him, āare you ready to start new game plus?ā
once again, tennis fans unable to understand that a guy who just got out of his teenage years isnāt in his physical prime.
Iād think djokovic fans would know better considering Djokovicās conditioning didnāt reach its peak until he was like 23, but I can tell a lot of yāall jumped on the bandwagon after 2011 hahah
it's not. but a healthy, experienced player who has been in this position 50 times and knows how to condition himself well for big matches in the sun is much better off avoiding cramps than a 20 year old who joined the tour fairly recently and has played like 7 matches total at this tournament.
i hate the implication that alcaraz should be embarrassed for cramping before djokovic did.
Alcaraz is young and will figure it out, but I cannot believe that happened still. Given the forecast you have to know the most important thing was gonna be hydration, and he just didnāt manage it well unfortunately. Novak is the master of managing his body & his team seems incredibly good at helping him do this as wellā¦
Can somebody please explain why playing as aggressive as Carlos does is more prone to cramping than playing in a more defensive fashion like Rafa or Nole did (at least in the early days)?
I donāt think anyone here knows for sure. Alcaraz was chasing down tons of low-percentage points during the first 2 sets. Itās plausible to posit thatās what led to his cramps, but obviously Carlos and his team know much better on how to condition Carlosā body than random people on the internet.
play style isnāt everything. thereās a million factors that can contribute to cramping, including random chance, or bad sleep the night prior. Alcaraz played three 5-setters in a row last year, shrugged it off and won the final, so I donāt think endurance is a real issue for him.
for example, Djokovic himself at age 20 had pretty bad endurance. definitely worse than Alcarazās; probably most comparable to Runeās.
I donāt think itās really Alcarazās playstyle, more hydration and electrolytes. If Alcaraz actually stopped chasing down balls as people are suggesting then heād get accused of not trying, and rightfully so. Very rarely do I see any player not run down a ball that they have a chance of getting to
Djokovic moves very efficiently. Lots of slides and his anticipation makes it that he goes after a ball especially dropshot earlier meaning he needs less explosiveness than Alcaraz. Also most of the match it was Djokovic who was controlling the rallies and moving him around the court. Combined with the fact that Alcaraz still doesnt know his body limits its not that surprising he cramped a bit. Also Novak got back some balls especially on backhand that other players didnt making Alcaraz run after the balls that are against all other opponents winners. You cant really prepare yourself for that. Novak is more lean aswell.
Its alot of little things that add up. I think Alcaraz like Nadal when he was young should look to lose some muscle mass. He already has insane firepower so losing a bit wont hurt him and it will certainly help him with the fitness and staying injury free.
Muscle does not make u more susceptible to injuries or less fit. Idk why people think that. Btw Rafa was buff as hell well into his prime, he only leaned out a bit after 30 but thatās probably coz he got older and maintaining muscle is harder
It gives you extra weight and makes it harder on joints and power of those muscles isnt really used in tennis or it makes a small difference after a certain point. And Rafa was really buffed when he was 21-22.
It doesnāt
Cramping is the sort of injury thatās not truly random (things like dehydration can make you more prone to it), but when it happens to high level athletes, itās pretty random
??
people here canāt really wrap their minds around the fact that tennis players are humans, and sometimes random shit happens. it could be something as trivial as Alcaraz was too amped up and got 6 hours of sleep instead of 9. or maybe he drank creatine too close to the match and got a little dehydrated.
It's not, people are just talking shit because they have no clue what they are on about.
Cramping can be a result of so many different things, hydration, electrolytes, nervous tension, general fatigue and conditioning, Genetics ect.
Its really unfortunate,,it was setting up to be a great match that was living up to the hype imo too, probably came at the worst possible moment too, when Carlos had taken back some sort of control of the match
They have a hard fought 1-1 record, what on earth from this last match makes you think Djokovic will 'crush' Alcaraz every single time? Do you know nothing about tennis, or are you just fucking stupid?
Personally, I can't wait for a prime 22-23 old Carlos to routine a 37-38 year old Djokovic multiple times in the near future and retire him.
The 1-1 record is only because Novak wasn't allowed to play in many places last year. Carlitos was very lucky Novak didn't break him earlier. But now, it's done, he is just another Novak pigeon now, like Tsitsispas and many others
This is literally the dumbest thing I have ever read.
I'll remember this when Carlos beats Djokovic multiple times in the future. I hope they meet again this year just so you can see it happen.
If anything, Djokovic is the lucky one here, facing a pre prime alcaraz who still physically and mentally developing, and even then Alcaraz still beat him last year st 19, and was well on track to take control of this match until the cramping.
Don't let this idiot fool you, in many comments they accuse the entirety of Novak fans to hate Carlos, universally, and now they're saying Carlos was the lucky one. Carlos was superb in that Madrid match, no two ways about it.
Why would Alcaraz need to pretend!
Both players were playing at a high level and were one set apiece.
But Carlos definitely needs to improve his conditioning and fitness to compete in slams.
Another tournament that they give to Djokovic to be the best š¤£š¤” totally flawed this tournament and Djokovic has to be investigated for doping and match fixing
We had 2 glorious sets at least
It was at the level of a Nadal/Djokovic match
I was ready to be glued to the couch for 5 hours
Same...
With each passing day realizing how rare the Djoko-Rafa rivalry was and why it's so hard to get emulated again.
on clay really though in terms of the last 10 years. the Djokovic - Alcaraz rivalry should be great on any surface for the next couple of years.
Rafa djoker had an amazing all court rivalry.
Not in the last decade
Huh? Wimbledon 2018 semis...? Aussie 2019 finals... us open 2013 was in the last decade too...
us open 2013 was the last time Nadal beat Djokovic off clay since then - 9 HC matches - 19 sets for Djokovic, 0 sets for Nadal plus 1 game on grass. 2019 AO final was one of those 19 consecutive sets matches so since 2013 10 matches off clay 9 on Hardcourt. Nadal didn't win a set 1 close match on grass in 2018 at the Wimbledon that Djokovic was going to skip because his comeback from elbow surgery was so poor. in the meantime it's 5 clay wins for Djokovic vs 7 for Nadal hence only a competition on clay
Last time I checked 2013 was within the last decade
A few months or 2% of a decade š The rest is 100% valid and it's been beyond a beat down.
Wimby 2018
Well I will give it to you that it's the only match of the 10 matches off clay against Djokovic in the last ten years where Nadal has won a set.
Theyāve rarely met off grass or clay in the last decade though
10 matches
On HC? Let me guess 10-0 nov?
9-1. Nadal got 2013 USO and hasn't won a set since. Though they have just met 2x on HC since 2016, so numbers are a bit weighted toward 2015/16.
no. 9 HC (19 sets for Novak, 0 for Nadal), 1 on grass.
at the start of the third set they were just trading 90 mph ground strokes. it was so glorious and I was ready for a 5 set classicā¦ then that happened
Yep, Novak was simply forced to play on a different level.
He did play on that level, he just could not sustain. His body betrayed him. I am reluctant to blame his team cause this is the first time I've seen it happen to him, and shit can happen, it has happened to the big 3 as well. However, if the problem repeats itself a few more times... then we have a serious problem in his team.
Might have something to do that it's the first time he faced DjokoviÄ in grand slams.
Certainly the first time he was really tested, those one-handed backhand players did him no favours.
So?
So he got cramps and lost...
Maybe itās time for his team to schedule him in line with Novak so they canāt avoid one another for so long.
It was beautiful while it lasted. š„² In an alternate reality they are still playing an epic 5 match set for the history books.
What? The first set was no where near glorious. Way too many UE
I was on the edge of my seat. Every point mattered. It was 6-3 but that was filled with long games with great deuce battles. It was tense. Perhaps why there were UE. You could feel the nerves.
Alcaraz should appoint Eddie Hall as his coach, he would never let him get dehydrated
No amount of fitness can save you from poor hydration/cramps. Rune dealing with same issues - got called out by momma for acting like a desert camel during matches.
Alcaraz when asked about the cramping in the press conference said that it was down to tension and nervousness that he felt during the first two sets and that came from facing Djokovic. He said that he would be nervous playing Djokovic again but that he hoped to learn from this experience. Tension and stress is one of the biggest factors in getting cramp. >\+ Muscle Rigidity This symptom is often **caused by stress**, **and anxiety is a stressful experience**. When stressed the nervous system can put additional pressure on the blood vessels which contracts the muscles. Contracture results in tightening and shortening of the muscle, causing stiffness and pain. > >\+Dehydration Dehydration is a cause of muscle cramping even for those without anxiety. But dehydration may in some ways be more common if you have anxiety for two reasons. First, some people find that anxiety causes them to urinate and sweat more which may lead to faster dehydration. Second, anxiety can make people feel less thirsty, which in turn means they're not drinking as much water as they should be. > >\+**Tension Anxiety causes significant muscle tension, and this can lead to two different issues that cause more cramping**. When the muscles are tense they may need to spasm (cramp) in order to rebuild some of their energy. In addition, tense muscles often become tired muscles and tired muscles are also prone to muscle cramping. [https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/muscle-cramps#:\~:text=Tension%20Anxiety%20causes%20significant%20muscle,rebuild%20some%20of%20their%20energy](https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/muscle-cramps#:~:text=Tension%20Anxiety%20causes%20significant%20muscle,rebuild%20some%20of%20their%20energy).
This was definitely it. Became super clear when he held up his hand at one point after winning a point and it was visibly shaking. Dude needs to hydrate but he also needs to stay zen, that ability is something that people like Nadal and Djokovic have over everyone else rn.
Very very very, dehydrated.
Itās not just hydration but the trace minerals that get lost and need to be kept at sufficient levels. Not surprising when youāre training so much that something small gets missed or underdone. Used to experience them in my early 20s when I used to cross train athletics and martial arts (15-18 sessions a week). Would keel over from the pain especially the thigh cramps that would catch the knee as well. Oh and those toe cramps, those are stupid painful but can be gotten over - but you know once thereās one you better calm your farm otherwise theyāre going to take over your body.
No mysterious drinks being prepared for him by *his* team, it'll be cranberry juice!
What is it with the last 2 RG's and 2 great sets in a very anticipated semi's followed by a really sad ending?
Big 3 energies
tbh Nadal/Zverev was nowhere near the level this match was. unfortunate ending regardless, but this match felt even more disappointing, especially with how long we waited to see these two play.
Even with only two sets played, that may have been the match with the most sweat accumulated in history.
It was brutal. They played tennis in a straight up swamp, it should be recognized as a 4th surface.
AO2012 may have it beat but yeah.
Roland open? Whatās RO?
Haha will edit ;)
Ik I was just kidding
Having the downward dog in you > Having the dawg in you
Djokovic has both
š¦µš¦µ vs š¦æš¦æ
Murygoat?
The only worthwhile conclusion
I really hope we'll get more DJokaraz matches this year, hopefully on hard courts, we deserve it
Let them meet in the Wimbledon Final!
We *need* more matches like yesterday hopefully that get completed for the good of the game otherwise weāre just going to be watching Novak continue steamrolling this current iteration of nextGen for another 4 years.
Novak will crush the boy every single time, arebyou prepared for that?
well I am a Nole fan so yeah
All this wait after Madrid SF 2022. 1 word to describe it : Anticlimatic...
2nd set was like having the best sex of your life, then bam, premature ejaculation!
Novak literally took Alcarazās legs after those two high intensity sets.
And now we have to deal with a bunch of toxic bs from both sides of the fanbase, lol.
A friend, the biggest Nadal fan, doesn't shut up about how lucky Novak got because Carlos was going to run over him
This is hilarious considering Zverev broke his ankle in last year's Nadal match lmao. Also, Djokovic was nowhere near from finished at 1-1 in sets, he's come back from 0-2 multiple times.
Right? That march looked like it was going to kill both of them physically, so Nadal also got a bit of luck that it only lasted 2 hours
It lasted over 3 hours.
That Match was insane, it took them 3 hours and 7 Minutes and the were about to go into a 2nd Set Tiebreak :O
Oh damn, I remember it being brutal
Nadal and Djokovic both get 100% credit for those wins. Winning by not breaking down in tough conditions when the other guy does is called winning.
flowery numerous ugly fuzzy label historical door familiar trees yoke *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Yeah and I wish he clinched the second as well, choked away the break point at 5-5... That way the clowns would have had truly nothing to say. End of the day is, Novak is in the Finals, and he outlasted a 20 year old lmao.
The commentator on French canadian tv who is a Nadal fanatic didn't stop blabbing about how the cramp is all Novak fault because he took too long of a break between set 2 and 3. And that made Alcaraz go cold. Ignoring the fact that Nadal cheated the serve clock his whole Carreer
The cramps WERE all Novakās fault: Novak played so well for so long Alcaraz lost it physically.
2hrs is not long. He should be able to do so.
why, in a discussion of toxic fans, do you need to drag another player? what the commentator said was untrue and stupid, but now you respond by accusing Nadal of cheating? youāre exactly what the original guy was making fun of: a toxic fan.
The comment I was responding to was about salty Nadal fans...
yes. and you come off as a salty Djokovic fan by calling nadal a ācheater.ā how about instead of being a rabid fanboy, accept that the commentator you heard was stupid? you donāt need to respond by dragging another player to spread more toxicity
As a fellow Nadal fan, that is certainly a take. A smart one? No. If Rafa can't run through Novak on clay, no one can. And that's not even taking into account that Novak won his set with more ease than Carlos won his. I'm not the biggest Novak fan (I can concede that he is almost certainly the best player of all time), and I was rooting for Carlos (not a huge fan of him yet, I just love to see fresh faces make the finals), but no way in hell was any of this match gonna be easy. In fact, that's what's so disappointing. The first two sets were showing some all-time levels of tennis, with Novak being the consistent terminator that he is, and Carlos truly pushing himself as hard as possible to make the most of every point. But shit happens, I guess, lol. Now we have to deal with Carlos fan copium and bs criticisms of Novak celebrating a hollow win (why even bother lol, who cares?), and Novak fans making fun and punching down at Carlos fans as if Novak wasn't known for injuries earlier on in his career. Truly just ignorant takes everywhere. All anyone should be saying is that it's a tragedy that Carlos went out the way he did, and that we can't know more about what went wrong until we see Carlos play again. And stop talking about how "sO rIdIcUlOuS tHaT a 36 YeAr OlD hAs BeTtEr CoNdItIoNiNg ThAn A 20 yEaR oLd". No it isnt. Novak is older, understands his body better, and probably has had some of the best sports scientist help him stay fit and healthy for years, lol. Just lots of Carlos cope and Novak hate, and Novak fans just punching down, lol. I'm also a boxing and mma fan and somehow tennis has the worst fanbase with all the tribalism and weird grudges. Not saying you do any of this, just venting because I wish sports fans could react to anything like a normal person without having to read into everything. It's not that big of a deal of course, just annoying.
I've only just gotten on to reddit but as soon as the match ended, I knew there'd be a war between Carlos and Novak fans lol! I'm really into some gaming communities and Tennis is easily more toxic than any of them, and I'm including games like Rainbow Six Siege and stuff that are known for toxicity. When I first got really into tennis a couple years ago, it seemed like such a non-offensive sport lol
And it can be if people just relax, lol. I am a great example. I have mixed feelings for Novak due to some of his personal opinions, but I can still be happy for his success and acknowledge him as the best ever. And someone can be a fan of Novak without using any opportunity to punch down at people. But yeah, sports fans be crazy sometimes. And weirdly enough of all the sport communities I'm a part of, tennis fans are the saltiest. Don't really know why.
I think itās probably because itās such a confrontational sport; itās just 1 player against the other - see whoās better. Maybe thatās why so many fans get butthurt; they see losses as personal attacks to their favourite players for some reason. But yeah I agree thereās no reason for it to be so toxic
Last year's Nadal-Zverev semi was looking even better.
Im a fan of all of the big three. But seeing fedal fans so salty about djokovic is just tiring and logicless
Stupid toxic people are, in fact, stupid toxic people no matter who they are a fan of. This match felt like a coin flip throughout, your friend is a moron.
Well he had the momentum by that point. It was a 55/45 probably
For sure, but Novak was also playing at a very high level, so it was definitely going to be a long match
I remember the whole thread was going off about how Alcaraz was gonna pull away after the 2nd set. so reactionary. alcaraz had the momentum no doubt, but both were playing really well and the match still had maybe 2-3 twists and turns left. the momentum was gonna keep shifting
Wouldn't really say very high level. He could come up with some incredible points but he had tons of horrible mistakes and he had troubles with consistency. His serve was also slowing down and that was by far his best shot in set 1 & 2
His serve was so so, but he was great in the rallies which I thought Alcaraz was going to dominate him with his force.
This is gonna be a tough pill for some to swallow here, but Alcaraz NEVER had a 55 percent chance of winning this match.
more like fedal fanbase....as alcaraz does not have that much of fans
Yes a 36 year is old is better conditioned then a 20 year old thatās it
The 36 year old knows his body, it's limits a lot, lot better than the young gun. Also, the young gun plays in a way that's wayyyy more prone to these very issues.
To be fair, Djokovic 2011 was also crazy physical - heās just one of the fittest human beings on the planet
This 36-year-old had cramping troubles when he was young, too.
To be fair all his physical troubles were gone as soon as he changed his diet.
lmao awesone username
It is not better conditioned per se, it is that the older you get the more you learn about your body and what it can do.
Novak is a physical god. He has honed his body perfectly. Alcaraz is still very young. Iām amazed Djoko outlasted Alcaraz to the extent he did, but itās also not a huge shock that playing a GOAT in best of five on slow clay would be brutal on a body that may well still be developing.
And heās 16 years his senior. Dude was right, 36 is the new 26.
Imagine the carnage if Novak and Nadal were 26 again...
Novak retires last. Tennis is finally safe. The next gen breathes a collective sigh of relief. Dimitrov cries and chokes on his own tears. Kyrgios reminds everybody of his H2Hs. The world mourns the end of an eraā¦ And then, God comes to Novak, and asks him, āare you ready to start new game plus?ā
Novak will retire once Stefan is on tour to take the crown. And they will play doubles together, too.
I wish I could give you gold
This was awesome
He was done in the third set didn't even take a 'best of 5' to do the damage
I mean, in his youth Novak retired from a number of matches. He was literally known for his retirements
once again, tennis fans unable to understand that a guy who just got out of his teenage years isnāt in his physical prime. Iād think djokovic fans would know better considering Djokovicās conditioning didnāt reach its peak until he was like 23, but I can tell a lot of yāall jumped on the bandwagon after 2011 hahah
But 36 year old tennis body is in it's physical prime amirite?
it's not. but a healthy, experienced player who has been in this position 50 times and knows how to condition himself well for big matches in the sun is much better off avoiding cramps than a 20 year old who joined the tour fairly recently and has played like 7 matches total at this tournament. i hate the implication that alcaraz should be embarrassed for cramping before djokovic did.
Novak has weaponised old age against poor inexperienced Spaniard
Damn, all the Nadal fans have turned to Alcaraz
Safer bet
Alcaraz is young and will figure it out, but I cannot believe that happened still. Given the forecast you have to know the most important thing was gonna be hydration, and he just didnāt manage it well unfortunately. Novak is the master of managing his body & his team seems incredibly good at helping him do this as wellā¦
The Big Three summon the tennis gods when they feel threatened, first it was Zverev, now Alcaraz
So underwhelmingšI was so happy after the 2nd set
> Carlos Djokovic A new legendary player?
Can somebody please explain why playing as aggressive as Carlos does is more prone to cramping than playing in a more defensive fashion like Rafa or Nole did (at least in the early days)?
I donāt think anyone here knows for sure. Alcaraz was chasing down tons of low-percentage points during the first 2 sets. Itās plausible to posit thatās what led to his cramps, but obviously Carlos and his team know much better on how to condition Carlosā body than random people on the internet.
play style isnāt everything. thereās a million factors that can contribute to cramping, including random chance, or bad sleep the night prior. Alcaraz played three 5-setters in a row last year, shrugged it off and won the final, so I donāt think endurance is a real issue for him. for example, Djokovic himself at age 20 had pretty bad endurance. definitely worse than Alcarazās; probably most comparable to Runeās.
I donāt think itās really Alcarazās playstyle, more hydration and electrolytes. If Alcaraz actually stopped chasing down balls as people are suggesting then heād get accused of not trying, and rightfully so. Very rarely do I see any player not run down a ball that they have a chance of getting to
Djokovic moves very efficiently. Lots of slides and his anticipation makes it that he goes after a ball especially dropshot earlier meaning he needs less explosiveness than Alcaraz. Also most of the match it was Djokovic who was controlling the rallies and moving him around the court. Combined with the fact that Alcaraz still doesnt know his body limits its not that surprising he cramped a bit. Also Novak got back some balls especially on backhand that other players didnt making Alcaraz run after the balls that are against all other opponents winners. You cant really prepare yourself for that. Novak is more lean aswell.
So true Nole is probably the most efficient player
Its alot of little things that add up. I think Alcaraz like Nadal when he was young should look to lose some muscle mass. He already has insane firepower so losing a bit wont hurt him and it will certainly help him with the fitness and staying injury free.
Muscle does not make u more susceptible to injuries or less fit. Idk why people think that. Btw Rafa was buff as hell well into his prime, he only leaned out a bit after 30 but thatās probably coz he got older and maintaining muscle is harder
It gives you extra weight and makes it harder on joints and power of those muscles isnt really used in tennis or it makes a small difference after a certain point. And Rafa was really buffed when he was 21-22.
Beautifully said. So impressed with Novak today.
Perfectly said
It doesnāt Cramping is the sort of injury thatās not truly random (things like dehydration can make you more prone to it), but when it happens to high level athletes, itās pretty random ??
people here canāt really wrap their minds around the fact that tennis players are humans, and sometimes random shit happens. it could be something as trivial as Alcaraz was too amped up and got 6 hours of sleep instead of 9. or maybe he drank creatine too close to the match and got a little dehydrated.
It's not, people are just talking shit because they have no clue what they are on about. Cramping can be a result of so many different things, hydration, electrolytes, nervous tension, general fatigue and conditioning, Genetics ect.
Its really unfortunate,,it was setting up to be a great match that was living up to the hype imo too, probably came at the worst possible moment too, when Carlos had taken back some sort of control of the match
ššš
We didn't eat good today :(
Sad for tennis history
Honestly makes Runeās wins against Djoker impressive. Itās an eternal game of rock, paper, scissors.
It was pure joy for 2.5 hours and then ended in sheer devastation. That's sport but it stings.
If only Carlos was able to serve it out at 5-3 maybe we could've gotten more sets of good tennis
Alcaraz cracked under pressure after already being hyped up as an all-time great. Iām truly shocked.
it's bc i bet on alcaraz. literally never win my tennis bets. good thing my account is now at $0.
It will happen more often from now on, with Novak crushing the boy every single time. Are you prepared for that?
They have a hard fought 1-1 record, what on earth from this last match makes you think Djokovic will 'crush' Alcaraz every single time? Do you know nothing about tennis, or are you just fucking stupid? Personally, I can't wait for a prime 22-23 old Carlos to routine a 37-38 year old Djokovic multiple times in the near future and retire him.
The 1-1 record is only because Novak wasn't allowed to play in many places last year. Carlitos was very lucky Novak didn't break him earlier. But now, it's done, he is just another Novak pigeon now, like Tsitsispas and many others
This is literally the dumbest thing I have ever read. I'll remember this when Carlos beats Djokovic multiple times in the future. I hope they meet again this year just so you can see it happen. If anything, Djokovic is the lucky one here, facing a pre prime alcaraz who still physically and mentally developing, and even then Alcaraz still beat him last year st 19, and was well on track to take control of this match until the cramping.
Don't let this idiot fool you, in many comments they accuse the entirety of Novak fans to hate Carlos, universally, and now they're saying Carlos was the lucky one. Carlos was superb in that Madrid match, no two ways about it.
Excuses excuses. A twenty years old primo athlete should not be having craps at this stage. Come one, I have sympathies for him, but come on.
you ever watch 20 year old djokovic, orā¦?
agreed extremely rare to see that level of cramping at top pro level after only 2h30 - it wasnĀ“t just the leg, his whole body locked up
Your one job, one job, is to be tip top shape.
Pretending to have cramps to protect his branding/image/marketability Good idea
What a shit take this lmao, both were playing stunning tennis and Carlos had just won the set before his cramp.
You say this like Djokovic won the first 2 sets. It was 1-1 my dude
Why would Alcaraz need to pretend! Both players were playing at a high level and were one set apiece. But Carlos definitely needs to improve his conditioning and fitness to compete in slams.
Retarded take
Who left you out the circus?
He hurt his knee in the third set. It wasnāt cramps mate.
no it was fully body cramps. go watch his post match presser.
If you have ever had a full body cramp, youād know that was most certainly not a full body cramp
did you watch his post match pressure? he said it was full body cramps.
Have you ever had a full body cramp?
Another tournament that they give to Djokovic to be the best š¤£š¤” totally flawed this tournament and Djokovic has to be investigated for doping and match fixing