Each member of the "Big Four" today is an all-round player, but Djokovic is especially good on the hard courts. well.She has been serving well, and that always is a sign that she is feeling good about her game.It is also wonderful to see Garbine Muguruza doing well.Clearly, the collaboration with Conchita Martinez is paying rich dividends for the Spaniard," Becker opined. His overall record on grass is very impressive, and he is definitely one of the best players in the world on this surface. 5, Milos Raonic at No. Because Federer has four more finals to look forward to, its simple to see why hes favorite. Having only lost in one Roland Garros tournament and being the all-time Masters Series title holder, largely due to his clay dominance, are just a couple of things that stand out for the Spaniard. Even though he plays football, he is not particularly skilled at grass. Djokovic's grass court record is WAY better than his actual grass court game. I tried to follow my tactics and do what I had to do to win. In their 59 previous meetings, they have played 27 matches on hard courts, with Djokovic winning 207, 28 on clay, and Nadal winning 208, with the last four coming on grass, where they are both tied 2-2 The grand slams are an international tennis tournament. Because you can really just get a guy who is going to serve good this day and you have to win the tie-breaks. 04 Mar 2023 11:08AM (Updated: 04 Mar 2023 11:08AM) Novak Djokovic suffered his first loss of the season in Friday's semi-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev at the Dubai Tennis Championships but he . According to him, Novak Djokovic has the potential to win the 2022 Wimbledon title. "As predicted, Novak Djokovic is really looking good. I believe that claiming that Nadal is simply too overwhelming is an incorrect statement. Points need to be built strategically, its tough to hit a direct winner, and long rallies are quite common. Despite growing up on clay, it is not surprising that Serb Novak Djokovic is much better on hard courts than on clay in the four Grand Slam tournaments. Roger Federer in the last four grand slams: Lew put down whatever you are smoking and watch a replay of AO 2016 -SF. He started coaching Maria Sharapova (though she quickly fired him) and previously worked with Andy Roddick to try to incorporate his aggressive mentality and style into the games of those top stars. READ MORE: Novak Djokovic leads early favourites for the French Open. The Moscow tennis player also took revenge from the blow he suffered at the Australian Open at the beginning of the year. Lew is trying to find some trend using last 6 years data, and than some "cleaver" poster shows up with one year results as prove that he is wrong And he thinks that he is so smart and funny with his low level sarcasm Well, just an average thinking Maestronian No its hard court and always will be. But I want to play on grass, I want to play Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic has finally given some positive news regarding his participation in the ATP tour. The Ball Must Bounce Within The Confines Of The Court To Be Considered In, The Perfect String Tension For Your Tennis Game, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: A French Professional Tennis Player, How To Wear Tennis Shoes With A Button Shirt, How To Feed Your Tennis Ball-loving YouTube Addiction. From the historical Wimbledon grass to more modern concrete courts to legendary Roland-Garros clay, today we focus on these different tennis court surfaces. He never beat Murray, never beat peak or prime Federer, never beat two of the Big-4 in the same tournament, never won Halle or Queens, and at his peak lost to Federer and Murray. This surface consists of a rubber court cover and is essentially used for practice. In an interview with Spanish media outlet Dairio de Mallorca, Medvedev predicted that Novak Djokovic will be regarded as one of the greatest grass-court players of all time. Daniil Medvedev won an ATP Tour-leading four titles on the surface this season, as well as emerging victorious in a Tour-best 46 matches. In terms of clay court performances at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic is the better clay court player than Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Nadal. Flying below radar has served. On hard courts, where he has been the more dominant player in the last few years, he has a winning percentage of 77%. Some of the pre-tournament events include the Aegon Championships and the Aegon International. Djokovic has a very powerful and aggressive game that allows him to take control of points and dictate play. Currently ranked at No 8, Nadal will exit the top 10 on March 20 for the first. But his coaching ability may not prove to be so great simply because the way he took to the hard courts and attacked in matches is not entirely teachable. I have no grudge against Australians." He was an incredible attacking player, beat people with his status and attitude, won many hard-court matches and continued to play well into his older years. Murray and Tommy Haas have a winning record against Joker on grass. Many players have come and gone in the sport of tennis, but it seems some legends' records will never be beaten. Djokovic's best surface is undoubtedly hard court. A few years ago, as a child, I was dreaming of winning Wimbledon, so like every child, you dream of doing something crazy when you actually achieve it if you do and that was one of the things you did. 6. This is because Djokovic is an extremely quick and agile player, and he is able to take advantage of the pace of the ball on these types of courts. While it might not look like much, it is the highest number of matches Nadal has lost on his favorite surface to a single player. He did, however, lose on hard courts, but he retains the number one ranking on both surfaces. Novak Djokovic is widely regarded as the favorite to win Wimbledon, but world number one Daniil Medvedev believes he is the greatest ever on the grass courts. Marian Vajda is a Slovak who is well-known as a professional tennis coach and former player. Djokovic was around but couldn't compete with either of them. This season on grass, Novak Djokovic has won eight titles, seven at Wimbledon and one at Eastbourne. This tennis court surface requires specific training, physical condition, and skillset. Meaningless stat. Djokovic was seen hitting some shots and having some laughs with the fan in Belgrade. "Some players like the hype and pressure and perform better with it, whereas others prefer to go under the radar more." This list comprises the most dominant players on every surface and is largely based on the FedEx Reliability Zone. Nadal is not the only player that will be remembered for being dominant on clay (see the next slide), but he is certainly the greatest ever player on that surface. So whether you're looking to learn more about the sport or just stay up-to-date on the latest news, we've got you covered. Price: Clay courts are cheaper to construct. I answered well. If not for COVID 2020, Novak Djokovic would have won at least seven Wimbledon titles by now. "Incredible mover on all the surfaces." Djokovic is having his weakest year re both games and points on all surface this year since 2010 with the exception of 2017, for obvious reasons, and 2018, which was a bizarre year. Post Views: 11,653. Djokovics best surface is undoubtedly hard court. After going 7-0 at this year's Wimbledon, Novak's grass court record is now (slightly) better than this hard court record. Maybe Querrey and Istomin could debate this topic in a bar. Despite notching another win on clay, Nadal is still the top-ranked player on both surfaces. In the last decade grass seems to be the best surface to play the baseline game where you can trade shots and be safe. Think it says he is amazing on all of them. He is also no slouch on hard courts, in addition to Federer. Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a sparkling start to 2023, but his first defeat against Daniil Medvedev answered plenty of questions. Since then, he's won 6 AO and 3 USO. On indoor hardcourts, Roger Federer is in pole position with an 83.50% winning percentage record. His game is entirely suited for the surfacehis heavy forehand breaks down fellow-baseliners and his retrieval skills make the court seem small for competitors. Flying below radar has served Simona Halep well. Novak Djokovic is determined to become the greatest player of all time on grass. I didn't want to give him too much time. Overall, he has a great work ethic. These are techniques that have helped me throughout my career. He has won 16 of his 17 titles on hard courts and is yet to earn a title on clay. Roger Federer has won more Grand Slam titles than any other male tennis player, making him the most successful tennis player of all time. Djokovic, one of the most high-profile athletes unvaccinated against Covid-19, said he is still waiting for an outcome having applied for special permission to enter the United States, where. But Your login session has expired. Since the year 2000, I have made the semi-finals of Wimbledon 11 times. Bjorn Borg was similar to Nadalhe was quick, knew how to get out of tough situations and did not miss balls. Their head-to-head record was 730 when Nadal retired from the French Open in 2016, citing a left wrist injury. The tournament is held at the Nadal Tennis Centre in Madrid. 15-0 on hard in 2023. What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Lets dig into the characteristics of this surface. How To Choose The Right Tennis Racquet Length, The Importance Of Keeping Your Tennis Shoes In Good Condition. If you make a statement that sounds wrong to me, you are stupid. And with the sport being unique, in that there are several court surfaces, it makes the game even more challenging and difficult to shine. Novak Djokovic is set for a blockbuster clash with Daniil Medvedev in Dubai on Friday. The slower the hard court the better, as he has won a multitude of ATP1000 titles. Because of the speed of the ball on the grass court, players have very little time to react because the ball rarely bounces. Federer - whose worst surface is clay 4. Novaks traditional grass court game is very poor. ", Novak Djokovic passes Rafael Nadal, matches Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal admits: 'I had a major breakdown', Stefanos Tsitsipas shocked by the train tragedy in Greece, Miami TD James Blake compares 'incredible story' Emma Raducanu to Maria Sharapova, ATP Dubai: Novak Djokovic falls to Daniil Medvedev and suffers first loss, Novak Djokovic on 2019 Wimbledon final: Statistically, Roger Federer was better, Maria Sharapova on how to build strong brand: Be smart with people you align with, Rafael Nadal: 'I'm doing my best, but we need patience'. The stats reveal that Novak Djokovic had the best wining percentage on grass, even better than Roger Federer, who has an Open Era record 19 grasscourt titles. Medvedev faces Djokovic in the hard court Dubai Tennis Championships semi-final on Friday evening. I dont know what their decision is going to be. He hopes to be able to turn out at Wimbledon this year after being barred from the 2022 event. Players are unable to defend themselves, which is why Roger Federer has such a strong point. 1. Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to retain the womens crown in Paris. I sincerely hope that this article helped clarify the differences between these types of tennis courts. Despite the fact that he has an advantage on hard courts, he has fared well on clay, grass, and indoor hard courts, giving him a good chance against anyone. The question actually make sense and is worth asking. Djokovic has won four Wimbledon titles and has reached the final six times, including five consecutive years from 2014 to 2018. Is Novak Djokovic the best clay court player ever? Die-hard Murray fan but nothing against Novak (except when he plays Murray of course). Still, they and their achievements deserve recognition. The former World No 1 believes that it only takes coming up against a player serving well to see a player forced into winning tiebreaks to stay in a match. Within hours of the defeat, the Serb had turned his attention to the next task at hand -- beating his arch-rival Rafael Nadal on clay. According to the Wimbledon runner-up, Djokovic is also the best mover across all surfaces. Not just that, but he was also an immaculate athlete on the indoor courts. The ball keeps coming back from all corners of the court." All about the most admired couples in tennis, Be the first one to comment on this story. The 20-time Grand Slam champion will also compete in the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup finals, while his presence at the Australian Open 2022 is uncertain (due to the well-known vaccination requirement). I wouldn't say grass is Djokovic's best surface, but he's playing in a time where it almost enhances his play style and together with the way he improved his serve after 2010, plus some clutch performances, he has been very successful indeed. Overall, he is fine, this is the best surface for him. The Polish #1 is one of the best in the world on this surface and he has looked the part this week, defeating Pavel Kotov 7-6, 6-1 in his opening match. March 3, 2023 Daniil Medvedev insists that he cannot fathom how Novak Djokovic manages to win so many matches on grass. Medvedev is amazed at the way that Djokovic always seems to find a way to earn a break even against the biggest and best serves in the game. Novak Djokovic might be the only player in the Open Era to be in the top 5 list of players on every surface (hardcourt, grass, clay); he has redefined what it means to be versatile. Even though big serves lose their advantage and this surface is quite forgiving, some players, notoriously known as offensive, have won the French Grand Slam tournament. Djokovic described Medvedev on Thursday as a player whose "quality is as tough as it gets" on hard courts - 16 of his 17 titles have come on that surface - and the Russian acknowledges he . If Djokovic wins tomorrow, he would have 5 Wimbledons and 10 hardcourt Slams, which would be the same considering there are twice as many hardcourt Slams. Fewer injuries: Lowest impact on the body. :lol: The best claycourters around are: 1. Throughout tennis history, some winning streaks and dominant performances have defined a particular age or generation. Since the start of the year, Federer has won 11 of 16 clay court matches, including a dominant victory over Stan Wawrinka at the French Open. I like grass but its a very tough surface, its a little bit tougher than hard courts, and thats where I think Novak is amazing winning so many grass-court tournaments, he told Eurosport. Peoples opinions would change if grass had a three-month season. Ash Barty stormed into her maiden Australian Open semi-final with an emphatic 7-6(6) 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova that avenged her defeat to the hard-hitting Czech in last year's quarter-final at Melbourne Park. I try to take advantage of that time to hydrate myself, dry my sweat and breathe. But even if/when Djokovic wins another Slam on hard, he will only be the greatest in 1 surface out of 3: hard courts. Novak Djokovics dominance on hard courts is well known, but Roger Federers on clay courts is less well known. Some surfaces confound them. At Wimbledon, the pair will almost certainly meet again. Anyone who has seen them play on grass knows Fed has a superior game. Can you imagine the difference it would make on a 150Mph John Isner serve? Meanwhile, in Australia, they use a material called Plexicushion, which is a bit slower. Despite winning five Grand Slam titles, including four on hard courts and one on grass, he has never advanced past the semifinals in Paris. Therefore, it is not surprising that Djokovic is favored to win on grass courts. Andy Murray comes in at No. ", Novak Djokovic passes Rafael Nadal, matches Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal admits: 'I had a major breakdown', Stefanos Tsitsipas shocked by the train tragedy in Greece, Miami TD James Blake compares 'incredible story' Emma Raducanu to Maria Sharapova, ATP Dubai: Novak Djokovic falls to Daniil Medvedev and suffers first loss, Novak Djokovic on 2019 Wimbledon final: Statistically, Roger Federer was better, Maria Sharapova on how to build strong brand: Be smart with people you align with, Rafael Nadal: 'I'm doing my best, but we need patience'. There are however some tournaments still being held on carpet courts such as the Tournoi de Qubec. Novaks traditional grass court game is extremely poor. Defensive players and those who like to play from the baseline are often the ones that strive on clay courts. "It is strange, obviously." One shot is all it takes sometimes to end the point with a winner on the fast surfaces. After various speculations, the 34-year-old from Belgrade has announced that he will be at the starting line of the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy. The material used in the construction of hard courts in the United States is called Decoturf and is usually green or blue. Murray - whose worst surface is clay I mean, when the biggest contenders at the French Open have clay as their worst surface, that says everything. Speaking at his press conference after the 4-6, 4-6 loss, the 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed his plans for the coming days, stating that he was still waiting to hear whether he would be able to play in the upcoming Sunshine Double in the United States. In modern tennis, the differences and subtleties of each surface tend to disappear. He also did not have the best fitness regime, so he tried to get the points over as quickly as possible. He also has a very impressive record at the All England Club. He went on to explain how it is a little custom, saying in 2018 that it is a tradition. Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. The main one resides in the fact that its a very demanding surface for players articulations. Grass Courts (minimum 5 matches) According to Vajda, even though it ached to be in the opposing box, they both still maintain a good relationship both on and off the court. As a result, Djokovic has an unfair advantage. We stay in touch, communicate and send messages to each other. If he wins tomorrow, he'll have 5 Wimbledons. 3 on this list, with Rafael Nadal not making the top 10 due to the minimum cut-off of 50 matches being used. Still give the edge to hardcourts. My performance was really satisfying. Point construction: Clay courts are the best surface to learn how to construct a point properly. "There are a lot of great athletes, but I would need to say, Novak (when asked to name the best mover)," added the Italian. Daniil Medvedev says that Novak Djokovics grass court game is unmatched. Novak Djokovic leads early favourites for the French Open. I don't like it, honestly, I feel too much pressure.". This is likely due to the fact that Federer has never won a Grand Slam on clay in over a decade. The Italian began by suggesting that "being in the spotlight" is not something you can avoid as a tennis player. The greatest natural grass court player of all time cannot be a modern tennis player. Djokovic, as a result, has a quick reaction time and can change directions without waiting for a response. He snuck in a win here and there but still never took #1 or really challenged their dominance. Because of its slippery surface, he probably prefers to play on the hard court. Fast courts were definitely Sampras' friends, as his quick style of play and phenomenal serve-and-volley were dependent on them. He has won Wimbledon three times and is the current world No. Only thing standing in his way, and a couple others, is clay thanks to Rafa. Durability: The longest-lasting of the tennis court surfaces. - TheChampLair.com. In pics: When actress Srabanti Chatterjee stole hearts with her charm, Shah Rukh Khan, Dileep, Selena Gomez: When crazy fans trespassed into celeb homes, Steal-worthy saree collection of Meera Anil. That's what we can call good answer, real arguments about topic You must be Novak's fan, eventually Murray's? Serb Novak Djokovic holds a winning percentage of 87.4% on clay courts, making him the best player in the world. What adjustments to your game do you need to make? "I just saw a little bit of his first round match because we had practice at a similar time. How To Choose The Right Tennis Racquet Length, The Importance Of Keeping Your Tennis Shoes In Good Condition. According to the Wimbledon runner-up, Djokovic is also the best mover across all surfaces. Berrettini believes that while some struggle under media scrutiny, others thrive on it. Acrylic-topped, this surface offers the most consistent ball bounce of all the outdoor tennis courts. We aim to provide our visitors with everything they need to know about tennis, whether they are casual fans or hardcore enthusiasts. What Is The Optimal Weight For A Tennis Racket? Why would anyone care about Gonzalez and Santoro losses when the last meetings were over 10 years ago, and when he has played Karlovic only once in the last 11 years? In addition to 19 titles on grass at Halle, eight at Wimbledon, and one at Stuttgart, he has won nine on grass at other events. Terms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy. Murray has die hard fans? Jimmy Connors was, in a way, the Federer of his time. Now, the four-time Wimbledon champ is threatening Roger Federer's claim as the world's best player on the surface. Who has won more, Roger Federer 11 or Daniele Lindley 9? Despite his impressive track record on grass courts, the Swiss star has an 87.4% winning percentage, but Novak Djokovic has more experience on this surface. Your login session has expired. One of the many advantages to building clay courts is that its an eco-friendly surface. Grass courts. This rivalry is as close as it gets between these two teams. Novak Djokovic was a flawless 18-0 in January and February, going 6-0 during Serbia's triumph at the inaugural ATP Cup, 7-0 en route to his 17th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and 5-0 . I think he has a good draw. If he played more Queens-halle he would loose there quite a few times, clay would be a better surface for him. Rafael Nadal has achieved more on clay than I may be able to list in this slide (no pun intended). 'Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic went over the edge,' says Patrick Mouratoglou, Novak Djokovic counts to 1250 and moves closer to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic: Probably no Serbia Open in 2024, Ion Tiriac wants his licence back, ATP Acapulco: Taro Daniel scores first top-10 win despite beating Novak Djokovic, ATP Dubai: Lorenzo Sonego keeps Rafael Nadal in top-10, Dominic Thiem: I'm constantly thinking of a life beyond tennis, Novak Djokovic joins Roger Federer, Pete Sampras on exclusive list. As Novak has always had to fight through more to win, it's not his natural surface. What Is The Optimal Weight For A Tennis Racket? My intensity is always the same in every game. Sometimes you don't even have a minute. John McEnroe is the all-time king of carpet courts. But he has also won major titles on all the surfaces and even an Olympic Gold in Bejing 2008. Hard courts are cost-efficient as they are cheaper to build and require close to no maintenance. The Serb has won 27 Grand Slams on hard courts and 11 on clay, making him the only player in history to complete the Career Golden Masters by winning all nine of them. He is lucky to win so many over the weak field n slow surface , in 90s and early 20s he would have been smoked, Novak entered his prime in 2011 (as evidenced by his winning 3 slams and 5 masters before somebody says that 'prime' doesn't exist). Novak Djokovic, who has won 60 of his 81 career titles on hardcourts, had an 88.38% winning percentage on the surface during the 10-year time-frame, followed by Federer and then Nadal. Daniil's misstep at Indian Wells guaranteed Nole the almost mathematical certainty of ending 2021 at the top of the ATP ranking. Johnny Mac was an icon for American tennis and had the reputation as a "bad boy," but his successful career will be remembered for many decades to come. While the Spaniard is yet to hit his stride this season, he has been a beast on clay for almost two decades, winning the French Open a record 14 times -- 12 times more than Djokovic. He is only ahead of Roger Federer (%27192922) in victories, with 84.48%. They were the Big Two, Fedal, the greatest rivalry yet in tennis history and the greatest players the sport had ever seen. Nole is one of the best tennis players in the world and he has proved it time and time again. He has been playing flawless tennis and looks very very unbeatable on his favourite surface. 2011-2020 best winning % indoorFederer 83.50Djokovic 82.50del Potro 79.27Murray 76.56Nadal 75.47Nishikori 72.04Tsonga 71.01Medvedev 70.00Berdych 68.27Monfils 67.59Min 50 matches, How did Novak Djokovic meet Jelena Ristic? Growing up, Novak Djokovic never played on grass courts. 2011-2020: best winning % on clayNadal 90.98Djokovic 84.62Murray 75.96Thiem 74.87Ferrer 73.91Zverev 70.00Nishikori 69.85Wawrinka 69.23Almagro 67.63Berdych 66.10Min 100 matches. He has won five Grand Slam titles on hard courts, as opposed to one on clay and one on a hard court, and has never lost a semi-final at the French Open on a hard court. The French Open has been dominated by such players, especially in the open era. With his biggest priority of the year - winning the Australian Open - out of the way, the World No. Grass: Federer, Djokovic, Nadal Once again, the player at the top of this surface is clear; Federer's seven Wimbledon titles make it pretty obvious that he is the best grass-courter right now. The Italian has faced Novak three times this year, being defeated respectively at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. Furthermore, he is catching up to two other grass court greats, Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl. Roger Federer's hard-court and grass-court career records stand by the top of the indices. These injuries are caused by the lack of flexibility and softness of this surface. "I would say either Novak Djokovic or Daniil Medvedev (are like a backboard)," Matteo Berrettini said. This is crazy news. Fed, who was in his mid 30s when he won his first title at the age of 17, didnt get past the second round until he was 33. Together, they utterly dominated for several years. However, many experts believe that Djokovic plays best on faster courts such as hard courts and indoor courts. Even players who are not particularly talented (such as Nick Kyrgios) dont care about grass, and its the worst surface for them all. Grass, Clay, Carpet, and Hard courts (seriously guys, we just covered this). Fewer mistakes: Make the judge's job easier thanks to the marks left by the ball. Novak Djokovic faced his first loss of the 2023 season on Friday, falling to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. This surface is rather fast and quite popular in Asia, they are the closest thing there is to grass and are a good surface to practice on. He is followed by Novak Djokovic at 82.50%, while Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal round off the top 5. Since the last two years, Clay has choked in Rhode Island. If green clay is considered grass, it is. He did not have a great end to 2019, so it is particularly satisfying that he has flown below the radar and kept his cool," Becker wrote. High maintenance: Requires a lot of brushing, watering, and rolling. It would be best to learn how to build your points and avoid unforced errors at all costs. The Spanish player has won an outstanding number of titles on this surface, including 11 French Open, and reached an incredible streak of 81 consecutive wins on clay.