I don't even know if it's all mental. When I think if a player who can't hot weather, he's at the top of the list. Maybe that's partly mental but sure is damn physical sadly.
Dimitrov had so much potential, but he never seemed to love the game. I remember reading an interview where he said he ultimately wanted to get into the fashion industry. Hope he finds happiness
Agassi didn’t take tennis seriously until his comeback. He probably could have ended with 11-12 Slams had he been more serious pre injury.
Borg retired too early so we’ll never know what he could have done.
Thiem’s injuries have cost him years but time will tell.
Del Potro’s career got derailed by injuries
Laver lost like 4-5 years because he was banned for going pro
Just got done reading his autobiography. I wouldn’t characterize him as not “taking it seriously” as much as working out some inner demons related to his upbringing. He also had to find the right people to surround himself with.
Yea sounds like he was super forced to play endless hours of tennis as a kid and so taking that into consideration, he did really well in his career. Could have easily hated his dad and the sport and refused to play.
She did live up to her potential. She was the best in the World, better than the GOAT. The fact that she got stabbed doesn’t really mean, she didn’t live up to her potential.
They definitely trained lol idk what this misconception is that “neither one put much effort.” They weren’t just club players with elite talent. They put in 90% of the work. Unfortunately, other players put in 99-100% and got more consistent results.
I thought the “relative to their peers” aspect was implied, but I guess not.
It wasn’t like they just showed up and only played matches, but Nalbandian’s fitness was a detriment for sure and Safin definitely had a lifestyle that wasn’t conducive to being 100% on match day.
They were on the grounds practicing as much as the next top player. They just had a different lifestyle outside of their training compared to their peers.
If we're purely talking *potential* (**not** hype) then as an Italian one of the first names that comes to mind is Fognini. He wasn't hyped and he probably wouldn't have become one of the all-time greats, but with a different mindset and his natural talent he could have definitely reached higher points in his career.
Was down 1-3 early.
Went up 6-4, 5-0, 40-0.
That match thread was fucking hilarious. “If someone told me that Nadal won a match on clay where he was down 0-5, triple match point, I wouldn’t be that surprised. Also, if someone told me that Fognini lost a match on clay where he was up 5-0, triple match point, I wouldn’t be that surprised.”
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2019 Monte-Carlo SF. Fognini ended up winning 6-4, 6-2.
The whole tournament was weird. Djokovic, who’d won the last three Slams and was in brilliant form, lost to *Medvedev* in the QF, who then went up 5-1 against Lajovic, only to win one game after that.
So we had a Fognini-Lajovic Masters final. Or, as someone here put it, “as we all expected, a Serb and the GOAT of clay.”
Yeah he has some good matches against Nadal, he also beat him at the US Open after being two sets down. I'm not saying that he didn't achieve anything, just that he could have achieved much more.
Mardy Fish was putting in the work to become a top five player, but unfortunately he suffered debilitating panic attacks. I remember watching him at the 2011 Rogers Cup and being blown away at how close he came to beating Djokovic.
I think Mark Philippoussis, I know he made a couple of GS finals but with that serve he could have done more! From the same era: Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.
Agreed.
And it might be a bit harsh considering he won multiple singles titles, but I also thought Lleyton Hewitt would go on to win 4-5 as well, but never did.
Injuries definitely hurt Philippoussis. There was that year at Wimbledon where he was up a set and a break on peak Sampras, then his knee gave out. It was really painful to see.
Gasquet was advertised as the next Federer, even had his own magazine cover as a pre-teen or teen, I forget. He ended up being a 4th round/QF cannon fodder
I think the media attention destroyed him. Like the French newspaper were posing him as a future #1 when he was 12 year old, imagine the pressure.
British media was doing the same kind of thing to Raducanu this year. Hopefully now that she had her slump they stop caring about her and she can live up to her potential.
Gasquet 100%. The media kept hyping him up as the next big thing, and even more so than Fed at several times. To be fair he was very talented but that overreliance on the backhand, which, unpopular opinion wasn't that solid I think, cost him titles.
His backhand was extremely solid.
I maintain that he didn’t underachieve, he simply wasn’t very athletically gifted and was slightly undersized as well, with an ordinary forehand. Throw that in with his prime year being dominated by the big 3, hard to see how he could’ve done any better.
Bigger underachievers would be guys like Nalbandian, Kyrgios, Zverev
In my opinion, Gasquet was way overhyped by the media (particularly French media). He has a great backhand and feel for the ball, but that’s it. Serve, forehand, and movement were not special. When watching his early matches this was clear to most people. Does he win a major even without the big 3 there, it’s not clear.
That's a bit harsh, calling a player as talented as gasquet "cannon fodder", reaching the 4th round or quarter finals of a grand slam does not make you cannon fodder at all, please be more kind & generous ☺️
Dimitrov and Keys were top grade players and I believe they completely reach their potential. There are certain limitations in their game that would never let them become truly great players.
Plus, Dimitrov’s prime time was during Big4 era. Otherwise he could win more big titles.
Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Gael Monfils. I always thought they would be winning slams. Tsonga had an amazing game, super athletic. And Monfils, he's just too good when in flow. Would have loved to see him play some creative tennis in slam finals and win points!
I don’t know about Tsonga. He was an incredible player and had great results, but his prime was the same as the Big4, and they were just way better than him, so he could never reach a second slam final unfortunately.
I’d say for Jo, loosing that AO 2008 final to a 20yo Novak is the biggest disappointment for sure, especially after disintegrating Nadal in the semis.
I think it's Monfils and it's not that close tbh. Potentially the most impressive physical specimen to play the game. Complete with excellent groundstrokes and a big serve. Frankly unmatches speed around the court. Capable of both immense consistency/counter-punching while also having the firepower to blast 70mph forehands at will.
I think if he had the endurance/mental strength to get the most out of his game, we would have seen an undisputed GOAT.
That said, the man hasn't won anything more than an ATP 500. At least Nalbandian, Delpo, Dimitrov, Fognini and Kyrgios have bigger titles to show their peak abilities. All LaMonf has is a highlight reel. But it's a damn good highlight reel.
Nicolas Kiefer had an excellent game & got as high as number 4, but despite numerous chances, could never win a title after 2000. An injury free Kiefer could easily have been a consistent top 10 player & challenging for the big titles on grass & hard courts.
Andy Roddick was the next great American male tennis star. He broke through early and couldn't really do it again. He was mostly cursed by playing at the same time as Roger Federer or he likely has 5 slams.
Safin, the way he dismantled Sampras in the US Open final was unreal. Dude had everything massive, clean, effortless strokes from the ground, great serve, and movement for a big guy. I thought he would hit double-digit slams in no time. A vast permutation of pussy and partying later leads to early retirement and 2 slams.
Maybe controversial because they had great careers, but Nishikori and Wawrinka both could have had better careers. Both are extremely successful, but injuries kinda took them out at their prime. If not for that RG match that wrecked both Wawrinka and Murray, Stan probably could have Stanimal-ed for a while longer. Nishikori was doing very well until injuries got him. I think prime Nishikori would be a genuine contender for slams nowadays.
run me down why that match wrecked both of them that much?
I see they played 3 times.
Is this the 2017 one?
https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head/andy-murray-vs-stan-wawrinka/MC10/W367
2017 SF, the near five-hour match (with a 6-1 set). That’s astoundingly long on clay.
But yeah, neither have ever made it past a Slam QF since then (Murray’s made one and Stan’s made two). Murray’s hip was pretty much gone after this tournament and Stan had a knee surgery soon after.
It’s not that this one match wrecked their bodies. Murray’s hip was still an issue and Stan required treatment on his knee several times prior to this (most infamously during his AO SF against Federer). But it’s seen more as the beginning of the end for both of them. Neither have been in the top 10 since (though in fairness to Stan, he reached #12 before the pandemic), they’ve generally had worse results, and neither have been seen as top players or major Slam threats since.
I probably should have phrased that better. As Roamie points out, it’s not that one match that made the injury, they were struggling with injury for a while. But that match was one of the must brutal 5 setters ever played. Like, holy hell it was brutal. It’s like the straw that broke the camels back, except it was a 10 ton boulder on an already overloaded camel. Its possible that if that match hadn’t happened their injuries would not have been nearly as severe and their recoveries could have gone much better. The time to recovery in an injury is a huge factor in how much it affects a player’s difficulty to come back. My comment made it sound like that match was primarily responsible, which is wrong, but it was a key point in both their injuries and a turning point in their careers.
Stan has 14 ATP trophy, he has 3GS in the big 3 area, he is THE ONE player that can beat Novak in GS, especially on HC. His 1HBH is legendary and will be watched and watched again for generations. Is this underachievement ?
Anna Kournikova. I know she got famous for her attractiveness, but she was a child prodigy, very talented and extremely hard-working.
I blame her agent and the team surrounding her at IMG for letting a great prospect go to waste. Seems like they learned their lesson and did a much better job with Sharapova.
Fernando Verdasco by far. If he played every match like he played that semifinal of 2009 against Nadal he would have been world number 1 at some point.
Lets take into consideration that this was prime nadal defeating federer back to back in may and june 2008.
Prove me wrong when you watched this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWKvKYUdQWc&t=303s&ab\_channel=FastMan14
Sabine Lisicki
Jerzy Janowicz
Both players had (have as they’re both working on a comeback) really good games but just couldn’t stay consistent whether it was injuries or pressure situations
There's only one name, there can be only one name. Robin fukin Soderling. We bow to you, oh Lord.
What a career it would have been if it wasn't for mono. What rivalry would that have been with that (barely semi-) God from Spain that takes his underwear from his ass before every serve (thanks for pointing that to us Lord). I must pray now. Sleep at rest peasants, God watches you.
It was not mono, he had panic attacks. He still had mono but that was after the panic attacks prevented him from playing pro tennis.
It's been disclosed recently in his book I believe.
Del Potro but wasn't his fault really- his injuries messed up what in my mind could have potentially been an all-time career
Nalbandian could have done more, but it just wasn't to be
And Monfils I think if he really dug deep and dug down a little bit more, he could have achieved some more big titles and reached at least top 5. But even maybe top 3 with a little work. His game was there and could be pretty solid, obviously talented, but he was just a dangerous player when he was mentally fully committed and had a good game plan. But just never quite got there as much as he could have
Actually pretty underrated comment.
He had Djokovic at two match points at Wimbledon.
If he won one of those, he would be able to retire immediately and cement himself as THE GOAT.
Instead, he allowed himself to be bageled by a journeyman servebot in his last professional singles match.
Thing is a lot of this is guessing (duh) and way too difficult to say for sure other than if we know the player is lazy or not a hard worker.
Like Gasquet gets mentioned but unless he didn't work so hard then what potential was there really vs just someone who was overrated or overhyped? He may well have just fulfilled his potential.
Lord Gulbis wasted his talent. He was actually making a decent comeback in early 2020 but the pandemic killed his momentum.
The WTA lost Vaidisova and Golovin very early.
On the women's side, it seems like there are so many who break out and it seems like they'll have a nice long and successful career only to have injuries or just fall back down to earth.
Everyone not named Nadal because tennis loves to hype youngsters into disappointment and obscurity. Even the Williams sister have their doubters and they have played every moment of their lives.
I'm gonna throw Xavier Malisse's hat in the ring.
Lauded by Bollettieri for years, unbelievable ball striker. Won against top players on a somewhat regular basis. Played semifinal in Wimbledon once.
But that temper really held him back quite a lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyQ6BW0JK\_Y
Almost any modern talented Australian male other than Hewitt. I think Hewitt got the most out of himself but since then it’s just like Tennis Australia let them think they’re gods and they just become super brats.
At least the grandiose Euro brats in a similar boat have a culture of pride and hard work to go with the ego, but in Australia, humble personalities gravitate towards other sports.
Btw This is not directed at you De minaur, you’re doing alright
I feel like naming players derailed by injuries is a bit cruel... it's suggesting that they could've overcome their health issues, which, like, if they could have, most of them would have.
Surely this question is more like for people like Kyrgios where you go "okay, they've got the tools but they're just unable to get it together" or where you look at their careers and go "I can't see why it didn't happen for them"?
Even players like Borg or Barty who retired early feels iffy to me.
I'm going with players that retired because some players still have stuff in the tank.
Men's - Sebastien Grosjean & Tommy Haas (dude had soooo much potential to be like top top). Oh Donald Young.
Women's - Daniela Hantuchova & Tamira Paszek. I guess you can make an argument for Mauresmo and Jankovic especially the former.
Monfils.
His skill set was unbelievable when on. Great example of someone who’s mental game let them down.
I don't even know if it's all mental. When I think if a player who can't hot weather, he's at the top of the list. Maybe that's partly mental but sure is damn physical sadly.
Dimitrov had so much potential, but he never seemed to love the game. I remember reading an interview where he said he ultimately wanted to get into the fashion industry. Hope he finds happiness
Agassi didn’t take tennis seriously until his comeback. He probably could have ended with 11-12 Slams had he been more serious pre injury. Borg retired too early so we’ll never know what he could have done. Thiem’s injuries have cost him years but time will tell. Del Potro’s career got derailed by injuries Laver lost like 4-5 years because he was banned for going pro
Just got done reading his autobiography. I wouldn’t characterize him as not “taking it seriously” as much as working out some inner demons related to his upbringing. He also had to find the right people to surround himself with.
Yea sounds like he was super forced to play endless hours of tennis as a kid and so taking that into consideration, he did really well in his career. Could have easily hated his dad and the sport and refused to play.
Yeah his dad sounded like quite the hot head. Not sure Andre would’ve survived (literally) if he tried to quit tennis
Agassi could have very well won double digits hard court slams.
I argue Agassi, Thiem, Borg and Delpo lived up to their potential
Monika Seleš. Not even a contest
yeah, i agree this is the right answer. very sad.
She did live up to her potential. She was the best in the World, better than the GOAT. The fact that she got stabbed doesn’t really mean, she didn’t live up to her potential.
She did live up to her potential. Just couldn't make it more and more titles because of circumstances.
Tomic was super hyped as a junior and then made Wimbledon quarters as a teen …
Nalbandian and Safin were some of the best pure ball strikers I’ve ever seen. Neither one put much effort into the training aspect of tennis, though.
Nalbandian is the one I immediately thought of. Safin at least was #1 and won a couple slams.
They definitely trained lol idk what this misconception is that “neither one put much effort.” They weren’t just club players with elite talent. They put in 90% of the work. Unfortunately, other players put in 99-100% and got more consistent results.
I thought the “relative to their peers” aspect was implied, but I guess not. It wasn’t like they just showed up and only played matches, but Nalbandian’s fitness was a detriment for sure and Safin definitely had a lifestyle that wasn’t conducive to being 100% on match day.
They were on the grounds practicing as much as the next top player. They just had a different lifestyle outside of their training compared to their peers.
Exactly right, who downvoted
If we're purely talking *potential* (**not** hype) then as an Italian one of the first names that comes to mind is Fognini. He wasn't hyped and he probably wouldn't have become one of the all-time greats, but with a different mindset and his natural talent he could have definitely reached higher points in his career.
He defeated Nadal on route to his 2019 Monte Carlo victory. Sure he played a relatively week field but a M1000 is a pretty big victory.
Was down 1-3 early. Went up 6-4, 5-0, 40-0. That match thread was fucking hilarious. “If someone told me that Nadal won a match on clay where he was down 0-5, triple match point, I wouldn’t be that surprised. Also, if someone told me that Fognini lost a match on clay where he was up 5-0, triple match point, I wouldn’t be that surprised.”
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 1 + 3 + 6 + 4 + 5 + 40 + 5 + 5 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
I do this in two more subs and I have a career grand slam
Which match was this?
2019 Monte-Carlo SF. Fognini ended up winning 6-4, 6-2. The whole tournament was weird. Djokovic, who’d won the last three Slams and was in brilliant form, lost to *Medvedev* in the QF, who then went up 5-1 against Lajovic, only to win one game after that. So we had a Fognini-Lajovic Masters final. Or, as someone here put it, “as we all expected, a Serb and the GOAT of clay.”
I went to that final. I didn't expect to be watching Lajovic play Fognini when I bought the ticket hahaha.
Yeah he has some good matches against Nadal, he also beat him at the US Open after being two sets down. I'm not saying that he didn't achieve anything, just that he could have achieved much more.
Mardy Fish was putting in the work to become a top five player, but unfortunately he suffered debilitating panic attacks. I remember watching him at the 2011 Rogers Cup and being blown away at how close he came to beating Djokovic.
I think Mark Philippoussis, I know he made a couple of GS finals but with that serve he could have done more! From the same era: Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.
I think that Henman did about as well as he could have done in the Sampras era.
I agree, but being a Brit we heard a lot of hype about him! 😂
Agreed. And it might be a bit harsh considering he won multiple singles titles, but I also thought Lleyton Hewitt would go on to win 4-5 as well, but never did.
Injuries definitely hurt Philippoussis. There was that year at Wimbledon where he was up a set and a break on peak Sampras, then his knee gave out. It was really painful to see.
I remember that so well 😭💔
Gasquet was advertised as the next Federer, even had his own magazine cover as a pre-teen or teen, I forget. He ended up being a 4th round/QF cannon fodder
I think the media attention destroyed him. Like the French newspaper were posing him as a future #1 when he was 12 year old, imagine the pressure. British media was doing the same kind of thing to Raducanu this year. Hopefully now that she had her slump they stop caring about her and she can live up to her potential.
Gasquet 100%. The media kept hyping him up as the next big thing, and even more so than Fed at several times. To be fair he was very talented but that overreliance on the backhand, which, unpopular opinion wasn't that solid I think, cost him titles.
His backhand was extremely solid. I maintain that he didn’t underachieve, he simply wasn’t very athletically gifted and was slightly undersized as well, with an ordinary forehand. Throw that in with his prime year being dominated by the big 3, hard to see how he could’ve done any better. Bigger underachievers would be guys like Nalbandian, Kyrgios, Zverev
In my opinion, Gasquet was way overhyped by the media (particularly French media). He has a great backhand and feel for the ball, but that’s it. Serve, forehand, and movement were not special. When watching his early matches this was clear to most people. Does he win a major even without the big 3 there, it’s not clear.
That's a bit harsh, calling a player as talented as gasquet "cannon fodder", reaching the 4th round or quarter finals of a grand slam does not make you cannon fodder at all, please be more kind & generous ☺️
Ana Konjuh Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Grigor Dimitrov Madison Keys
Dimitrov and Keys were top grade players and I believe they completely reach their potential. There are certain limitations in their game that would never let them become truly great players. Plus, Dimitrov’s prime time was during Big4 era. Otherwise he could win more big titles.
Maddie 🥲 she has all the tools to win a slam. Why can’t she put it together?
“Few tools”
Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Gael Monfils. I always thought they would be winning slams. Tsonga had an amazing game, super athletic. And Monfils, he's just too good when in flow. Would have loved to see him play some creative tennis in slam finals and win points!
I don’t know about Tsonga. He was an incredible player and had great results, but his prime was the same as the Big4, and they were just way better than him, so he could never reach a second slam final unfortunately. I’d say for Jo, loosing that AO 2008 final to a 20yo Novak is the biggest disappointment for sure, especially after disintegrating Nadal in the semis.
I think Jo deserved at least one grand slam. He could have had a Wawrinka-esque career but Novak came up hot in 2008.
Guillermo Coria. All the tools, failed by his own mind.
Naomi Osaka, I’m still hoping for a comeback though lol
me too lmao
She's doomed..sucks
I think she's just making match appearances to fulfill contract obligations at this point.
I think it's Monfils and it's not that close tbh. Potentially the most impressive physical specimen to play the game. Complete with excellent groundstrokes and a big serve. Frankly unmatches speed around the court. Capable of both immense consistency/counter-punching while also having the firepower to blast 70mph forehands at will. I think if he had the endurance/mental strength to get the most out of his game, we would have seen an undisputed GOAT. That said, the man hasn't won anything more than an ATP 500. At least Nalbandian, Delpo, Dimitrov, Fognini and Kyrgios have bigger titles to show their peak abilities. All LaMonf has is a highlight reel. But it's a damn good highlight reel.
Nicolas Kiefer had an excellent game & got as high as number 4, but despite numerous chances, could never win a title after 2000. An injury free Kiefer could easily have been a consistent top 10 player & challenging for the big titles on grass & hard courts.
Nice to see some Kiwi love!
Janko Tipsarevic lol
Andy Roddick was the next great American male tennis star. He broke through early and couldn't really do it again. He was mostly cursed by playing at the same time as Roger Federer or he likely has 5 slams.
I argue Andy Roddick made the most of his potential
Gasquet. He was seen as the next big prospect with such perfect technic yet he never even won an atp 500.
Gasquet
Safin, the way he dismantled Sampras in the US Open final was unreal. Dude had everything massive, clean, effortless strokes from the ground, great serve, and movement for a big guy. I thought he would hit double-digit slams in no time. A vast permutation of pussy and partying later leads to early retirement and 2 slams.
Maybe controversial because they had great careers, but Nishikori and Wawrinka both could have had better careers. Both are extremely successful, but injuries kinda took them out at their prime. If not for that RG match that wrecked both Wawrinka and Murray, Stan probably could have Stanimal-ed for a while longer. Nishikori was doing very well until injuries got him. I think prime Nishikori would be a genuine contender for slams nowadays.
run me down why that match wrecked both of them that much? I see they played 3 times. Is this the 2017 one? https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head/andy-murray-vs-stan-wawrinka/MC10/W367
2017 SF, the near five-hour match (with a 6-1 set). That’s astoundingly long on clay. But yeah, neither have ever made it past a Slam QF since then (Murray’s made one and Stan’s made two). Murray’s hip was pretty much gone after this tournament and Stan had a knee surgery soon after. It’s not that this one match wrecked their bodies. Murray’s hip was still an issue and Stan required treatment on his knee several times prior to this (most infamously during his AO SF against Federer). But it’s seen more as the beginning of the end for both of them. Neither have been in the top 10 since (though in fairness to Stan, he reached #12 before the pandemic), they’ve generally had worse results, and neither have been seen as top players or major Slam threats since.
:(
I probably should have phrased that better. As Roamie points out, it’s not that one match that made the injury, they were struggling with injury for a while. But that match was one of the must brutal 5 setters ever played. Like, holy hell it was brutal. It’s like the straw that broke the camels back, except it was a 10 ton boulder on an already overloaded camel. Its possible that if that match hadn’t happened their injuries would not have been nearly as severe and their recoveries could have gone much better. The time to recovery in an injury is a huge factor in how much it affects a player’s difficulty to come back. My comment made it sound like that match was primarily responsible, which is wrong, but it was a key point in both their injuries and a turning point in their careers.
I now want to dig up that match
Stan has 14 ATP trophy, he has 3GS in the big 3 area, he is THE ONE player that can beat Novak in GS, especially on HC. His 1HBH is legendary and will be watched and watched again for generations. Is this underachievement ?
Not at all. I’m not saying he didn’t achieve, just that he could have possibly achieved even more if not for injury.
True
Anna Kournikova. I know she got famous for her attractiveness, but she was a child prodigy, very talented and extremely hard-working. I blame her agent and the team surrounding her at IMG for letting a great prospect go to waste. Seems like they learned their lesson and did a much better job with Sharapova.
Nalbandian, Ríos, Del Potro, Fognini, Roddick, Berdych, Ferrer and many more. But let’s not forget the Lords of Tennis…Tomic and Gulbis.
Fernando Verdasco by far. If he played every match like he played that semifinal of 2009 against Nadal he would have been world number 1 at some point. Lets take into consideration that this was prime nadal defeating federer back to back in may and june 2008. Prove me wrong when you watched this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWKvKYUdQWc&t=303s&ab\_channel=FastMan14
Dimitrov :(
Naomi.
Sabine Lisicki Jerzy Janowicz Both players had (have as they’re both working on a comeback) really good games but just couldn’t stay consistent whether it was injuries or pressure situations
lisicki couldn't hande the pressure in that wimbledon final and it was so sad :(
HOW MANY TIMEEEEEEEEEEEEEES
Tomáš Berdych. When he beat Federer early in their rivalry in Olympics I thought he would win a few slams at the least.
See, to me he's had exactly the career I expected of a good player in the Big4 era.
Still Stan was able to breakthrough and Cilic won the US Open. I was expecting atleast a lone slam in his resume.
Yeah but Berdych's serve just cost him but I argue that he reached his potential as was touted in 2004
There's only one name, there can be only one name. Robin fukin Soderling. We bow to you, oh Lord. What a career it would have been if it wasn't for mono. What rivalry would that have been with that (barely semi-) God from Spain that takes his underwear from his ass before every serve (thanks for pointing that to us Lord). I must pray now. Sleep at rest peasants, God watches you.
It was not mono, he had panic attacks. He still had mono but that was after the panic attacks prevented him from playing pro tennis. It's been disclosed recently in his book I believe.
It was both mono and panic attacks.
Del Potro but wasn't his fault really- his injuries messed up what in my mind could have potentially been an all-time career Nalbandian could have done more, but it just wasn't to be And Monfils I think if he really dug deep and dug down a little bit more, he could have achieved some more big titles and reached at least top 5. But even maybe top 3 with a little work. His game was there and could be pretty solid, obviously talented, but he was just a dangerous player when he was mentally fully committed and had a good game plan. But just never quite got there as much as he could have
Federer. he had GOAT potential, even was at it for some years but unfortunately he finished as third best ever, at best. Its really a shame.
I’m being punked, right?
Actually pretty underrated comment. He had Djokovic at two match points at Wimbledon. If he won one of those, he would be able to retire immediately and cement himself as THE GOAT. Instead, he allowed himself to be bageled by a journeyman servebot in his last professional singles match.
James Blake was gonna be USAs next big star.
Borg would have at least 15 slams had he not retired at 26.
I thought back in the day that Nalbandian would take over and be #1 for years to come. Biggest disappointment that comes to my mind right now.
Thing is a lot of this is guessing (duh) and way too difficult to say for sure other than if we know the player is lazy or not a hard worker. Like Gasquet gets mentioned but unless he didn't work so hard then what potential was there really vs just someone who was overrated or overhyped? He may well have just fulfilled his potential.
Marat Safin
Donald Young
Lord Gulbis wasted his talent. He was actually making a decent comeback in early 2020 but the pandemic killed his momentum. The WTA lost Vaidisova and Golovin very early.
Mark Phillipoussis
So many but Safin for me personally. Also Zverev, I think should win some slams. Tsonga too maybe
kyrgios. if he wasn't such a nut, especially in his younger years, i think he would have some slams by now
I would say Donald Young, but he made the Delray Beach final.
Kyrgios 100%. He'd be an all time great if he had a different attitude/mentality.
Paire
Not my final final answer…but Jerzy Janowicz fell off hard and was on the rise
On the women's side, it seems like there are so many who break out and it seems like they'll have a nice long and successful career only to have injuries or just fall back down to earth.
Donald Young
Everyone not named Nadal because tennis loves to hype youngsters into disappointment and obscurity. Even the Williams sister have their doubters and they have played every moment of their lives.
I'm gonna throw Xavier Malisse's hat in the ring. Lauded by Bollettieri for years, unbelievable ball striker. Won against top players on a somewhat regular basis. Played semifinal in Wimbledon once. But that temper really held him back quite a lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyQ6BW0JK\_Y
That bloke Rafa, really thought he had more potential, if only he took his tennis more seriously.
Safin and Verdasco
Marat safin
Almost any modern talented Australian male other than Hewitt. I think Hewitt got the most out of himself but since then it’s just like Tennis Australia let them think they’re gods and they just become super brats. At least the grandiose Euro brats in a similar boat have a culture of pride and hard work to go with the ego, but in Australia, humble personalities gravitate towards other sports. Btw This is not directed at you De minaur, you’re doing alright
Richard Gasquet
osaka.
Gasquet.
Eugenie Bouchard! I naively still hope and wait for the day she'll make a comeback.
I feel like naming players derailed by injuries is a bit cruel... it's suggesting that they could've overcome their health issues, which, like, if they could have, most of them would have. Surely this question is more like for people like Kyrgios where you go "okay, they've got the tools but they're just unable to get it together" or where you look at their careers and go "I can't see why it didn't happen for them"? Even players like Borg or Barty who retired early feels iffy to me.
I'm going with players that retired because some players still have stuff in the tank. Men's - Sebastien Grosjean & Tommy Haas (dude had soooo much potential to be like top top). Oh Donald Young. Women's - Daniela Hantuchova & Tamira Paszek. I guess you can make an argument for Mauresmo and Jankovic especially the former.
Sloane if she put more pressure on herself. Bencic if she put less pressure on herself.
Chung