It’s not anymore as has been highlighted time and time again over the past number of years.
Djokovic had huge problems with fitness and endurance early in his career and there were a number of occasions when he quit on his chair in Grand Slams. Going gluten free was apparently the game changer there. Djokovic is actually the only Grand Slam winner, I believe to have retired in all four Grand Slams.
Djokovic has this.
Tsitsipas has collapsed.
Double break in the 4th.
Sure didn’t a 35 year old Federer spend about the same time on court when he won in Australia in 2017. 3 of his last 4 games were 5 setters which he won against younger opponents.
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You’re obsessed with Federer. Federer faced a pair of 30 something veterans in Wawrinka and Nadal in the semi final and final in Australia in 2017. Nadal went to nearly 5 hours in his semi final against Dimitrov which was played a day later than Federer’s semi final against Wawrinka.
And Djokovic’s longest game came against a 35 year old Nadal.
What’s your point? They were 3 slam winners.
You are some hypocrite.
My point is it’s amazing how much better conditioned and fitter these veterans in their mid 30’s are than kids 10 and 15 years their junior. These kids don’t seem to be able to play more than 2 sets.
Borg, Wilander and Chang all won the French Open at 17, Nadal at 19.
Players are generally going longer in pro sports.
Bernard Hopkins boxed until he was 50.
Djokovic is just a freak of nature. I think Nadal has shown obvious signs of physical deterioration, he can’t go like he used in his 20s, the toil on his knees have came home to bare and he had to readopt his game. Federer miraculously came back after knee surgery in his mid 30s and was playing long and harder than he ever was in the past but looks shot now.
Murray was crocked with a hip injury and the others have lost the appetite I think.
Djokovic is something else physically. I don’t think there’s anything untoward there I just think he’s a freak of nature in physical terms and mentality.
A lot of the young lads problems are mental.
Tsitsipas will need to break first in this set to have a chance. If Djokovic does then it’s over. The pressure on every Tsitsipas service game will be mammoth from here.
Djokovic has it.
Bottle job from Tsitsipas.
Djokovic will see this out now. He won’t push too hard on Tsitsipas service games unless he sniffs a chance of a break, he will just concentrate on winning his serve.
Tsitsipas only had two sets in him. Tired visibly from early in the 3rd set and once he got tired, his game got really ragged and error strewn.
I wouldn’t be surprised at that. Takes time to build up the endurance needed for 5 set matches. This is the advantage that the older guys have over the younger ones. The more 5 setters the younger ones play the better they will become at managing themselves during the match.
Djokovic breaks players down mentally. You have to hit about 5 winners to get the winner. Nobody even comes close to him in terms of retrievals.
He drop shots them to death
Any chance of a bit of Djokovic tightness here as he serves out?
None what so ever.
An on form Thiem is the only player about now that I can think can go toe to toe with Djokovic.
Hopefully Thiem can get his head sorted.
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