Since I have lived almost half my adult life in Tom Brady Land I’m not writing Djokovic off yet.
He’s crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters in the second round (he had a bye in the first round).
He did not look good. His famously good flexibility and balance seems off.
Note that Djokovic has a home court advantage at Monte Carlo. He does more training there than anywhere else.
I think he’s going to keep trying until he gets 100 career titles and 25 grand slams. I think he can do it, but if it’s not this year, maybe out of reach. I think back to how quickly Federer and Nadal went from competitive to not, and I think Djokovic is close to that point.
Sinner is a machine right now. I can’t see how Novak could beat him because no one is beating him right now. I really wanted him to get 25, but I’m afraid it’s almost over for him.
Coco Gauff wins French Open on second match point, after surviving one break point from Aryna Sabalenka. This is her second Grand Slam championship.
Very nice to have an American win the French Open. I’m surprised.
Good for her, too. I wasn’t sure she’d make it, but she has really made her presence known.
I said “We have sadly already seen peak Gauff” a few months ago.
Happy that my zero rating on sport prognostication is still intact, and applies not only to in-game predictions but to careers as well.
Oh that was a men’s final for the ages!!!
The very end was perhaps a bit of an anti-climax because Alcaraz had such a big lead but his play to bring it there was remarkable. Really impressive given that he would have been demoralized by failing to get the win on his serve a bit earlier and Sinner had some real momentum winning three games in a row.
The stamina of these top players is just something else. I don’t know how they can play at such high-quality after 5+ hours of intense battle. Beyond just the physical aspect of it, it’s just an astonishing feat of sustained concentration.
I agree. Looking at the stands it appeared quite a few left early as it looked to be a foregone conclusion.
Sinner had 3 Championship points in hand and two sets to nil.
Can you blame them?
3 am I just noticed it was on and thought I see a bit of the end.
Hours later and one of the truly epic matches ever ( by far the longest French Open final ) I and others that hung in were treated truly fantastic tennis - as one of the commentators mentioned that last set was a highlight reel all on it’s own.
There were a lot of tennis royalty in the stands gasping at the action.
I miss Roger and Rafe but damn there is a new crop of thrillers.
I had predicted that Sinner would beat Alcaraz in 4 sets. I was right in three parallel universes. 
I was cheering for Alcaraz the whole tournament. I really enjoy his style of play. I also like that he challenged an out call on his base line. Such great sportmanship! The umpire agreed and overruled the line judge, giving the point to Sinner. Sinner paid it back by challenging an out call on his side of the court as well. It’s nice when the best players are not jerks.
Of course, this is not a good excuse for continuing to have line judges. Sinner had a point stolen when a serve was not called out when it should’ve been. Probably didn’t change who won the championship, but it’s unfair to the players not to use the best system available.
Sabalenka is really proving to be a rather nasty person. This is the second final in a row she’s spat the dummy after losing.
What does this mean?
John McEnroe claimed Sinner and Alcaraz at their current level would be favored to beat prime Nadal at the Frecnch Open.
The tournament Nadal won 14 times, much of which was against prime Federer and prime Djokovic.
Come on, John. Get with it.
Thrown a tantrum
I have never heard “spat the dummy” before. Is it new?
I think “dummy” is another term for a baby’s soother
I’m guessing it’s both old and (maybe) a Australianism. Sorry, didn’t realize it was an obscure expression.
And yes, a dummy is a pacifier. So spitting the dummy is pushing out the pacifier and having a good scream, literally.
Thanks. I actually watch a little bit of Australian TV and had not heard the phrase. I’m curious: Do you say “big up yourself”, meaning to encourage or talk up about yourself?
I saw it on Taskmaster AU yesterday. I understood it, but it was an oddp phrasing to an American like me.
My English is a bad (good?) hodgepodge of global dialects. I grew up in Pakistan but have lived in the US most of my adult life. I consume a disproportionate amount of British, Australian and Indian sports media because I follow cricket, soccer and rugby. And lots of British (and other) TV detective shows and comedies. Plus I have had a large number of British, Jamaican, Guyanese, Aussie, continental European and other friends and coworkers.
I think of “big up yourself” as Jamaican. Could have escaped into the wild.