Take that, Novax!
Apparently he is back in Belgrade now, and noise is being made by others - couple of his sponsors are not happy and its already being suggested that he wont be welcome at the French Open in May without Vaccinations (ie - no exemptions).
Something about cutting off noses to spite oneās face springs to mind.
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This may be the first time a top professional athlete has been removed from competitions for not taking drugsā¦ 
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The drama continues . . .
Guy
The final was pulsating yesterday. Five hours of incredible tennis. Nadal is something else.
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Actually the best final Iāve watched since Wimbledon 2019. Nadal won from here:
The match was lowkey heart attack inducing.
Feels like poetic justice in some way. Djokovic does a lot of BS and gets deported. Nadal returns from injury, wins against all odds and becomes the first man to reach 21 at Djokovicās favorite turf.
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Nadal still has the ability to win more finals.
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On a separate note, I think a lot of us are lucky to be alive in this era of legendary sportsmen. Some of the best footballers (Messi, Ronaldo, Lewandowski) are in their mid 30s, best tennis players (Big 3) are in their mid 30s. They have been dominating the sport for over a decade and consistently outperforming the younger generation.
Nadal won his first Grand Slam in 2005. He is still winning in 2022. If I told you this in 2005 you would have laughed at me. If I told you in 2009 after his first AO title that his next would be in 2022 you would have laughed at me again.
Absolutely in awe.
Provided he is healthy, Nadal will go in as the undisputed favorite @ Roland Garros in 4 months time. Very good chance to make it 22 there.
Assuming he remains allowed to play, I think Djokovic will win the French. Iāll be getting on him, anyway.
You probably shouldnāt do that. It may interfere with his concentration.
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Thereās definitely some guys out there pushing to see how far they can go.
Likewise if Iād told you in 2004 that between them just three men will win 61 of the next 72 titles youād think that was crazy.
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Likewise if Iād told you in 2004 that between them just three men will win 61 of the next 72 titles youād think that was crazy.
Thatās what Iām saying. This has never happened before in tennis and will not happen again in our lifetime I think with the next generation.
In five years time the big 3 will be gone and Medvedev, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Berrettini, Alcaraz and some new ones will be winning grand slams. But theyāll all never be considered as good as the golden generation, because they kept on losing to them in their prime tennis playing age (early to mid 20s).
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I quite fancy a punt on Cancelled for Wimbledon.
Itās been total domination. I agree, it will be unlikely in our lifetime to see such a stranglehold again. Agassi and Sampras had 12/13 year careers, but they didnāt dominate in the same way.
Currently, Roger first won in 2003. Nadal in 2005. Novak 2008. I can see them all winning more titles. Roger being the least likely at this stage.
Novak has finally admitted what most suspected - he is not Vaccinated and wont be taking a jab. He will sit out any Tournament that required entrants to be Vaccinated.
Heās certainly principled. Thatās a massive sacrifice for such a driven athlete. Itās going to further complicate the GOAT debates.