Discussing great tennis players and US Open 2012

I discussing great tennis players and upcoming US Open 2012 with a tennis coach.

Do you think Federer has an edge over the other players, including Djokovic, at the US Open?

Roger Federer is so efficient that he can remain 1-4 for the next few years. I’m not so sure about Rafael Nadal. His physical style may have caught up with him (actually Nadal withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday. Tendinitis has kept him out of action since his stunning loss at Wimbledon in late June).

When do you think is the right time for great players to quit the game?
What is your advice for great players like Federer and the Williams sisters? Is it the right time for them to stop playing while they are still at the top?

No one has quit at the top, or near the top, since Bjorn Borg.

All great tennis players think they have something left because that thinking is what got them there in the first place. I can’t tell someone else when to quit. If the game means enough to them, and they are not risking permanent injury, and people will still pay to watch them, then why not? Venus Williams may be a different story, because her disease can flare up unpredictably.

Do you consider Sharapova as one of the main candidates to win US Open?

Maria Sharapova is just one of half a dozen players who can be ranked #1 if Serena Williams doesn’t play enough tournaments. Regardless of the ranking system, if you asked ten knowledgeable people who the best woman player in the world is, at least nine will say Serena Williams.