[Kowchi]

This is not a 40-15 thread at all. Not the point.

This is in reference to matches that potentially had impacts on players for years to come.

For example someone mentioned US Open 2009 and the potential mental impact it had on Federer.

Or maybe 2013 RG and the torture it left Djokovic with for many years to come. Could have imagined if Djokovic was able to overcome the RG beast that year? How light he could have been every year that followed.

Or what about Verdasco 2009???

Or maybe Dimitrov 2017 AO SF?

What are your thoughts MTF?

 

[Burrow]

Recently, Stanislas Wawrinka beating Novak Djokovic at the 2014 Australian Open. If he loses that, it's easy to see him carrying on as he did before that.

 

[Kowchi]

Recently, Stanislas Wawrinka beating Novak Djokovic at the 2014 Australian Open. If he loses that, it's easy to see him carrying on as he did before that.

Thats a great shout out.

 

[Hunter2]

Djokovic Wimbledon 2014. He had lost 5 of his last 6 slam finals at the time. This one win gave him back his confidence and he would win 5 of the next 7 majors and get back to #1 for 122 straight weeks. If he had lost yet another slam final, this time to a 32 year old Federer, who knows how that would have damaged him. I definitely don't see him becoming a 10+ slam winner in that scenario.

 

[Claybot]

Gulbis vs. Djokovic 7-5 6-7(7) 6-1

Had Lord Gulbis converted his matchpoint he would eventually win the tournament, get also confident to probably get the US Open as well.
On the other hand, this was the match that gave Djokovic confidence to dominate both Nadal and Federer in the following years. So in a way, everyone's greatness is related to Gulbis

 

[Hunter2]

Agassi USO 1995 would be another one. That loss derailed him for the next few years.

 

[swissmaestro92]

Murray def. Federer at London Olympics for sure, he went on to his slam wins after gaining that belief

 

[bhdtl]

Wimbledon SF 2018. Djokovic was struggling after surgery and lost his confidence. "I don't know if I am going to play on grass." Who can forget this quote? After that win, he would restore his confidence, win five of the next seven slams, and is now getting close to the weeks at 1 and slam records.

 

[theseth1119]

For me it's the 2017 AO F, Rogie beating Rafa, had Rafa won he'd have 20 grand slams now and Rogie would have only 19 grand slams now!! Basel 2015/2017 AO/2017 IW/2017 Miami/ 2017 Shanghai, Rogie really turned it around against Rafa... Rafa has only beaten Rogie once the past 6 years and it was on clay, 2019 FO SF, and Rogie also won 2019 W SF... Rogie 6-1 against Rafa since the 2014 AO SF loss!!

 

[NextGenKing]

May 2018 - Budapest (clay)

Millman beating Pouille in straight sets. It was a real coming of age win. All of u sudden this guy balls on clay too? I mean,wow. Nothing has been the sane since that. Im sure im not the only guy who looked for millman in every draw after that...

 

[Time Violation]

Djokovic's USO SF 2010, when he started to believe. Ironically, also one of the 15-40 iirc.

 

[umbrellapub]

Estrella Burgos - Klizan @ ATP Quito 250 QF in 2015.

Klizan entered the match as a big favourite and won 11 of the first 12 points doing nothing very special.

But then he totally checked out mentally and that was that. That allowed Estrella Burgos to come back and take the match. And the story goes from there. And what a story it became.

 

[Manu_ser]

2004 French Open final.

 

[Kowchi]

Murray def. Federer at London Olympics for sure, he went on to his slam wins after gaining that belief

This is probably true.

Fortunately, Del Potro played an epic vs. Federer in the match before and left an under cooked Federer in the final.'

Murray outlasted Djokovic in one of the weirdest and most forgettable finals in the history of the game. Then he finally jumped into contention with the other guys.

 

[Kowchi]

Estrella Burgos - Klizan @ ATP Quito 250 QF in 2015.

Klizan entered the match as a big favourite and won 11 of the first 12 points doing nothing very special.

But then he totally checked out mentally and that was that. That allowed Estrella Burgos to come back and take the match. And the story goes from there. And what a story it became.

The fact that Estrella Burgos won that match was legendary.

I made a thread when he won Quito 250 and it had gifs and his epic reactions.

 

[Cdm995]

2008 us open sf, Federer def. Djokovic. If Djokovic won that he may well have started his dominant period then, which probably would’ve meant another 4-5 slams for him, and 2-3 less each for Nadal and Federer. Instead he went into a slump and didn’t win another slam until 2011.

 

[florentine]

"For example someone mentioned US Open 2009 and the potential mental impact it had on Federer. "

Yep

It's definitely right up there. In my opinion, the top 5 most important matches in the last decade are the following in this order:

1. Djokovic vs Federer Wimbledon F 2019 (way too much at stake here)
2. Federer vs Nadal AO F 2017 (if Federer lost this 1 he may have never reached 20 slams in his career, plus it's esp impressive right after his injury in 2016)
3. Djokovic vs Nadal AO F 2012 (most epic final of all time in my opinion, and this win gave Novak a huge mental edge over Rafa for many years to come + denied Rafa his 2nd AO even up until now)
4. Djokovic vs Nadal Wimbledon SF 2018 (Djokovic's moment of resurgence after a period of injury & tough losses)
5. I'd say Djokovic vs Federer US Open 2011 (1st time Djoker won US Open & denied both Rafa+Roger another slam as well as a 1st time meeting in US Open). Also right up there is the epic Nadal-Djokovic RG 2013 SF where much like in Wimby 2018, where either winner would have won that final against Ferrer.

Yep, good top 5, there is also a match to which I would have given an accessit even if it is distant in time now, it regains a particular importance today.

The final of the US Open 2009.

Not because it's the only slam of Del Potro to date.
But, by winning Federer would have:
won his 6th US in a row, would have maintained his leadership (and his confidence) in NY, which he never found, would have achieved a 4th little slam and potentially won the 4 in a row from RG 09 to AO 2010 and obviously, all things equal for the rest, brought its total to 21.
But at the time, Federer had just won the French Open, Wimbledon and regaining the number one, it was not so vital ...

 

[RocketMan70]

2008 AO semifinal, Djoker vs Federer.
Federer was defending champion and had beaten Nole in the R16 the year before.
Nole turned the tables, prompting "the King 👑. is dead 💀 cries" from Nole's parents.

 

[Budadiii]

Murray def. Federer at London Olympics for sure, he went on to his slam wins after gaining that belief

That was a trashing. Usually its small wins helping with decisive psychological adaptions.

Not sure this did much for him. He was already in the right place and getting better as a player.

 

[just1ce]

For ex: Davis Cup 2010,for Nole.After that team victory and huge boost Nole dominated 2011...Guess.