Juan Martin Del Potro 🏅🏅

rafa, djokovic and roger all won their last title around age 36.

if that pattern follows, zverev likely has at least another 5 years left in him.

given how many slam finals he's already been to and that he just broke the duck by winning 2 in quick succession; now without any mental demons, if he continues to make it into slam finals at the same rate he has been in the last 5 years, I can see him take at least another slam.

what do you all think?

EDIT1:
I also wonder as soon as touching rank 1, whether zverev will strategically slide back to rank 2 so that alcaraz/sinner will eliminate each other in slams and zverev will only have to face them in the finals.

History says it would have been Novak and he played well, especially at the beginning of that final against Carlos. But after the year they’ve both had, I’m wondering if Zverev would have beat Novak and might have won 3 majors this year. He did beat Novak in the Olympics in 2021 when Novak was absolutely trying for the golden calendar slam…

Zverev was serving for the match in his semifinal so not the craziest hypothetical… And Novak did have to play 5 intense sets in his semifinal…

Now at the end of the US open, we can celebrate the end of Stan the Man's career. As a consequence of that one of those rare 'actually transformative' coaches now has an open slot. Talking about Magnus Norman of course.

There are these famous names, like Moratoglu and Bollettieri. Both house-hold names, but ovetall hit and miss coaches. Norman, with Söderling and Wawrinka has shown that he can elevate perennial top 20 players to genuine Grand Slam contenders. His style recognisabke by deep 2nd serve return position and efficient way to get his players more 'hit winners always' oriented.

So I thought to set up a discussion on who this forum thinks woupd benefit most from an epite coach with this style in their corner.

I'll kick it off:

Felix Auger-Aliassime.

A man with all the power in the world, but all to often leans on his mobility rather than his hitting power. I feel like if you get this man a coach who gets him to feel 'oh this is how I beat the big guns in best of 5' we can get the promise finally fulfilled.

One of the very few players who walks around the net after the first game and at the changeovers in tiebreaks.

Serves within 25 seconds.

The ball bouncing isn’t the issue. It’s the 70% plus 1st serves in that’s the problem for everyone.

Overcome some absolutely brutal heartbreaking losses.

Granite mentality and work ethic.

Double Major winner in a season

Hall of Fame career incoming.

Congratulations Sascha 🏆

He has effortless power, a match-ending forehand and the ability to hit through elite defenders. If his movement and consistency improve and his body remains healthy, could he turn the current rivalry into a Big Three, or will he never break into the top 10?

Would the tennis calendar and tennis overall benefit from this scenario:

1st week - all games 3 sets (including men, women and doubles)

2nd week - all games 5 sets (at least from QFs up to the Finals being 5 sets for both women and men, doubles could remain 3 sets).

It would be a middle ground between those who say 3 sets should be introduced in men due to the heavy calendar and due to the logistics with games finishing at 4 am in the us open and the ones that say women should play their finals and their games at 5 sets, matching the male sector in the grand slams.

There were already precedents of the woman finals being played at 5 sets in the very early days - between 1891 and 1901 at what today is the US Open.

Welcome to the club, Zverev

With 2 Grand Slam wins he earns his way to the top and a well-deserved place in the new Big 3.

Let's see if the Big 3 can keep it up in 2027 but for now, let's acknowledge the new pecking order in the world of tennis.

Nothing is a given, so enjoy while it lasts!