Iwas thinking about the comment that Federer made about Djokovic's retirement and about how he said that 'if you can't handle it, don't show up.' I think I would actually have paid Federer to retire in last year's painful corpse that was the French Open final. Would have saved me a lot of cringeing.
There are a lot of ways of looking at it. If Djokovic didn't have a long and rich history of retiring in big matches, I'm sure Fed wouldn't have said anything.
If the media wants us to continue to believe that Roger is this classy, 'humble' champion (and I've always had my doubts) then Roger will have to help them out.
I know all about Djokovic's history or retirements as does every other player on the tournament, but if you put Nadal and Roddick's genuinely non-judgmental, measured, and even empathetic statements about Djokovic's retirement next to Roger's...
I don't care how many slams Roger has won - who on earth is he to tell ANYBODY that they may as well 'get out of the sport'? That is taking it too far - and he doesn't walk in Djokovic's body. And for the record, I can't stand Djokovic who has a mouth of his own.
But it's not just Djokovic.
That comment was just one in a long line of stabs and jabs at other players leading up to and throughout the AO. He had a problem with Murray being the favourite and dragged JJ into the mess who had *nothing* to do with it; there was his cocky 'putting him out of his misery' comment regarding his defeat of del Potro as if the guy were a dog past its best days or or something; and then when he is BEATEN by Nadal, we're presented with his utter reluctance to credit him for the win, showcased by unbelievably arrogant statements like "in 5 set matches not always the best players wins".
Nadal is nothing but gracious to him (and put up with Federer turning his AO victory into a funereal dirge) so he needs to knock it off. Again, it is not just Djokovic where he is needlessly opening his mouth. I'm also NOT a JJ fan but she is on the money in her comments. He doesn't need to do it.
You're right - there are a lot of ways of looking at it. But I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing and hearing from him of late.
A lot to think about. I am a JJ fan, but sometimes wish she would shut it. I suppose I tend to give Roger the benefit of the doubt, though I, too, thought that dragging JJ into his stuff was totally unnecessary. I think we are seeing a vulnerable Roger right now, and a somewhat different one.
Having said that, one of my favorite tennis moments in recent years was when Roger told Djokovic's mother to shut up. She had it coming.
Iwas thinking about the comment that Federer made about Djokovic's retirement and about how he said that 'if you can't handle it, don't show up.' I think I would actually have paid Federer to retire in last year's painful corpse that was the French Open final. Would have saved me a lot of cringeing.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of ways of looking at it. If Djokovic didn't have a long and rich history of retiring in big matches, I'm sure Fed wouldn't have said anything.
ReplyDeleteIf the media wants us to continue to believe that Roger is this classy, 'humble' champion (and I've always had my doubts) then Roger will have to help them out.
ReplyDeleteI know all about Djokovic's history or retirements as does every other player on the tournament, but if you put Nadal and Roddick's genuinely non-judgmental, measured, and even empathetic statements about Djokovic's retirement next to Roger's...
I don't care how many slams Roger has won - who on earth is he to tell ANYBODY that they may as well 'get out of the sport'? That is taking it too far - and he doesn't walk in Djokovic's body. And for the record, I can't stand Djokovic who has a mouth of his own.
But it's not just Djokovic.
That comment was just one in a long line of stabs and jabs at other players leading up to and throughout the AO. He had a problem with Murray being the favourite and dragged JJ into the mess who had *nothing* to do with it; there was his cocky 'putting him out of his misery' comment regarding his defeat of del Potro as if the guy were a dog past its best days or or something; and then when he is BEATEN by Nadal, we're presented with his utter reluctance to credit him for the win, showcased by unbelievably arrogant statements like "in 5 set matches not always the best players wins".
Nadal is nothing but gracious to him (and put up with Federer turning his AO victory into a funereal dirge) so he needs to knock it off. Again, it is not just Djokovic where he is needlessly opening his mouth. I'm also NOT a JJ fan but she is on the money in her comments. He doesn't need to do it.
You're right - there are a lot of ways of looking at it. But I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing and hearing from him of late.
A lot to think about. I am a JJ fan, but sometimes wish she would shut it. I suppose I tend to give Roger the benefit of the doubt, though I, too, thought that dragging JJ into his stuff was totally unnecessary. I think we are seeing a vulnerable Roger right now, and a somewhat different one.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, one of my favorite tennis moments in recent years was when Roger told Djokovic's mother to shut up. She had it coming.