Masters Box Set

There are 9 masters: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinatti, Shanghai and Paris.

Novak Djokovic has won 8 of these. He has failed to win Cincinatti, where he is a 4-time finalist. This year's Cincinatti was his first shot at the complete set, since he only won Monte Carlo and Shanghai for the first time within the last 12 months. Impressive to see he has won all the clay ones already, even in this Rafa era.

Rafael Nadal has won 6 of them. He has failed to win Miami, Shanghai and Paris.

Roger Federer has won 6 of them. He has failed to win Monte Carlo, Rome and Shanghai.

Andy Murray has won 4 of them. He has failed to win Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome and Paris.

(Roger and Rafa both won Madrid when it was in the Shanghai slot before Shanghai existed, so it can be argued they have 7 depending on how you look at it.)

Chance of making the complete set in their career. I would say:

Djokovic 70%
Nadal 25%
Murray 10%
Federer 5%

Henman Bill.  Djokovic is a great player!

But there is no argument about Fed and Nadal having 7 rather than 6 because Madrid indoors was replaced by Shanghai. Otherwise what will happen when Paris is replaced with Acapulco? And what about Hamburg? Both Federer and Nadal won that when it was a Masters.

When these events swap and change venues it's difficult to figure out exactly what the boxed set consists of.

Agreed with Hawkeye. The 9 tournaments sanctioned at TMS titles, are played at whatever location they are - it doesn't change the fact that "tournament" is moved. It's still a W in the box for "another" TMS title.

Found the name of Career Golden Masters a little strange. Realise all the tournament people want to make things look bigger and better, generate as much positive PR as possible but don't see what's "golden" about the boxed set (a much more appropriate name.)

Same with "Grand Slam" terminology. The Grand Slam is uniquely the winning of the four major events in the same discipline, in the same calendar year. Each of the four tournaments that would comprise such, are MAJORS! Nit picking, not for me. Grand Slam is bandied about like a common noun, rather than the incredible, near to impossible achievement that it is.

Boxed set then? Winning each of the 9 TMS titles, in whatever "incarnation" they are in, at the time the player wins them. It's not a player's "problem" to have to win the event again in each varying location to which it might move, for either fiscal or logistical reasons.

Good post, I think Novak has the best chance of completing the set something that Federer and Nadal have not accomplished in the game. It is a good accomplishment and an excellent point in your CV. People can claim homogenization of the surfaces, but those same homogenized surfaces existed for Federer and Nadal in their prime and these two players in my opinion are the two greatest players of the open era, so if Novak pulls off the trick it will be a monumental achievement. Especially if he can complete the set of slams as well, he will become the only player who has won every single Slam and first tier event available to him throughout his career.