I couldn't watch him crying, I watched it by taking so many breaks over few days, couldn't watch it all it once, it was too much to watch Roger bawling and rafa too

Oh Gosh...you just described my pain...too heavy to handle, the pain...

Also, Novak didn’t beat Roger in Wimbledon until Roger is 33 years old.

@@bournejason66 I think 2010 and 2011 were years that dented Rogers confidence. He lost three matches having been two sets to love up. The losses to Novak at the US open really hurt him. He had match points. Two years on the bounce. He’d won the US Open 5 years on the bounce. He’s beaten Novak in straight sets. His powers began to wane at 29 and faltered during his 30th year. Losing to Tsonga at Wimbledon in 2011 after being 2 sets up was bad too. It added to the misery of losing to Berdych the year before. He started losing at Wimbledon and the US Open where he’d been so dominant. This was the catalyst to his dip in form. But his enthusiasm and love for the game meant he stayed competitive and went deep in competitions and he adapted his game to shortening points with more and more variety and different strategy. He remained resolute despite the defeats. It took a long time for his two rivals to catch him. Novak did become such a better player and dominate from 2011 onwards but taking the age difference into account, I think the head to head of 23-27 is a fair representation overall. With the two Wimbledon finals of 2014 & 19 and two US Open semi finals of 2010 & 2011 that head to head could have easily ended up 27-23 to Federer or maybe 25-25 would have been a suitable final head to head. But that’s tennis and I think the six year age gap between them has been significance. Rogers confidence and aggression in the years 2004,5,6 and 7 were amazing and how he lost to Novak in 2010 and 2011 at the US Open surely wouldn’t have happened. Reaching 31 finals is an amazing record nevertheless. I think because he is so loved and so popular and revered, us fans struggle to accept his close losses.

And Roger had good chances to beat Rafa at the French in 2006 and 2011. In 2006 one nervous forhand cost him the 4th set tie breaker. If Roger ever had an achilles heal, it was the high forhand under pressure. When he was nervous against Rafa he would decelerate just a little on the forhand up high and it could fly on him.

@@thomasloper1205 yeah his 2006 was mad. 12 titles. He was playing as well as Nadal on clay and maybe if he’d have beaten him things could have been different. He is one of the best clay court players and he’s beaten Nadal on clay afterall. He’s bagelled Nadal on clay believe it or not. I agree about his forehand. But I believe it is a mental strength weakness. He just loses that tenacity and hope at the very death which Novak and Rafa never lose. Federer is one of the best fighters I’ve seen but he’s not as strong mentally as Rafa and Novak. 2011 would have been awesome after he knocked out Novak to end his record run. I watched those matches at the time and it blew my mind how many shots Rafa got back that only Rafa would get back. He really is a wall on clay.

Yea not only that, but being hyper aggressive is arguably harder these days. Could you imagine the sport if instead of slowing down the courts got faster. Not saying the game would be better or anything but in a game like tennis adjusting court speed and bounce is a massive aspect.

especially us amateurs

What a sendoff it would have been if he would have won Wimpy 2019. It would have been such a poignant victory. Such a shame.

Indeed the love of the game. He still wanted to come back to tour this July when he was interviewed at Wimbledon. Too bad his body doesn’t allow him. 😢

Not to mention the back to back sunshine doubles where he beat Rafa with conviction. Rafa can’t do anything about it other than shook his head.

Yeah, and that's what finally let him develop the more aggressive backhand. He'd pretty much been playing with a handicap for most of his career.

@@colincloute Yes and that's what makes his achievements that much more impressive.

cause you re SMART and no egotitstic...LOL....thats reality! Salut from Romania

Between Federer and Djokovic for me. Both have had many years where it was hard to see them losing a tennis match (2004-2007 and 2017 for Federer, 2011, late 2014-RG 2016 and a stretch in 18/19 for Djokovic). Never really felt that for Nadal across the surfaces.

So true. I feel like Kyrgios really had that problem. He's now slowly realizing the level he can play at, but he's 8 years late

@@simply.nonchalant6006 Agreed. But then again, maybe Kyrgios never felt the need to win multiple GS to be satisfied with his tennis career. I heard an interview where he said he was perfectly happy just hanging out with his friends in Adelaide or Canberra.

Ok

Marcelo Rios, Gregor dmitrov are the two jump to my mind.

@@bournejason66 Ok. I also include Seb Korda in that list, among the youngsters. Miroslav Mecir among the 80's guys

No