Novak has several factors on his side. 1. He has been backed into a corner by the ATP, the media and the fans. Djokovic is at his most dangerous when the world is against him. 2. He has yet to be beaten in 2020, and he has won the Rome Masters. So he is very confident. 3. The weather will be cold and wet. This favors Djokovic as well. Still, Nadal is the favorite because he is just so good on clay. I hope Djokovic wins his 18th major at Roland Garros. Talk about redemption after the way he was disqualified from the US Open.
Great points - fatigue may be an issue for Novak as he went the distance with long matches at Cincy and Rome, as well as playing at the US Open. Rafa might be a little more fresh with only a few matches played recently, and much less travel done
I hope Djokovic is able to do it. Like you say, there are factors this year that are different--cooler conditions, Thiem in Nadals half and Noles unbeaten 2020. That being said, Djokovic did not play great by any means to get his titles post the Aussie Open. He will have to play better if he is to beat Nadal or Thiem on clay. Nadal is still no doubt the favorite.
Thank you for this video Tahmed. Rafa is the favourire but i think the weather conditions are better for the Djoker this time. The draw is in my opinion better for the Djoker this time. I hope for a final Djokovic vs. Nadal.
Thank you Tahmid, great preview. Novak has a great draw, last year Thiem was on his half, now on Rafa's. So that's fair :) Rafa is the favorite of course, but this time, more on tradition then on actual form and results of this year. Thiem is strong, but it is yet to see how he will play on clay after his first major win. Novak has the best chances this year, and after US, who knows... It will be very special if he wins it, having won at least two of all Slams.
Brilliant analysis and very fair points as always, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Glad to have you on the channel and I like the point you made about Rafa being favourite on traditional than form or results this year. Can't wait to see how it all unfold!
Novak Djokovic is on a mission. And he has a nice draw. Nole for the win! And thank you very much for the break down of the draw. It was quite informative, just like your last one.
You are really underrated brother... I know of other channels(won't name) talking of Tennis...but honestly your analysis is so logical and neutral. Personally, I love your channel the most 👍♥️ And obviously you are so.... down-to-earth. I forgot to tell
Wow thank you so much for the very kind words brother really appreciate it :) glad to have you here and hopefully you will continue to enjoy the content!
Means a lot my friend thank you very much, I'm just glad to be able to share with fellow tennis fans like yourself! Happy to have you on the channel :)
Djokovic is the favourite to win now. He has an absolute dream draw. He has players on his side of the draw tiring themselves out in Hamburg right now, Most notably Tsitsipas playing tomorrow and possibly Sunday. The weather and roof favour Novak. And now with Thiem and Nadal saying that the new Wilson ball is slow and heavy and doesn’t suit their games at all, that tips the scale for me. Also, how tired they will be by the time one of them gets to Novak. Also, Zverev is not to be underestimated. He was up a break in the final set in I believe it was Rome in wet conditions. He hits the ball flat and hard. He has a chance to really stretch Rafa to 4 or even 5 sets in these slow and cold conditions.
Djokovic's draw is "Not great not terrible".I mean there are still good players in his side of the draw - Tsitsipas, RBA, Medvedev, Lajovic, Krajinovic, Berrettini, Rublev, Shapovalov, Dimitrov.
Amazing draw for Novak, unreal. I initially thought Agut would be hard in the quarters but then I saw he never reached the last 8 at the FO, clay is weakest surface and Novak has won all 4 matches vs. him on clay (10:2 in sets). Doubt Medvedev or Tsitsipas make the semi there, my money is on Shapovalov. Nadal's draw is decent as well, although nothing is really a hard draw for him at the FO lol. Thiem's draw is frankly a nightmare! One more thing: 8:7 to Rafa on clay since 2011 or rather after that epic Madrid final in 2009. Wouldn't mind ending the renewed rivalry's decade on clay with it being 8:8 on clay and 2:2 in FO finals 😜
Brilliantly put thank you for sharing your thoughts, very well said! The bit about no draw is tough for Rafa at FO is so true LOL! And great fact about Novak turning the tide on clay in the past decade, let's hope for a final between the two this year! Novak has never beaten Rafa in FO final and this may be his best chance yet
The long awaited video for the RG Tahmid, thank you for all the effort you put into it, heavily appreciated ! Let the action begin at Sunday, and lets all sit back and enjoy it ! My points about the draw : - Obviously toughest draw among the first 3 seeds goes to #3 seed, Dominic Thiem. I am very curious to see how he will react to his recent big success at the USO, both physically and emotionally. If he manages to face Nadal at the Semis as he is projected, i really want to see how much of an improvement he has to bring up to the table (first losing to Rafa at straight sets at RG, then getting a set at last year's final, lets see what he can do this year) ! - #2 seed Rafael Nadal, for me he is still the big favourite for the tournament, with an ok draw, you can never write him off from RG, this is his territory, 93-2, 12-0 at finals, you cant deny he is the best clay court player who have ever picked up the racket. Although this year, it will be way way different for him as he is used to, due to the all factors you mentioned, and finally he has Thiem on his half of the draw, so if he wants to lift his 13th RG, he wants some real champion's mentality and also performance to overcome both Thiem and Djokovic ! - #1 seed Novak Djokovic, he got the easiest draw of them 3 en route to the final. Really his best chance winning RG again after his only victory at 2016. Maybe he isnt on his best form (as he said himself he didnt play his best tennis at Rome in general, just when it mattered the most) but i think that he will raise his level of play up to the circumstances, its big stage now, Slam event, plus none of his projected opponents know how to beat him on clay ! - Last but not least, and i dont want to jinx it, if we get to witness the final we all dream off, Rafa vs Novak, this will be a real piece of history to the "debate". From one hand, Nadal for the 100 wins on RG, 13th RG title (undefeated in finals if he emerges victorious) and also tying Federer on 20 Slam titles ! And on the other hand, Djokovic, the only man to have ever dethrone Nadal from an RG final (also stopping him from adding to his tally and tying Federer too), the only man (in the open era) who will have won at least twice every Slam title (Double Grand Slam) and also the only one man in history of the sport to have at the same time the Double Grand Slam and the Double Golden Masters, also his 18th Slam title ! They will be a lot at stack ! May the best man win this RG !
Wow you need to get your own TV show that was a brilliant bit of analysis! More hyped for the tournament now haha great stuff.. The Rafa Novak final would be EPIC with so much history at stake
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Thanks for the kind words mate but i really dont have time for that kind of things haha. I am just sitting back enjoying and supporting your work, so thats enough :) Really cant wait for this final to happen !
Tahmid Saleh I would say total grand slams is 85- 90% of the debate. You can then include the other factors such as the overall body of work, win%, Yec’s, number 1 weeks, masters, etc. but yes it’s pretty much all about grand slams with a sprinkle of the other factors i mentioned. As long as there is a solid body of work in the other factors,( all 3 greats have solid numbers in most of the other non grand slam related results) )the total grand slam count is the decider. Its the super bowl of tennis.
Another great preview Tahmid! Although I think you may have hyped up Rafa's draw a little: 1) you didn't mention Fognini's double ankle surgery a few months ago, and he is no where near the level he was when he last beat Rafa yet 2) Zverev has been playing well recently but historically has never been a threat at RG - has only made the QF twice and has never made a semi 3) Thiem has been brilliant on fast courts (2nd only to Novak) in the past 12 months, but I don't think it translates to clay. Thiem's run at Rio this year wasn't good at all and he hasn't played a match on clay since. Yes he's a grand slam winner with 2 finals this year, as well as a Masters 1000 winner and WTF finalist - but they are ALL on hard courts. Rafa won't face Fognini, Zverev or Thiem. He is most likely to play Sinner then Schwartzman (if he reaches the semis) All in all as they are laid out right now Novak and Rafa's runs seem pretty even. But they're very unlikely to end up like that anyway, so I think we have some interesting matchups to come
Very good points made and thank you for sharing! I mean even with the draws for both, I'd be very surprised if we didn't get a Novak Rafa final, I think nadals draw just becomes that bit more tricky with Thiem being in his half and I think Djokovic will be very happy to have avoided him. Let's hope for the Rafa Novak final here after 6 long years
Love that RG merch you're wearing Tahmid 🙂 I think Thiem could probably fall before reaching Semis, he's got quite a tough draw. My take is that it's gonna be a Rafaole final, and I hope Rafa wins (which isn't for sure this year considering his form & conditions this year) Tsitsipas and Krajinovic have faced each other at last year's RG, with Tsitsipas edging Filip in a tight 4 setter. It would be interesting to see whether this time Filip gets past him. Little correction at 14:03: Rafa & Thiem have faced each other 4 times at Roland Garros in 2014, 2017, 2018 & 2019. Thiem has managed to win one set in those 4 matches against Rafa (in 2019 Finals), rest were all straight sets victory for El Matador.
Brilliant analysis my friend and brilliant spot about Rafa playing Thiem in 2014! You're going to take my job soon haha! Always a pleasure to hear from you, what do you make of the draw and routes for Novak and Rafa?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum You're a bigger tennis nerd than I am Tahmid, so your job is safe my friend no worries there lol 😉 I think Rafa might struggle against few opponents (Fabio, Thiem, Zverev) dropping a set or two, but he'll get through. Actually it might help Rafa if he faces them as he'll have to raise his level, which will eventually benefit him if he faces Nole in the finals. Otherwise, if Rafa's potential tough opponents get knocked out before he faces them (leaving a much easier path to finals), it might harm him in the finals (like in AO 2019 final where he didn't drop a set till finals & lost in straights to Nole). However, on the flip side Rafa may get worn out & exhausted if he's pushed to tight 4 or 5 setters, leaving him with little to no fuel for the finals, although it's highly unlikely. Novak on the other hand should make it comfortably to the finals. Even though he won Rome Masters, I believe his level wasn't there as he would like it to be. This is his best opportunity to seal Double career Grand Slam, and there's no better way to do it by dethroning the King of Clay at his own backyard. Being a fan of Rafa Nadal, I hope this doesn't happen. But truth be told, the chances of this happening is quite good.
And after what happened in New York, there will be a fire to win like we’ve never seen before from Novak, He will be ready this year for Rafa. No question.
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum I would say because of the conditions, he is the favorite for me against Nadal. But not against Wawrinka or Thiem, if they were to be in the finals instead. It's all about matchups and conditions. Wawrinka has zero fear against Djokovic in a best of 5 set match. He is also able to hit his backhand down the line more consistently against Novak than Thiem is able to do. The only time Thiem kept his Backhand down the line consistent throughout the whole match was in London last year in the Nitto ATP Finals, which he said was the match of his life. But he couldn't repeat it in Australia. I saw Nadals first match yesterday and he just couldn't hit through the court the same way in these conditions. The good thing is Wawrinka and Thiem could meet in the fourth round, so only one can get to the last 8. Of course I have huge respect for Nadal here, but I just feel in my gut that Thiem and Wawrinka are more dangerous against Novak in these conditions. Also, since the default incident, I'm not getting my hopes up with Novak. It's one match at a time. Everything in his draw is going right at the moment. Hubert has already lost and was the only one that had the firepower to trouble Djokovic in Round 3. So his path just got easier. Medvedev is also out, and is a player that is always draining for Djokovic to play. Rublev and Tsitsipas would be really tired by the time they got to Djokovic because of going all the way in Hamburg. So the most dangerous guy for Djokovic to play in the Semi finals would be Shapovolov. But he has Simon in the first round. That could be a really tricky match in these conditions.
The dream finale Djokovic vs Nadal Djokovic in 4 tight sets ... I remember 2012 final djokovic was turning the table at the end just before the match was postponed It was a bit rainy and heavy conditions, djokovic was just cruising
I have a feeling Thiem will win the FO. I want Nadal to win, but he seems to struggle with his form during that time of year. I think the US Open win gives Thiem lots of confidence and motivation.
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Yes. I believe he can. Thiem has won 4 matches against Djokovic, one of which took place just last year, at the FO semi-final. He has also won 5 against Nadal. So, it's not a matter of "can," but WILL he do it. Lots of people didn't believe Del Potro would've beaten both Nadal and Federer, to win the 2009 US Open. But he did. Thiem is a very good clay court player. And like I said, I think he will be very confident and motivated heading into the FO, now that he is a GS champion and understands that he can be a contender for the year end #1 ranking. Now, beating Nadal at the FO is a monumental task, of course. But again, the temperatures during this time of the year don't favor him. But as a Nadal fan, I would really love to see him win and reach his 100th victory at a single tournament (and more importantly, achieve his 20th GS title). We'll see how it goes. Keep up the good works.
Its the best chance for Novak djokovic to take 2nd French open title, with conditions, weather and draw all in his favor, which didn't happen since long at Roland Garros Therefore Novak should focus on his mission and try to achieve this honor which will also establish him winner in GOAT race. Great opportunity beckons
@THE TERMINATOR True. So you can say that the big three are still dominating in their 30s is not because they haven't declined but because there arent any great young players today.
Nice sweat shirt. Agree with most if not all of your assessment. Novak did luck out with the draw. Nevertheless results tend to be different than predictions. Like you said Thiem is still on a high from his victory at the us open. I don’t remember Dominic following up a big victory with another big victory in the past. Rafa was not ready for a tough challenge in Rome. Hopefully that loss in Rome to Diego woke Rafa up a bit. Novak seems to be in the 2015 mode. That was the year where he ended up with almost 17,000 points. It was the year he beat Rafa at Roland Garros. In Rafa’s defense 2015 was his worst year as a pro. I believe that Rafa had his most losses in a calander year in 2015. It was the only year where Rafa played all 4 majors and didn’t win one. Novak has to be the favorite even with Rafa’s amazing history at Roland Garros. You’re a big hit with the Novak crowd right now. They loved your previous video. Keep up the great work young man. PS - Andy will not make it past the first round. Sorry about that.
Unfortunately I agree with you about Andy. Such a shame him and Stan meet in the first round as I wanted to see both go relatively far this tournament! And yeah haha Novak fans loving the stats right now, not sure if it's my presentation or just simply Novak being on top! :') You need to get some of your Rafa fans on the channel, where are they all! I agree with your analysis and very fair comments, probably Novaks best chance to win here in years but if course as you said, nothing goes as predicted. Who would've ever guessed what would unfold at the US Open so yeah.. Very excited to watch it unfold! Thank you as always for sharing your wise words my friend :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Novak is on top again where he has been for most of the last decade. Therefore, the statistics also favor him now as well as for the last ten years.
Djokovic of course got an easy draw to finals and avoiding Thiem in the semi is very huge as Thiem is a favorite against Djoko on clay in the last couple of years. But what i find interesting is that Djokovic was quick to point out the changes/conditions this year and how this would affect Rafa and how lot of players have the game under these conditions to take out Rafa early in the tournament. Feel these are mind games being played by Djoko to plant doubts in Rafa mind. And rafa replying back that these balls are dangerous for the elbow (Djokovic had a recent elbow surgery) is classic! Theim proved in the past that he can get thru the field at french without much prior warm up tourney success so more than the tough draw we need to see how he handles the fact that he already won a major just couple of weeks back. I feel it is going to be hard for Theim to focus on this tourney being a first time major winner. So we might not even get to see a semi between Rafa and Theim assuming Rafa makes it to semi. Regarding Djokovic his chances are brighter after the draw and dont really see any player posing a threat to him unless Tstsipas miraculously gets into form until the finals. One thing to note though, Djokovic primarily relies on using opponents pace and doesnt generate much power from his own strokes, so the more slower conditions this year will only increase the ave rally duration for him. So 4 weeks of almost continuous play must have bought some fatigue and i just feel he will be massively tested physically in this tourney. Finally to Rafa, yes there is going to less bounce compared to prior years, wilson balls are heavier and will harder to hit thru, yes we might have few indoor matches due to the rainy season. But remember Rafa didnt win all the 93 matches in hot/dry sunny weather, there are more than a handful of matches he won under overcast heavy conditions. And the higher bounce on his forehand isnt the only edge that Rafa has over Theim or Djoko on clay. He has a stellar defense on clay, better physical strength and most importantly a lethal flat backhand that can substitute for the lack of high bounce this year. As long as Rafa bring himself to form in the initial rounds, i wouldnt worry too much about him facing Theim/Djoko later as the pressure will be on the other end. My prediction is Theim will not reach Semi, most likely it will be Diego vs Rafa in the semi with Rafa winning and a final between Djoko and Rafa with Rafa edging Djoko in the finals. Come the finals on Sunday no one is going to be talking about the slow conditions or the heavy ball as they will not make such a huge difference at the end as people claim to be. You just have to play better on clutch points, defend well and fewer unforced errors to win on clay!
But with the court being very slow it will be difficult for Novak to hit winners and aces against Nadal or any of his opponents. As I predicted in his Diego match Novak will be making a lot of dropshots at the F.O. he doesn't want to play a lot of long rallies anymore.
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 true, i agree, clay already neutralizes big serves to some extent and with much slower conditions it will be a tad harder to ace opponents. Anyways Rafa has always been a great returner second only to Djokovic's return of serve, so he should be fine one way or the other. On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how Djokovic return of serve will be impacted by heavier ball, i feel it will make it harder to take big swipes on the return which has been Djokovic's moneyshot. Drop shots are a good option to have in the arsenal and djokovic has been playing a lot of drop shots since the past one year. But in my opinion, it should only be used as an element of surprise during a rally or if the opponent is too far back in the court or if the opponent is not known to be a good mover (like Cilic, DelPotro) Too many drop shots will make it easier for the opponent to read it and anticipate it. Much worse drop shots are easier to get to on clay compared to other surfaces. (a drop shot on grass will be the most effective as there is hardly any bounce). So i feel this strategy of drop shots if used a lot will backfire for Djokovic. Lets see, just hoping for an excellent tournament with some classic matches whoever ends up winning it.
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Given Nadal's performance recently and him practicing with Thiem, I expect Nadal to go through to face Djokovic. The new Wilson balls have more bounce and from what I hear Nadal doesn't like them, and given the time of year, I see Djokovic winning his second RG so unlucky 13 for Nadal which could possibly be his last given it hasn't been that long ago he was out of action. Djokovic's serve has improved from 2019 when he goes for an ace on his second serve but I attribute that to Goran coming on board. I do see the 310 mark being rewritten next year.
Hello Tahmid 👋😊 Great video, nice analysis. I actually don't think it's such an easy draw for Novak, I would point out RBA as the huge hurdle along the way, I would even trade this draw for Rafa's (till the semis ofcourse) I think Dominic has the hardest draw by far, but he should handle that... Rafa is a huge question here! When you say RG you mean Rafa Nadal, there's no question about it, but Rafa showed some signs of not being "the killer" as we all used him to be, and I don't mean just on his loss to Schwartzman last week. However, Rafa used to lose sometimes Rome, and Monte Carlo, Madrid as well, when everybody thought "ok, this is the chance for somebody else" and than he walks through the RG without losing a set BUT this is a whole different situation, Rafa didn't play tennis this year, he is not near his best form and he is in traditionally bad period in the year... Did he adjust his form properly, can he adopt to this new way of timing the form for the RG in October?? With all this said, Rafa is the boss here, this is his home, and everything depends on him. Still!
Thank you my friend and also great analysis from yourself! Very respectful and unbiased as always, this channel is lucky to have you.. I don't think RBA will be a big hurdle on clay and will be very surprised if Novak doesn't reach the final atleast.. But ofcourse anything can happen so let's see
The weather will be the main issue for Nadal.This is end of September and days are shorter than in late May/early June. Days are also much colder.That will affect Nadal and his spin. Those are good news for Novak and to add that Philippe Chatreir stadium has a roof since upcoming tournament. Majority of factors are going in Djokovic's favor + his confidence and a great season he's having so far (if we don't count that US Open incident).
I've been asked this a few times and the reason I don't do it is because whilst I watch women's tennis from time to time.. I don't follow it a lot and I don't think I'll be able to do it justice and make a quality video.. Also being a bit short for time I just try put all my efforts in men's tennis which I really follow a lot.. I'm sure there are great channels on RUclips talking about WTA.. Maybe in the future there'll be WTA content here but no plans right now my friend.. I'm sorry to dissapoint
Why are u not making frequent videos and analysis when the slams are on?? No round to round review, no post match analysis.. Eagerly wait for ur explanation, analysis and stat facts u share... should make more videos when the slams are on
Sorry my friend been really busy but I appreciate you waiting for some videos! I have a 2 part special coming out tomorrow which I hope you will enjoy :)
Great video....I have a question. Why are similarly ranked players like Evans#34 and Nishikori#35 playing in the 1st round? While in Isner's section 2 qualifiers are playing each other 1st round? This seems unfair to the accomplishment of the total rankings for each player. I'm seeing this more and more???
Great question! Only the top 32 players are seeded to not face one another until the 3rd round, the rest of the draw is random so anyone can face anyone.. Hope this answers your question :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum I remember Pete Sampras talking about this a long time ago. It might have been only 16 seeds then. I'm going to start a movement to seed top 64 in the slams. Are you with me???
Let me tell you about thiem....if he makes it to the semi’s he will beat Rafa because of the conditions and of course Rafa’s rustiness. On the hindside having gone through so much in his previous slam i dont expect Thiem to beat rafa and djokovic in back to back matches therefore i honestly feel like Novak is again the favourite to win and i might even stick my neck out (and get ready to be bashed by nadal fans) say by a decent margin.
Ryo Shusuke yes it going to be tough but if he does and its a big IF, given the conditions and the fact that it wont be a final i’d fancy him against Rafa this year.
Question on Rafa and Humidity: doesn't he do well with humidity ala the humid US Open. I thought I heard it said that ever since they put the roof on at the US Open, it's made conditions very humid and Rafa has done great in those conditions. 2017 onward he hasn't lost there. (Retired in 2018 semifinal).
I would disagree in the sense that Rafa has had very limited success in indoor tournaments and to my understanding the humidity takes away from the effect of top spin which Rafa is heavily reliant on. Ofcourse end if the day it is still clay and so Rafa will be a big favourite to go deep and perhaps still end up as champion
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Your refering to (non -humid) indoor fast court tournaments I think. It's the surface that neutralizes his spin in that sense no? So yes, to your 2nd point: This will be clay. I think his lack of preparation, his lack of recent match play will be his biggest concern.
Rafa can be in trouble this time. Different balls, different temperature, weather, humidity and a roof . Djokovic has a lot of chances to win this year ...
Tahmid Saleh Rafa just called this year’s event "the most difficult conditions for me ever at Roland Garros" for this same reasons. For sure the best chance to Novak since 2016. Thiem’s game as it’s similar to Rafa’s will be bothered with the changes as well and also he was a bit unlucky with the draw , so i’ll give the edge to Novak (55%)then Rafa (30%) and Thiem(15%).
Rafa's path path may require Nishikori 3 R, a Fognini 4 R, a Zverev or Goffin QF, a Thiem (SF) & Djokovic (F) showdowns. Undoubtedly his biggest challenge since 2008 when got through Verdasco, Djokovic and Federer. I'm feeling Novak with this one.
I enjoy your videos. I am biased, I want Novak to be the GOAT. It seems to be that you , the guy who records these Videos are too rooting for Novak. Am I right?
Tough times ahead for Dominic Theim if he is to be victorious at Roland Garros. I'm hoping he can do it but head says Novak Djokovic will be successful.
Honestly, the draw has been served on a platter for Novak. Out of form Khachanov, Tsitsipas; fast court specialists Berrettini, RBA, Medvedev. Rafa has a really tough draw. Fognini is the last player Rafa wants in his draw (although Fabio didn't look 100% in Hamburg) and Thiem is in his half as well. Thiem was bound to face either Novak or Rafa in the semis. He would have surely preferred Novak. The probability for win was Rafa > Thiem > Novak before the draw. It's a lot more even now. But I'll still bet on Rafa. After all, it's RG.
Brilliant analysis and very fair predictions! Thiem being in Rafas half definitely opens up the draw and I'd say Novaks best chance in years. What percentage would you give each of the top 3?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum If Thiem was in Novak's half, Rafa would have been 95%+. With this draw, Rafa is still about 60-65%. But we have to see how the courts play at this time of the year and in night sessions. The lesser the bounce, the more mortal Rafa will become. On low bouncing surface, Novak has as good a chance as Rafa, although the former was struggling to finish points in heavy conditions in Rome.
People forget to talk about the French Open now with a roof, for sure this will definitely in Novak's favor. Under a roof Novak will be very hard to beat and because he's the number one seed, they will play him in the main stadium under the roof.
Tahmid Saleh the roof, colder conditions, Djokovic is looking unbeatable, nadal has been off for 7 months and won 2 matches and lost 1 and the change of 🎾 this year.
Dominic Thiem, the leader of the next generation, the current third best player in the game, the current second best clay courter in the game had to win his first masters and grand slam both on Hard court... not his favorite surface Clay...that tells you how hard it is to Beat GOATdal on clay compared to Novak or Roger in their best surface 😂!!!! Why is there even a debate who the GOAT is? The players all say Rafa is the hardest to beat... end of discussion.
Wa vs murray isnt great anymore, wa in THREE. Cilic Is DONE Medvedev Is in real danger . NO1E must WIN this, now or never again. The easiest Is Nadal draw, thiem (if he reach the semi) will be WORN OUT!!! And zverev Is a COWARD. I would love see FOGNINI and casper against nadal
@@milostomic8539 It's the game...but look at my comment... If he is fit..... Rafa wasn't 100% when Novak beat him.... Very minor chances for anybody against Rafa in five setter on Clay....mind it.
Every year People try to hypesomeone not named Rafa, every year they say Rafa will finally lose, and every year Rafa is biting the trophy. Don’t be a chokosquirrel. Just say Rafa.
They haven’t faced each other in many years because RUNAWAYOVIC is scardovic of Rafa! Everyone knows Novak is better than Thiem and Marco ceccinato 😂!!! And Stan but when ever Rafa is going to beat him, crybabyovic suddenly gets “upset”... he is strategically trying to save the head to head. When ever he wins, it’s magically at the Aussie when Rafa has a leg issue or at Australia ATP cup after Rafa had a heat stroke... Rafa mans up and tries even on his worst surface in pain, but scardovic runs away like a Cowardovic!
Tahmid Saleh you bet I want that match! I’m sick of Novak running away from Rafa everywhere except his best surface. As long as Rafa is not injured I am confident he will win. This isn’t uso hard court, this isn’t grass with a roof, this isn’t the Aussie. This is red clay of Roland Garros.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I pray 🙏🏽Novak wins the french cus the way he was treated after the us open was absolutely unfair. He didn’t kill anyone and the media were shouting
Don't think too much over that incident my friend.. What's done is done
Novak has several factors on his side.
1. He has been backed into a corner by the ATP, the media and the fans. Djokovic is at his most dangerous when the world is against him.
2. He has yet to be beaten in 2020, and he has won the Rome Masters. So he is very confident.
3. The weather will be cold and wet. This favors Djokovic as well.
Still, Nadal is the favorite because he is just so good on clay. I hope Djokovic wins his 18th major at Roland Garros. Talk about redemption after the way he was disqualified from the US Open.
Great points - fatigue may be an issue for Novak as he went the distance with long matches at Cincy and Rome, as well as playing at the US Open. Rafa might be a little more fresh with only a few matches played recently, and much less travel done
Alex, I too hope Djokovic wins Roland Garros. I believe he will.
I hope Djokovic is able to do it. Like you say, there are factors this year that are different--cooler conditions, Thiem in Nadals half and Noles unbeaten 2020. That being said, Djokovic did not play great by any means to get his titles post the Aussie Open. He will have to play better if he is to beat Nadal or Thiem on clay. Nadal is still no doubt the favorite.
I hope Novak wins RG..
Brilliant points made thank you for sharing!
I found your channel a few days ago and I'm really enjoying in this content. Keep up the good work. Cheers
Great to hear my friend welcome to the channel and I hope you continue to enjoy the content! :)
When Tahmid arrives I make an appearance immediately to see his Analysis 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Wow really appreciate the support my friend! I hope I didn't dissapoint
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum superb again you never disappoint Tahmid :) waiting for your next video brother
Tahmid Legend i was refreshing youtube all day waiting for this video
Haha wow that's dedication! Respect to you my friend and glad to have such a big tennis fan on my channel! :) hope you enjoy it
Thank you for this video Tahmed.
Rafa is the favourire but i think the weather conditions are better for the Djoker this time.
The draw is in my opinion better for the Djoker this time.
I hope for a final Djokovic vs. Nadal.
Agreed on all points.
Great points made and always a pleasure to hear from you my friend. Let's enjoy Roland Garros together now!
So the conditions are responsible for the champion?
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 Yes, the weather conditions
One of the best tennis channels on RUclips mate, excited for the channel to grow!!
Wow very high compliments indeed I appreciate the support a lot thank you very much!
Thank you Tahmid, great preview. Novak has a great draw, last year Thiem was on his half, now on Rafa's. So that's fair :) Rafa is the favorite of course, but this time, more on tradition then on actual form and results of this year. Thiem is strong, but it is yet to see how he will play on clay after his first major win. Novak has the best chances this year, and after US, who knows... It will be very special if he wins it, having won at least two of all Slams.
Brilliant analysis and very fair points as always, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Glad to have you on the channel and I like the point you made about Rafa being favourite on traditional than form or results this year. Can't wait to see how it all unfold!
Novak Djokovic is on a mission. And he has a nice draw. Nole for the win! And thank you very much for the break down of the draw. It was quite informative, just like your last one.
Thank you very much for the kind words, glad to have you on the channel too! Novak is indeed a man on a mission
Love your videos tahmid especially the last one . Your videos are extremly informative
Thank you brother really appreciate the kind words! Glad to have you on the channel too and always a pleasure hearing back from you
Awesome to see you back!
Love the Tsitsipas abbreviature... makes me think of teaspoon teaspoon as in recipes 😂
Haha thank you and glad to hear from you aswell my friend! Not enough space for names like Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Shapovalov to fit in one line!
I really enjoy watching your videos, very informative! Keep it up! Best regards from Serbia! :D
Really glad to hear that! Thank yo u for the kind words and I hope you continue to enjoy the content, love to all my Serbian friends :)
You are really underrated brother...
I know of other channels(won't name) talking of Tennis...but honestly your analysis is so logical and neutral. Personally, I love your channel the most 👍♥️
And obviously you are so.... down-to-earth. I forgot to tell
Wow thank you so much for the very kind words brother really appreciate it :) glad to have you here and hopefully you will continue to enjoy the content!
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum brother....TRUTH always prevails
I love all you're stats and facts in you're videos. They are very in depth and interesting!! You make the videos fun to watch!! Good work man!!
Means a lot my friend thank you very much, I'm just glad to be able to share with fellow tennis fans like yourself! Happy to have you on the channel :)
Nice Hoodie....😁
I am huge fan of your channel....and will do my best to help it grow....
Haha thank you! Really appreciate the support, very glad to have you here my friend!
The pressure and world eyes will be on Djokovic...
...it will be cool to see how he responds. Hopefully it is with the cup!! 🏆
His best chance in years?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum: Looks that way...
....but one can never count their chickens!! 🤞
Great video Tahmid!
Thank you very much Aleksandar! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Absolutely Tahmid. If anyone deserves more subs it is you.
Thank you for always giving your support I appreciate it a lot!
This is great analysis. I only just found your channel and you are spot on with everything you say. Keep it up!
Thank you very much really appreciate it! Welcome to the channel and hope to hear more from you! :)
Djokovic is the favourite to win now. He has an absolute dream draw. He has players on his side of the draw tiring themselves out in Hamburg right now, Most notably Tsitsipas playing tomorrow and possibly Sunday. The weather and roof favour Novak. And now with Thiem and Nadal saying that the new Wilson ball is slow and heavy and doesn’t suit their games at all, that tips the scale for me. Also, how tired they will be by the time one of them gets to Novak. Also, Zverev is not to be underestimated. He was up a break in the final set in I believe it was Rome in wet conditions. He hits the ball flat and hard. He has a chance to really stretch Rafa to 4 or even 5 sets in these slow and cold conditions.
Djokovic's draw is "Not great not terrible".I mean there are still good players in his side of the draw - Tsitsipas, RBA, Medvedev, Lajovic, Krajinovic, Berrettini, Rublev, Shapovalov, Dimitrov.
Very good insight about the conditions! Thank you for sharing
Amazing draw for Novak, unreal. I initially thought Agut would be hard in the quarters but then I saw he never reached the last 8 at the FO, clay is weakest surface and Novak has won all 4 matches vs. him on clay (10:2 in sets). Doubt Medvedev or Tsitsipas make the semi there, my money is on Shapovalov. Nadal's draw is decent as well, although nothing is really a hard draw for him at the FO lol. Thiem's draw is frankly a nightmare!
One more thing: 8:7 to Rafa on clay since 2011 or rather after that epic Madrid final in 2009. Wouldn't mind ending the renewed rivalry's decade on clay with it being 8:8 on clay and 2:2 in FO finals 😜
Brilliantly put thank you for sharing your thoughts, very well said! The bit about no draw is tough for Rafa at FO is so true LOL! And great fact about Novak turning the tide on clay in the past decade, let's hope for a final between the two this year! Novak has never beaten Rafa in FO final and this may be his best chance yet
Saw u after so many months.. Great analysis
. Lots of love from India
Welcome back my friend! Thank you and love to my Indian friends :)
The long awaited video for the RG Tahmid, thank you for all the effort you put into it, heavily appreciated ! Let the action begin at Sunday, and lets all sit back and enjoy it ! My points about the draw :
- Obviously toughest draw among the first 3 seeds goes to #3 seed, Dominic Thiem. I am very curious to see how he will react to his recent big success at the USO, both physically and emotionally. If he manages to face Nadal at the Semis as he is projected, i really want to see how much of an improvement he has to bring up to the table (first losing to Rafa at straight sets at RG, then getting a set at last year's final, lets see what he can do this year) !
- #2 seed Rafael Nadal, for me he is still the big favourite for the tournament, with an ok draw, you can never write him off from RG, this is his territory, 93-2, 12-0 at finals, you cant deny he is the best clay court player who have ever picked up the racket. Although this year, it will be way way different for him as he is used to, due to the all factors you mentioned, and finally he has Thiem on his half of the draw, so if he wants to lift his 13th RG, he wants some real champion's mentality and also performance to overcome both Thiem and Djokovic !
- #1 seed Novak Djokovic, he got the easiest draw of them 3 en route to the final. Really his best chance winning RG again after his only victory at 2016. Maybe he isnt on his best form (as he said himself he didnt play his best tennis at Rome in general, just when it mattered the most) but i think that he will raise his level of play up to the circumstances, its big stage now, Slam event, plus none of his projected opponents know how to beat him on clay !
- Last but not least, and i dont want to jinx it, if we get to witness the final we all dream off, Rafa vs Novak, this will be a real piece of history to the "debate". From one hand, Nadal for the 100 wins on RG, 13th RG title (undefeated in finals if he emerges victorious) and also tying Federer on 20 Slam titles ! And on the other hand, Djokovic, the only man to have ever dethrone Nadal from an RG final (also stopping him from adding to his tally and tying Federer too), the only man (in the open era) who will have won at least twice every Slam title (Double Grand Slam) and also the only one man in history of the sport to have at the same time the Double Grand Slam and the Double Golden Masters, also his 18th Slam title ! They will be a lot at stack !
May the best man win this RG !
Wow you need to get your own TV show that was a brilliant bit of analysis! More hyped for the tournament now haha great stuff.. The Rafa Novak final would be EPIC with so much history at stake
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Thanks for the kind words mate but i really dont have time for that kind of things haha. I am just sitting back enjoying and supporting your work, so thats enough :) Really cant wait for this final to happen !
Many thanks for this videos!
Many thanks for watching it haha!
Goat is determined by grand slams. It will be a great tournament and should be a great race in 2021
Is it just how many slams you have though or do the other records mean much?
Tahmid Saleh I would say total grand slams is 85- 90% of the debate. You can then include the other factors such as the overall body of work, win%, Yec’s, number 1 weeks, masters, etc. but yes it’s pretty much all about grand slams with a sprinkle of the other factors i mentioned. As long as there is a solid body of work in the other factors,( all 3 greats have solid numbers in most of the other non grand slam related results) )the total grand slam count is the decider. Its the super bowl of tennis.
Amazing video 👍 thumbs up done soon your channel will be a blockbuster ❤️ Atb bro
Thank you so much for the kind words I appreciate it! Love to all my Indian brothers :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum thank you for your love towards India keep growing brother❤️❤️
great Video!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Another great preview Tahmid! Although I think you may have hyped up Rafa's draw a little:
1) you didn't mention Fognini's double ankle surgery a few months ago, and he is no where near the level he was when he last beat Rafa yet
2) Zverev has been playing well recently but historically has never been a threat at RG - has only made the QF twice and has never made a semi
3) Thiem has been brilliant on fast courts (2nd only to Novak) in the past 12 months, but I don't think it translates to clay. Thiem's run at Rio this year wasn't good at all and he hasn't played a match on clay since. Yes he's a grand slam winner with 2 finals this year, as well as a Masters 1000 winner and WTF finalist - but they are ALL on hard courts.
Rafa won't face Fognini, Zverev or Thiem. He is most likely to play Sinner then Schwartzman (if he reaches the semis)
All in all as they are laid out right now Novak and Rafa's runs seem pretty even. But they're very unlikely to end up like that anyway, so I think we have some interesting matchups to come
Very good points made and thank you for sharing! I mean even with the draws for both, I'd be very surprised if we didn't get a Novak Rafa final, I think nadals draw just becomes that bit more tricky with Thiem being in his half and I think Djokovic will be very happy to have avoided him. Let's hope for the Rafa Novak final here after 6 long years
Rafa will always be a strong favourite during Roland Garros
Hard to argue with that!
Love that RG merch you're wearing Tahmid 🙂
I think Thiem could probably fall before reaching Semis, he's got quite a tough draw. My take is that it's gonna be a Rafaole final, and I hope Rafa wins (which isn't for sure this year considering his form & conditions this year)
Tsitsipas and Krajinovic have faced each other at last year's RG, with Tsitsipas edging Filip in a tight 4 setter. It would be interesting to see whether this time Filip gets past him.
Little correction at 14:03:
Rafa & Thiem have faced each other 4 times at Roland Garros in 2014, 2017, 2018 & 2019. Thiem has managed to win one set in those 4 matches against Rafa (in 2019 Finals), rest were all straight sets victory for El Matador.
Brilliant analysis my friend and brilliant spot about Rafa playing Thiem in 2014! You're going to take my job soon haha! Always a pleasure to hear from you, what do you make of the draw and routes for Novak and Rafa?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum You're a bigger tennis nerd than I am Tahmid, so your job is safe my friend no worries there lol 😉
I think Rafa might struggle against few opponents (Fabio, Thiem, Zverev) dropping a set or two, but he'll get through. Actually it might help Rafa if he faces them as he'll have to raise his level, which will eventually benefit him if he faces Nole in the finals. Otherwise, if Rafa's potential tough opponents get knocked out before he faces them (leaving a much easier path to finals), it might harm him in the finals (like in AO 2019 final where he didn't drop a set till finals & lost in straights to Nole). However, on the flip side Rafa may get worn out & exhausted if he's pushed to tight 4 or 5 setters, leaving him with little to no fuel for the finals, although it's highly unlikely.
Novak on the other hand should make it comfortably to the finals. Even though he won Rome Masters, I believe his level wasn't there as he would like it to be. This is his best opportunity to seal Double career Grand Slam, and there's no better way to do it by dethroning the King of Clay at his own backyard. Being a fan of Rafa Nadal, I hope this doesn't happen. But truth be told, the chances of this happening is quite good.
@@tirthankarsarkar4206 wow I forgot you were a Rafa fan.. Very unbiased analysis
Last time they met destroyed their both of the careers will they regain the old form Murray vs Wawrinka.
Best 1st round match in a slam ever?
Maybe.
And after what happened in New York, there will be a fire to win like we’ve never seen before from Novak, He will be ready this year for Rafa. No question.
Should be very exciting! Is he the favourite for you?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum I would say because of the conditions, he is the favorite for me against Nadal. But not against Wawrinka or Thiem, if they were to be in the finals instead. It's all about matchups and conditions. Wawrinka has zero fear against Djokovic in a best of 5 set match. He is also able to hit his backhand down the line more consistently against Novak than Thiem is able to do. The only time Thiem kept his Backhand down the line consistent throughout the whole match was in London last year in the Nitto ATP Finals, which he said was the match of his life. But he couldn't repeat it in Australia. I saw Nadals first match yesterday and he just couldn't hit through the court the same way in these conditions. The good thing is Wawrinka and Thiem could meet in the fourth round, so only one can get to the last 8. Of course I have huge respect for Nadal here, but I just feel in my gut that Thiem and Wawrinka are more dangerous against Novak in these conditions. Also, since the default incident, I'm not getting my hopes up with Novak. It's one match at a time. Everything in his draw is going right at the moment. Hubert has already lost and was the only one that had the firepower to trouble Djokovic in Round 3. So his path just got easier. Medvedev is also out, and is a player that is always draining for Djokovic to play. Rublev and Tsitsipas would be really tired by the time they got to Djokovic because of going all the way in Hamburg. So the most dangerous guy for Djokovic to play in the Semi finals would be Shapovolov. But he has Simon in the first round. That could be a really tricky match in these conditions.
The dream finale
Djokovic vs Nadal
Djokovic in 4 tight sets ...
I remember 2012 final djokovic was turning the table at the end just before the match was postponed
It was a bit rainy and heavy conditions, djokovic was just cruising
The weather should definitely favour Novak this year, let's see if he can capitalise! Enjoy the tournament my friend :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum
Thank you very much @Tahmid
You 2 enjoy ...GS no:18 Djokovic
I have a feeling Thiem will win the FO. I want Nadal to win, but he seems to struggle with his form during that time of year. I think the US Open win gives Thiem lots of confidence and motivation.
Do you think he can beat Nadal and Djokovic back to back? Most likely this is what Thiem will have to achieve the RG win this year
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum
Yes. I believe he can. Thiem has won 4 matches against Djokovic, one of which took place just last year, at the FO semi-final. He has also won 5 against Nadal. So, it's not a matter of "can," but WILL he do it. Lots of people didn't believe Del Potro would've beaten both Nadal and Federer, to win the 2009 US Open. But he did. Thiem is a very good clay court player. And like I said, I think he will be very confident and motivated heading into the FO, now that he is a GS champion and understands that he can be a contender for the year end #1 ranking. Now, beating Nadal at the FO is a monumental task, of course. But again, the temperatures during this time of the year don't favor him. But as a Nadal fan, I would really love to see him win and reach his 100th victory at a single tournament (and more importantly, achieve his 20th GS title). We'll see how it goes. Keep up the good works.
Its the best chance for Novak djokovic to take 2nd French open title, with conditions, weather and draw all in his favor, which didn't happen since long at Roland Garros Therefore Novak should focus on his mission and try to achieve this honor which will also establish him winner in GOAT race. Great opportunity beckons
Winner of the GOAT race already? Even with 18 slams?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Not exactly now but in the future as 2nd French title is worth more than maybe 6 or 7 Wimbledon title
Djokovic
I see you're not a man of many words lol
Rafa
If Novak wins he’d have to be goat winning every slam at least twice each
Will be a massive achievement for sure
So if someone won each slam 3x for 12 slams they would be the GOAT over Federer who has 20?
@THE TERMINATOR I know but lets say in 25 years from now some superstar wins each slam 4x for 16 slams. would you rank that player equal to Nadal ?
@THE TERMINATOR probably not in your life time but in the next 250 years a guy winning a slam 4x each is possible.
@THE TERMINATOR True. So you can say that the big three are still dominating in their 30s is not because they haven't declined but because there arent any great young
players today.
Nice❤️❤️👍🏼
Nice sweat shirt. Agree with most if not all of your assessment. Novak did luck out with the draw. Nevertheless results tend to be different than predictions. Like you said Thiem is still on a high from his victory at the us open. I don’t remember Dominic following up a big victory with another big victory in the past. Rafa was not ready for a tough challenge in Rome. Hopefully that loss in Rome to Diego woke Rafa up a bit. Novak seems to be in the 2015 mode. That was the year where he ended up with almost 17,000 points. It was the year he beat Rafa at Roland Garros. In Rafa’s defense 2015 was his worst year as a pro. I believe that Rafa had his most losses in a calander year in 2015. It was the only year where Rafa played all 4 majors and didn’t win one. Novak has to be the favorite even with Rafa’s amazing history at Roland Garros. You’re a big hit with the Novak crowd right now. They loved your previous video. Keep up the great work young man.
PS - Andy will not make it past the first round. Sorry about that.
Unfortunately I agree with you about Andy. Such a shame him and Stan meet in the first round as I wanted to see both go relatively far this tournament! And yeah haha Novak fans loving the stats right now, not sure if it's my presentation or just simply Novak being on top! :') You need to get some of your Rafa fans on the channel, where are they all! I agree with your analysis and very fair comments, probably Novaks best chance to win here in years but if course as you said, nothing goes as predicted. Who would've ever guessed what would unfold at the US Open so yeah.. Very excited to watch it unfold! Thank you as always for sharing your wise words my friend :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Novak is on top again where he has been for most of the last decade. Therefore, the statistics also favor him now as well as for the last ten years.
GOAT
We reached the target let’s go for 300 thumbs up
Love the support! Much appreciated honestly
Djokovic of course got an easy draw to finals and avoiding Thiem in the semi is very huge as Thiem is a favorite against Djoko on clay in the last couple of years. But what i find interesting is that Djokovic was quick to point out the changes/conditions this year and how this would affect Rafa and how lot of players have the game under these conditions to take out Rafa early in the tournament. Feel these are mind games being played by Djoko to plant doubts in Rafa mind. And rafa replying back that these balls are dangerous for the elbow (Djokovic had a recent elbow surgery) is classic! Theim proved in the past that he can get thru the field at french without much prior warm up tourney success so more than the tough draw we need to see how he handles the fact that he already won a major just couple of weeks back. I feel it is going to be hard for Theim to focus on this tourney being a first time major winner. So we might not even get to see a semi between Rafa and Theim assuming Rafa makes it to semi. Regarding Djokovic his chances are brighter after the draw and dont really see any player posing a threat to him unless Tstsipas miraculously gets into form until the finals. One thing to note though, Djokovic primarily relies on using opponents pace and doesnt generate much power from his own strokes, so the more slower conditions this year will only increase the ave rally duration for him. So 4 weeks of almost continuous play must have bought some fatigue and i just feel he will be massively tested physically in this tourney. Finally to Rafa, yes there is going to less bounce compared to prior years, wilson balls are heavier and will harder to hit thru, yes we might have few indoor matches due to the rainy season. But remember Rafa didnt win all the 93 matches in hot/dry sunny weather, there are more than a handful of matches he won under overcast heavy conditions. And the higher bounce on his forehand isnt the only edge that Rafa has over Theim or Djoko on clay. He has a stellar defense on clay, better physical strength and most importantly a lethal flat backhand that can substitute for the lack of high bounce this year. As long as Rafa bring himself to form in the initial rounds, i wouldnt worry too much about him facing Theim/Djoko later as the pressure will be on the other end. My prediction is Theim will not reach Semi, most likely it will be Diego vs Rafa in the semi with Rafa winning and a final between Djoko and Rafa with Rafa edging Djoko in the finals. Come the finals on Sunday no one is going to be talking about the slow conditions or the heavy ball as they will not make such a huge difference at the end as people claim to be. You just have to play better on clutch points, defend well and fewer unforced errors to win on clay!
Wow brilliant comment thank you for sharing.. The mind games really are hilarious lol
But with the court being very slow it will be difficult for Novak to hit winners and aces against Nadal or any of his opponents. As I predicted in his Diego match Novak will be making a lot of dropshots at the F.O. he doesn't want to play a lot of long rallies anymore.
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 true, i agree, clay already neutralizes big serves to some extent and with much slower conditions it will be a tad harder to ace opponents. Anyways Rafa has always been a great returner second only to Djokovic's return of serve, so he should be fine one way or the other. On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how Djokovic return of serve will be impacted by heavier ball, i feel it will make it harder to take big swipes on the return which has been Djokovic's moneyshot. Drop shots are a good option to have in the arsenal and djokovic has been playing a lot of drop shots since the past one year. But in my opinion, it should only be used as an element of surprise during a rally or if the opponent is too far back in the court or if the opponent is not known to be a good mover (like Cilic, DelPotro) Too many drop shots will make it easier for the opponent to read it and anticipate it. Much worse drop shots are easier to get to on clay compared to other surfaces. (a drop shot on grass will be the most effective as there is hardly any bounce). So i feel this strategy of drop shots if used a lot will backfire for Djokovic. Lets see, just hoping for an excellent tournament with some classic matches whoever ends up winning it.
After watching the Italian Open and Djokovic playing so many drop shots, I think he was just practicing it for RG and Nadal. Should be interesting.
Novak does love his drop shots lol.. How do you rate the chances for the top 3 players to win RG this year?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Given Nadal's performance recently and him practicing with Thiem, I expect Nadal to go through to face Djokovic. The new Wilson balls have more bounce and from what I hear Nadal doesn't like them, and given the time of year, I see Djokovic winning his second RG so unlucky 13 for Nadal which could possibly be his last given it hasn't been that long ago he was out of action. Djokovic's serve has improved from 2019 when he goes for an ace on his second serve but I attribute that to Goran coming on board. I do see the 310 mark being rewritten next year.
Hello Tahmid 👋😊 Great video, nice analysis. I actually don't think it's such an easy draw for Novak, I would point out RBA as the huge hurdle along the way, I would even trade this draw for Rafa's (till the semis ofcourse) I think Dominic has the hardest draw by far, but he should handle that... Rafa is a huge question here! When you say RG you mean Rafa Nadal, there's no question about it, but Rafa showed some signs of not being "the killer" as we all used him to be, and I don't mean just on his loss to Schwartzman last week. However, Rafa used to lose sometimes Rome, and Monte Carlo, Madrid as well, when everybody thought "ok, this is the chance for somebody else" and than he walks through the RG without losing a set BUT this is a whole different situation, Rafa didn't play tennis this year, he is not near his best form and he is in traditionally bad period in the year... Did he adjust his form properly, can he adopt to this new way of timing the form for the RG in October?? With all this said, Rafa is the boss here, this is his home, and everything depends on him. Still!
Thank you my friend and also great analysis from yourself! Very respectful and unbiased as always, this channel is lucky to have you.. I don't think RBA will be a big hurdle on clay and will be very surprised if Novak doesn't reach the final atleast.. But ofcourse anything can happen so let's see
The weather will be the main issue for Nadal.This is end of September and days are shorter than in late May/early June.
Days are also much colder.That will affect Nadal and his spin.
Those are good news for Novak and to add that Philippe Chatreir stadium has a roof since upcoming tournament.
Majority of factors are going in Djokovic's favor + his confidence and a great season he's having so far (if we don't count that US Open incident).
Very good points made about the weather conditions my friend! Novak fans must have already started doing their rain dances lol!
Just a suggestion if possible try to make a video on women's draw also atleast for grand slam
I've been asked this a few times and the reason I don't do it is because whilst I watch women's tennis from time to time.. I don't follow it a lot and I don't think I'll be able to do it justice and make a quality video.. Also being a bit short for time I just try put all my efforts in men's tennis which I really follow a lot.. I'm sure there are great channels on RUclips talking about WTA.. Maybe in the future there'll be WTA content here but no plans right now my friend.. I'm sorry to dissapoint
Why are u not making frequent videos and analysis when the slams are on?? No round to round review, no post match analysis.. Eagerly wait for ur explanation, analysis and stat facts u share... should make more videos when the slams are on
Sorry my friend been really busy but I appreciate you waiting for some videos! I have a 2 part special coming out tomorrow which I hope you will enjoy :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Thanxxx Tahmid. Am eagerly waiting for that..
Great video....I have a question. Why are similarly ranked players like Evans#34 and Nishikori#35 playing in the 1st round? While in Isner's section 2 qualifiers are playing each other 1st round? This seems unfair to the accomplishment of the total rankings for each player. I'm seeing this more and more???
Great question! Only the top 32 players are seeded to not face one another until the 3rd round, the rest of the draw is random so anyone can face anyone.. Hope this answers your question :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum I remember Pete Sampras talking about this a long time ago. It might have been only 16 seeds then. I'm going to start a movement to seed top 64 in the slams. Are you with me???
REAL
Let me tell you about thiem....if he makes it to the semi’s he will beat Rafa because of the conditions and of course Rafa’s rustiness. On the hindside having gone through so much in his previous slam i dont expect Thiem to beat rafa and djokovic in back to back matches therefore i honestly feel like Novak is again the favourite to win and i might even stick my neck out (and get ready to be bashed by nadal fans) say by a decent margin.
Ryo Shusuke yes it going to be tough but if he does and its a big IF, given the conditions and the fact that it wont be a final i’d fancy him against Rafa this year.
Question on Rafa and Humidity: doesn't he do well with humidity ala the humid US Open. I thought I heard it said that ever since they put the roof on at the US Open, it's made conditions very humid and Rafa has done great in those conditions. 2017 onward he hasn't lost there. (Retired in 2018 semifinal).
I would disagree in the sense that Rafa has had very limited success in indoor tournaments and to my understanding the humidity takes away from the effect of top spin which Rafa is heavily reliant on. Ofcourse end if the day it is still clay and so Rafa will be a big favourite to go deep and perhaps still end up as champion
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum Your refering to (non -humid) indoor fast court tournaments I think. It's the surface that neutralizes his spin in that sense no? So yes, to your 2nd point: This will be clay. I think his lack of preparation, his lack of recent match play will be his biggest concern.
Ruud and Krajinović are players to keep eyes on.
Definitely.. They both played very well in Rome
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum :D
Rafa can be in trouble this time. Different balls, different temperature, weather, humidity and a roof . Djokovic has a lot of chances to win this year ...
Very good points made as always thank you! Best chance for Novak to win RG since 2016? What percentage would you give the top 3 to be victorious
Tahmid Saleh Rafa just called this year’s event "the most difficult conditions for me ever at Roland Garros" for this same reasons. For sure the best chance to Novak since 2016. Thiem’s game as it’s similar to Rafa’s will be bothered with the changes as well and also he was a bit unlucky with the draw , so i’ll give the edge to Novak (55%)then Rafa (30%) and Thiem(15%).
Rafa's path path may require Nishikori 3 R, a Fognini 4 R, a Zverev or Goffin QF, a Thiem (SF) & Djokovic (F) showdowns. Undoubtedly his biggest challenge since 2008 when got through Verdasco, Djokovic and Federer. I'm feeling Novak with this one.
How far can Rublev go?
He is scheduled to face Medvedev in the 4th round! And then potentially Tsitsipas in QF and Novak in SF
I enjoy your videos. I am biased, I want Novak to be the GOAT. It seems to be that you , the guy who records these Videos are too rooting for Novak. Am I right?
Tough times ahead for Dominic Theim if he is to be victorious at Roland Garros. I'm hoping he can do it but head says Novak Djokovic will be successful.
Will be a shock and massive achievement if Dominic can add a 2nd slam straight away.. But beating Nadal and Djokovic will not be easy
For sure Tamhid. Don't see it happening but l think it would validate the US Open win.
I think it's time for Thiem to beat Rafa in RG! And Nole to add one more to get closer to Rafa and Roger!
Can nole win this tournament? I really want him to win this time
He definitely has a big chance this year! Good luck and enjoy the tournament :)
Go Novak! 💪
Honestly, the draw has been served on a platter for Novak. Out of form Khachanov, Tsitsipas; fast court specialists Berrettini, RBA, Medvedev.
Rafa has a really tough draw. Fognini is the last player Rafa wants in his draw (although Fabio didn't look 100% in Hamburg) and Thiem is in his half as well. Thiem was bound to face either Novak or Rafa in the semis. He would have surely preferred Novak.
The probability for win was Rafa > Thiem > Novak before the draw. It's a lot more even now. But I'll still bet on Rafa. After all, it's RG.
Brilliant analysis and very fair predictions! Thiem being in Rafas half definitely opens up the draw and I'd say Novaks best chance in years. What percentage would you give each of the top 3?
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum If Thiem was in Novak's half, Rafa would have been 95%+. With this draw, Rafa is still about 60-65%.
But we have to see how the courts play at this time of the year and in night sessions. The lesser the bounce, the more mortal Rafa will become. On low bouncing surface, Novak has as good a chance as Rafa, although the former was struggling to finish points in heavy conditions in Rome.
Schwarzenegger stroner then ever is also in NADAL side of the draw hahahaha.....
People forget to talk about the French Open now with a roof, for sure this will definitely in Novak's favor. Under a roof Novak will be very hard to beat and because he's the number one seed, they will play him in the main stadium under the roof.
Well the roof will only be used if it's raining.. So get your rain dances started my friend haha
Nadal x Novak final, who do you think wins? Will nadal loose for the third time at RG or win his 13th RG?
Better we should wait
I think Djokovic could face a tough opponent Garin in the fourth round. He's very good on clay.
Really want Rafa to win Roland Garros this year but it’s going to be mission impossible for Rafa this year.
What makes you say that my friend? Rafa can never be counted out from winning RG
Tahmid Saleh the roof, colder conditions, Djokovic is looking unbeatable, nadal has been off for 7 months and won 2 matches and lost 1 and the change of 🎾 this year.
@@allanford7767 very fair points but we shall see.. Rafa has had poor clay seasons before and still managed to win RG relatively easily
Theim has got one tough draw
The toughest.Very, very difficult draw.
Yep very difficult draw
I hope Nole wins
Lots of Novak fans on the channel, enjoy the tournament my friend! :)
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum thank you my friend you have very good channel
Novak will win this tournament.
Best chance in years, who'd be favourite in a Rafa Novak final though?
Agreed, Novak will win this major tournament.
Novak will choke away this tournament just like at the USO 😂
Wouldn’t rule out Zverev beating Rafa in the quaters
Wouldn't rule it out but just don't see it.. Would be a shock.. Rafa admittedly didn't play gray R1 but will improve as it goes on
Novak Novak Novak.
;)
Dominic Thiem, the leader of the next generation, the current third best player in the game, the current second best clay courter in the game had to win his first masters and grand slam both on Hard court... not his favorite surface Clay...that tells you how hard it is to Beat GOATdal on clay compared to Novak or Roger in their best surface 😂!!!! Why is there even a debate who the GOAT is? The players all say Rafa is the hardest to beat... end of discussion.
is
Wa vs murray isnt great anymore, wa in THREE.
Cilic Is DONE
Medvedev Is in real danger .
NO1E must WIN this, now or never again.
The easiest Is Nadal draw, thiem (if he reach the semi) will be WORN OUT!!! And zverev Is a COWARD.
I would love see FOGNINI and casper against nadal
Don't rule out Murray just yet! And I'm excited to see how casper ruud plays too, he played really well against Novak last week
Only Rafael Nadal......93:2 it's impossible to beat him if he is fit..
Novak Djokovic managed to defeat him in 2015 and Robin Soderling did the same in 2009.
Nadal is beatable on clay, jusk ask Novak.
@@milostomic8539 It's the game...but look at my comment... If he is fit..... Rafa wasn't 100% when Novak beat him.... Very minor chances for anybody against Rafa in five setter on Clay....mind it.
Will he be fit for the final if they face? Or could he be tired from a battling semifinal with Thiem
@@TahmidSalehTennisForum I think tirness is not an issue in Grand Slams because of rest day... And I think theim is not playing semi final this year..
the
GOAT
I love how most people are sure djokovic will win, this is RG, Nadal is 93/2...
Every year People try to hypesomeone not named Rafa, every year they say Rafa will finally lose, and every year Rafa is biting the trophy. Don’t be a chokosquirrel. Just say Rafa.
It's very true that Rafa almost always comes through not even going to deny that!
Cheatervic bribed the French organizers to get this cake walk draw...
They haven’t faced each other in many years because RUNAWAYOVIC is scardovic of Rafa! Everyone knows Novak is better than Thiem and Marco ceccinato 😂!!! And Stan but when ever Rafa is going to beat him, crybabyovic suddenly gets “upset”... he is strategically trying to save the head to head. When ever he wins, it’s magically at the Aussie when Rafa has a leg issue or at Australia ATP cup after Rafa had a heat stroke... Rafa mans up and tries even on his worst surface in pain, but scardovic runs away like a Cowardovic!
Do you want a Rafa Novak final Wolf? How confident would you be for Rafa to win that match if it happens?
Tahmid Saleh you bet I want that match! I’m sick of Novak running away from Rafa everywhere except his best surface. As long as Rafa is not injured I am confident he will win. This isn’t uso hard court, this isn’t grass with a roof, this isn’t the Aussie. This is red clay of Roland Garros.
@@goldwolf0606 praying that match happens and we get treated to a 5 set epic like the 2013 SF here!