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The field when Federer was early prime was very weak. I would certainly say that Alcaraz, Sinner, and Medvedev are all better than any guy during the time you referenced (excluding Fed and clay Nadal). And a 36 y/o Novak won 3/4 against the three I mentioned last year plus ATP finals and some masters.
I think Andy Murray and Stan were much better than Roddick and Hewitt.
Don’t know if there are analytics to back it up, but at least as a meme there’s pretty much compass unity among Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and other fans that Stannis the Mannis has achieved some of the highest single-tournament peaks.
Wawrinka does catch some hate from time to time from Reddit types for banging then 19-year-old Donna Vekic when he was 30, shortly after divorcing his wife. She was only 19, that sick fuck.
For unrelated reasons, Kyrgios hilariously shit-talked to him during a match that The Kokk hit it first: “Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate.”
Which of course was/is another massive source of seethe for those who espouse that a woman’s Wonderfulness is not compromised by number of cocks or Kokks taken.
You can be rich and one of the most esteemed tennis players of all time, and still get intertemporally cucked by your girl’s past thottery. Even by 19 she’s likely had some mileage.
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I would say the biggest difference is Novak was able to develop and expand his game. Fed never really solved the ball going high to his backhand.
You are pointing to Novak 2011-15 but that isn’t his only insane peak.
I think again wildly overstating the talent level early 2000s. Elo seems to prove that out.
I think you are also wildly understating Novak’s serve and volley (go back and look at his US open against Meddy last year). Also Novak’s forehand every day against Fed. Fed’s was more explosive. But Novak has better placement and is more consistent. Fed’s will hit more winners; Novak’s will win more points.
Then of course you get into fitness levels and intangibles (eg mental toughness).
Finally looking at the stats, it isn’t like they were kind of close. Novak blows Federer out of the water and it isn’t that close. Masters, slams, variety of slams, weeks at No 1, ATP finals, YE finals, etc etc.
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