The seven biggest rivalries in men's tennis, part 7: Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal
We look back on rivalries that have shaped tennis. Part seven of our, of course extremely subjective, review: the two best players of the present - Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal .
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Mar 24, 2020, 09:36 am
The meetings between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have become rarer over the years - in the past almost four years, the two legends have only faced each other on six occasions, most recently in the final of the ATP Cup in Sydney. The total work of art Djokovic-Nadal is, however, a mosaic with 54 individual parts, of which we want to pull out three at random.
As if there was the semi-final meeting in Wimbledon 2018: Kevin Anderson and John Isner had played their entry fee down to the last penny in the first game of the day, that it was basically dark when Djokovic and Nadal were finally allowed to get there. After a long time, however, the Serb and his Spanish opponent decided once again to deliver great drama. First under the roof and with floodlights on Friday, in the sequel also as an indoor event, because this is what the regulations require. Much to the annoyance of Rafael Nadal, who would have loved to defy nature on Saturday in bright sunshine. Djokovic won 10: 8 in the fifth set and easily won the title on Church Road a day later against Anderson.
Djokovic fails in 2013 in Paris to Nadal
Time jump to 2013 for the semi-finals in Roland Garros: Until then, only Robin Söderling had managed to defeat Rafael Nadal on ashes in Paris, Novak Djokovic wanted to do the same. And worked out chance after chance - only to have to say goodbye 7: 9 in the fifth set (in 2015 Djokovic finally managed to beat a not very fit Nadal at the French Open).
From Rafael Nadal's point of view, it was something like balancing justice: 16 months earlier, he and Djokovic had fought a battle for several hours in the final in Melbourne, which the Serb won 7-5 in the decision set. Two days after a marathon that Djokovic won against Andy Murray. For the award ceremony, Nadal and Djokovic requested seating for their battered bodies.
Two of the three most successful players of all time
Novak Djokovic has won all, really all relevant titles on the ATP tour in his career. Rafael Nadal's record shows a few minor white spots (such as the ATP Finals or the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami), but be that as it may: Both of them will go down in the annals as two of the three most successful players of all time, probably even in places one and two. So what's left for the rivalry?
Maybe Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic would like to hit hard court again - since the US Open 2013 the left-hander has been waiting for a success on this surface. And maybe Djokovic would like to be the one who finally ends the reign of Nadal in Roland Garros. In 2020 this could be a hussar ride: Because the second major of the year is supposed to take place just a week after the end of the US Open. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are most likely to succeed if someone manages to cope with the physical exertion and successfully play tennis there and there.
The facts
| Novak Djokovic | Rafael Nadal | |
| Year of birth | 1987 | 1986 |
| Title on the ATP tour | 79 (including 17 Grand Slam titles) | 85 (including 19 Grand Slam titles) |
| Head-to-head overall | 29 | 26 |
Encounters on the ATP tour
| year | Tournament (rubber) | winner | Result |
| 2020 | ATP Cup, Sydney (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 2, 7: 6 |
| 2019 | Rome (sand) | Nadal | 6: 0, 4: 6, 6: 1 |
| 2019 | Australian Open (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 2, 6: 3 |
| 2018 | Wimbledon (lawn) | Djokovic | 6: 4, 3: 6, 7: 6, 3: 6, 10: 8 |
| 2018 | Rome (sand) | Nadal | 7: 6, 6: 3 |
| 2017 | Madrid (sand) | Nadal | 6: 2, 6: 4 |
| 2016 | Rome (sand) | Djokovic | 7: 5, 7: 6 |
| 2016 | Indian Wells (hard court) | Djokovic | 7: 6, 6: 2 |
| 2016 | Doha (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 1, 6: 3 |
| 2015 | ATP finals (hall, hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 3 |
| 2015 | Beijing (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 2, 6: 2 |
| 2015 | Roland Garros (sand) | Djokovic | 7: 5, 6: 3, 6: 1 |
| 2015 | Monte Carlo (sand) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 3 |
| 2014 | Roland Garros (sand) | Nadal | 3: 6, 7: 5, 6: 2, 6: 4 |
| 2014 | Rome (sand) | Djokovic | 4: 6, 6: 3, 6: 3 |
| 2014 | Miami (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 3 |
| 2013 | ATP finals (hall, hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 4 |
| 2013 | Beijing (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 4 |
| 2013 | US Open (hard court) | Nadal | 6: 2, 3: 6, 6: 4, 6: 1 |
| 2013 | Toronto (hard court) | Nadal | 6: 4, 3: 6, 7: 6 |
| 2013 | Roland Garros (sand) | Nadal | 6: 4, 3: 6, 6: 1, 6: 7, 9: 7 |
| 2013 | Monte Carlo (sand) | Djokovic | 6: 2, 7: 6 |
| 2012 | Roland Garros (sand) | Nadal | 6: 4, 6: 3, 2: 6, 7: 5 |
| 2012 | Rome (sand) | Nadal | 7: 5, 6: 3 |
| 2012 | Monte Carlo (sand) | Nadal | 6: 3, 6: 1 |
| 2012 | Australian Open (hard court) | Djokovic | 5: 7, 6: 4, 6: 2, 6: 7, 7: 5 |
| 2011 | US Open (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 2, 6: 4, 6: 7, 6: 1 |
| 2011 | Wimbledon (lawn) | Djokovic | 6: 4, 6: 1, 1: 6, 6: 3 |
| 2011 | Rome (sand) | Djokovic | 6: 4, 6: 4 |
| 2011 | Madrid (sand) | Djokovic | 7: 5, 6: 4 |
| 2011 | Miami (hard court) | Djokovic | 4: 6, 6: 3, 7: 6 |
| 2011 | Indian Wells (hard court) | Djokovic | 4: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2 |
| 2010 | ATP finals (hall, hard court) | Nadal | 7: 5, 6: 2 |
| 2010 | US Open (hard court) | Nadal | 6: 4, 5: 7, 6: 4, 6: 2 |
| 2009 | ATP finals (hall, hard court) | Djokovic | 7: 6, 6: 3 |
| 2009 | Paris-Bercy (Halle, Hartplatz) | Djokovic | 6: 2, 6: 3 |
| 2009 | Cincinnati (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 1, 6: 4 |
| 2009 | Rome (sand) | Nadal | 3: 6, 7: 6, 7: 6 |
| 2009 | Madrid (sand) | Nadal | 7: 6, 6: 2 |
| 2009 | Monte Carlo (sand) | Nadal | 6: 3, 2: 6, 6: 1 |
| 2009 | Davis Cup (sand) | Nadal | 6: 4, 6: 4, 6.1 |
| 2008 | Beijing Olympics (Hard Court) | Nadal | 6: 4, 1: 6, 6: 4 |
| 2008 | Cincinnati (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 1, 7: 5 |
| 2008 | Queen's Club (lawn) | Nadal | 7: 6, 7: 5 |
| 2008 | Roland Garros (sand) | Nadal | 6: 4, 6: 2, 7: 6 |
| 2008 | Hamburg (sand) | Nadal | 7: 5, 2: 6, 6: 2 |
| 2008 | Indian Wells (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 2 |
| 2007 | ATP finals (hall, hard court) | Nadal | 6: 4, 6: 4 |
| 2007 | Toronto (hard court) | Djokovic | 7: 5, 6: 3 |
| 2007 | Wimbledon (lawn) | Nadal | 3: 6, 6: 4, 4: 1, task |
| 2007 | Roland Garros (sand) | Nadal | 7: 5, 6: 4, 6: 2 |
| 2007 | Rome (sand) | Nadal | 6: 2, 6: 3 |
| 2007 | Miami (hard court) | Djokovic | 6: 3, 6: 4 |
| 2007 | Indian Wells (hard court) | Nadal | 6: 2, 7: 5 |
| 2006 | Roland Garros (sand) | Nadal | 6: 4, 6: 4, task |
The biggest rivalries in men's tennis , part 1: Laver vs Rosewall
The biggest rivalries in men's tennis, part 2: Borg vs McEnroe
The biggest rivalries in men's tennis, part 3: Connors vs Lendl
The biggest rivalries in men's tennis, part 4: Becker vs Edberg
The biggest rivalries in men's tennis, part 5: Sampras vs Agassi
The biggest rivalries in men's tennis, part 6: Federer vs Nadal
The biggest rivalries in men's tennis, part 7: Djokovic vs Nadal