In the past two decades, men’s tennis has been dominated by these three players: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Most of the Grand Slam and Master titles are shared between them, and they have won multiple Grand Slam tournaments. It is quite rare that any other player apart from them has won a grand slam tournament.
As of now, only Djokovic is an active player, and Federer has retired from the sport. But the Spanish legend, Rafael Nadal, hasn’t left tennis completely and is soon going to make his comeback in the sport. So, we can expect the Djokovic vs Nadal rivalry in the upcoming season. Well, the current No. 1 player, Djokovic, said something that might have put an end to the rivalry.
He said,
“Rafael Nadal is a very special player for me!”
Here is the complete statement: “Rafael Nadal is a very special player for me. He’s not really my friend, but we have respect for each other. I hope that after our careers, we can have a drink on the beach, and talk about life.”
To be honest, they have shared the same stage for over a decade and have proven to be the best. Not only have they shared the stage, but they have played some of the best games in tennis history, which will be remembered for a long time. Several players have tried to join their name in their rivalry but have faced defeat more than victory.
It will be hard to digest that players like them will be leaving the court in a few years. But that is how cruel sports are! Players come and go only their battles and achievements remain on and off the court. So let’s have a quick sneak peek at the rivalry between Djokovic and Nadal.
Djokovic vs Nadal record
| Djokovic | Victory | Nadal |
| 30 | Head-to-Head | 29 |
| 7 | Grand Slam | 11 |
| 3 | World Tour Finals | 2 |
| 16 | Master 1000 | 13 |
| 4 | Other tournaments | 3 |
Also Read: WTA 2024 Schedule Released! Know the complete calendar of the 2024 season
Some Fast Facts
- Their seven encounters have a game time of more than 4 hours, of which three are five hours.
- The longest match between them was 5 hours and 53 minutes.
- Since 2005, they have shared 45 Grand Slam championships between them (Djokovic: 23 and Nadal: 22).
- They are the only two players to win more than 22 Grand Slam titles.
- They are the only two players to win more than 36 Masters titles.
Read More: Andy Murray says, ‘He isn’t going to stop at 24 titles’ after Djokovic’s 24th Grand Slam Title
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