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Will we ever see grinding vs grinding at the end of GS tournaments?

  • Yes, one day in the future, but not in Nadals playing career

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • No, people will still mould themselves on an attacking game

    Votes: 7 63.6%

Do you think we will ever see "Nadal" vs Nadal?

2K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  nalbyfan 
#1 ·
Before you think im crazy, let me explain.

Theres only really one player on tour that plays the way Nadal does.

Most players are still of the mold of attack or counter defense, pushing or ballbashing etc. In other words, players are still moulding themselves over Federer style, except for 2 handed backhands. Or a Murray or Djokovic style game.

Do you think its only a matter of time before young players coming through mold themselves on Nadal?

So in other words, tennis becomes defense vs defense. Rather than the contrasting styles of defense vs attack, ball bashing vs pushing and so on, do you think we will see 2 tops guys going at it, playing like Nadal does, returning every ball and going for their one monster shot, be it forehand or backhand?

So in other words, do you think we will see GS finals contested by retreiver vs retriever?

I think after seeing players fail time and time again, youngsters might think the only way to be a GOAT is to play a retriever game.

But what will happen when we get retriever vs retriever?
 
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#4 ·
i really hope he gets a taste of his own medicine. he better not retire before such a player arrives on tour (as long as he doesn't surpass 16 GS first :lol:)

and then if future top players all play nadal style watch nadal come out and say something like the type of tennis they are playing isn't real tennis or something of the like, basically like how he discredited the tennis before he came on tour just a few days ago.

:haha::haha::haha:
 
#7 ·
what do you mean most people mould themselves on Roger? how many players in the top 100 play a single-handed backhand/forehand with empasis on defence-offence turn shots? There are so many people playing like Rafa, alergic to the net and hitting the ball really hard granted they're just shit executing it but they try non-the less.
 
#9 ·
Yes I even discussed the real Nadal vs Nadal. That matchup would suck because Nadal wants to enter the court last so it would be a mallorcian standoff that could last for days.

Anyway to get serious the answer is YES.

Djokovic is the first player that has been able to outgrind Nadal forcing Nadal to go for a winner. That is the first player that can play the typical Nadal game better than Nadal himself.

Tomic got a great passive game so if he really decides to make that his style (which I hope he doesn't) he could become another type of retriever that relies more on deep low pace shots and great reach and then suddenly going for it just like Nadal does sometimes with his FH. He would then be a horrible matchup for Nadal. But I don't think he will and it takes a big toll on your body to play that kind of game anyway.

But in just a few years Nadal himself cannot play a typical Nadal game anyway because his body will not hold up for it. So if we want to see Nadal vs Nadal the closest option today is watching Nadal vs 2011 Djokovic because Novak can "outgrind" Nadal even on clay.

In the future likely not. Players will develop the Soderling/Del Potro/Berdych big-hitting style further and then the Nadal style is obsolete unless they do another slowdown of the courts and make new balls. Which they might who knows?
 
#13 ·
The poll is missing an option or two. Such as- 'Yes, and in Nadals playing career', and 'No, people will mould themselves on other defensive or all-court styles'. I'd pick the 2nd option, more youngsters will begin playing like Djokovic and to a lesser extent Murray rather than Nadal. Nadals playstyle requires a huge amount of strength and racquet head speed/control, unnatural stamina and court coverage just to make it somewhat effective.

Nadal seems to just be a rare case that's extremely difficult to copy effectively, so the new generation are more likely to take on a Djokovic style approach. Not that that isn't difficult too, but more likely to build on towards success.
 
#15 ·
Dear god, I hope not.
 
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