Top Tiers: Men's Side

[ElTexan]

Tier1: Djok, Nadal, Federer, Murray
Tier2: Wawrinka, Ferrer, Tsonga

My contention is that if one is not one of the above and meets one of the above 7 players in a draw, one cannot just play one's own game and have a good chance to win. Instead, one would have to try to play above one's self to have a good chance to win.

Anyone you'd take off of that list given the criterion? Anyone you'd add? Any way you'd restructure it?

 

[bksballer89]

Tier1: Djok, Nadal, Federer, Murray
Tier2: Wawrinka, Ferrer, Tsonga

My contention is that if one is not one of the above and meets one of the above 7 players in a draw, one cannot just play one's own game and have a good chance to win. Instead, one would have to try to play above one's self to have a good chance to win.

Anyone you'd take off of that list given the criterion? Anyone you'd add? Any way you'd restructure it?

I think were at the point where Nadal should be removed from tier 1 and placed in Tier 2. I also would remove Ferrer from tier 2 and possibly replace him with Berdych

 

[ElTexan]

Re: Ferrer
His game, while not being extraordinary considering his peers, is just so damn unrelenting and solid. I'd have to think about that one.

 

[cezero]

nole belongs on his own tier.

nadal has won 1 major in the past 2 years, and is fading fast.

federer and murray can still maybe contend with nole in major finals, but neither of them have won a major since 2013. still, i'd put them on the tier right below nole.

tsonga and ferrer are not on the same level as wawrinka.

 

[ElTexan]

Yeah, I was about to say Djok might need his own tier:
Last 20 Slams:
1 Quarter Final
4 Semis
6 Finals
9 Championships

That's pretty damned incredible

 

[bksballer89]

nole belongs on his own tier.

nadal has won 1 major in the past 2 years, and is fading fast.

federer and murray can still maybe contend with nole in major finals, but neither of them have won a major since 2013. still, i'd put them on the tier right below nole.

tsonga and ferrer are not on the same level as wawrinka.

I agree with this.

Maybe there should be 3 tiers?

The Nole Tier, Tier 1, & Tier 2.

Now thinking about it and considering Stan success the last 2 seasons including 2 majors, I would place him in tier 1 with Fed and Murray while placing Rafa in tier 2.

 

[Old Lion]

I would put Kei in the second tier, but barely.

 

[Smart]

Tier 1: Djokovic
Tier 2: Murray, Federer
Tier 3: Wawrinka, Nadal
Tier 4: Nishikori, Berdych, Ferrer, Raonic
Tier 5: Gasquet, Tsonga, Isner, Anderson, Cilic

I won't bother after that, but I think the separation among the top guys is big enough to warrant these tiers.

 

[bksballer89]

Tier 1: Djokovic
Tier 2: Murray, Federer
Tier 3: Wawrinka, Nadal
Tier 4: Nishikori, Berdych, Ferrer, Raonic
Tier 5: Gasquet, Tsonga, Isner, Anderson, Cilic

I won't bother after that, but I think the separation among the top guys is big enough to warrant these tiers.

I would Put Wawrinka in the 2nd tier.

 

[Smart]

I would Put Wawrinka in the 2nd tier.

The ceiling is really high (obviously with the two majors), but he doesn't bring it on a weekly basis like Fed or Murray. Last year was probably the best year of his career and he was still 1,300 points behind Fed playing five more events.

 

[ElTexan]

Ferrer making my case this day.

 

[bksballer89]

Ferrer making my case this day.

Then got destroyed in sets 3 and 4. Way to jinx poor Ferrer

 

[cezero]

I agree with this.

Maybe there should be 3 tiers?

The Nole Tier, Tier 1, & Tier 2.

Now thinking about it and considering Stan success the last 2 seasons including 2 majors, I would place him in tier 1 with Fed and Murray while placing Rafa in tier 2.

I'd say 4 tiers if we're talking about those players.

1: Nole

2: Murray/Fed

3: Wawrinka/Nadal

4: Ferrer/Tsonga

When we're talking about top tier tennis, I think majors are what matters most.

Nole has won 10 majors in 5 years, and has only lost before the semis at a major once in that time. Consistently dominant.

I hesitate to put Fed with Murray since he hasn't won a major in 6 years now. I don't think Fed will ever win another major, but over the past couple of years, they're the only ones to make finals against Nole consistently, and their efforts to dethrone Nole have been pretty equally futile.

I'd give Wawrinka and Nadal about equal shots to win majors. Nadal will be maybe be able to threaten at the French, and Wawrinka can go god mode and beat just about anybody, including the big 3 if he gets hot at the right time.

Ferrer and Tsonga can call it a great tournament if they make the QF.

 

[nuraman00]

Tier 1: Djokovic
Tier 2: Murray, Federer
Tier 3: Wawrinka, Nadal
Tier 4: Nishikori, Berdych, Ferrer, Raonic
Tier 5: Gasquet, Tsonga, Isner, Anderson, Cilic

I won't bother after that, but I think the separation among the top guys is big enough to warrant these tiers.

I would Put Wawrinka in the 2nd tier.

The ceiling is really high (obviously with the two majors), but he doesn't bring it on a weekly basis like Fed or Murray. Last year was probably the best year of his career and he was still 1,300 points behind Fed playing five more events.

Agree with bksballer89. I would put Wawrinka in Tier 2, because of his ceiling.

I would drop Murray to Tier 3, because he's less dangerous to beat the Tier 1 + 2 players. Wawrinka is more likely to beat FED + Djokovic than Murray is.

I don't know what to think of Cilic, pretty inconsistent. Yes he does have holes in his game, but still.

I would put Tsonga to Tier 4.

Also, at first I wanted to remove Gasquet from even Tier 5. But then a tier with Gasquet, Isner, Anderson, and Cilic kind of fits (once Tsonga is removed). Maybe add Monfils in Tier 5 too?

Good thread.

 

[nuraman00]

Ferrer is solid with 4 SFs and 1 Final and 8 QF since 2011. He loses to Murray and Nadal too much (at least the prior version of Nadal). I think he's had a lot of great chances to beat Murray, but hasn't been able to.

2011 AO SF: Loses to Murray in 4 sets, with 2 of them being tiebreakers.

2012 FO: Beats Murray in the QF, but gets dusted by Nadal in the SF and only wins 5 games.

2012 Wimbledon: Loses to Murray in the QF in 4 sets, with 3 of them being tiebreakers. He won 1/3 of those tiebreakers. I was screaming for Ferrer during those points because I thought he was a little better than Murray but couldn't capitalize during the tiebreakers.

I'm just listing some of those rounds (2011 AO and 2012 Wimbledon) where I thought he could have won the match in the round that he lost.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I only see one mention of Bigfoot Raonic.

I'm happy about that. I have a hard time taking him seriously.

 

[Hs0022]

Raonoc will not shine like this much in the future. I just don't get that vibe from him. Kyrgios might do something. But some other new player must rise.