The 9 most-played Grand Slam men’s singles final rivalries: ft Nadal-Federer, Djokovic-Nadal

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon
Djokovic vs Nadal and Nadal vs Federer are the most-played Grand Slam final rivalries.

Reaching one Grand Slam final is a significant achievement, but some players have made reaching the greatest stages in tennis look easier than most.

And, some have gone on to face very familiar faces in major finals across their career.

Here, we count down the nine most-played Grand Slam men’s singles final rivalries of the Open Era.

=7) John McEnroe vs Bjorn Borg – 4 finals

H2H: McEnroe 3-1 Borg

One of the most iconic rivalries in tennis history, Borg and McEnroe met in four Grand Slam finals in the early 1980s.

It was tennis icon Borg who won their most famous final at Wimbledon in 1980, though McEnroe would win their three major finals after that.

The American extracted revenge in the 1980 US Open final, before winning both the SW19 and US Open finals against the Swede in 1981.

=7) Jimmy Connors vs Bjorn Borg – 4 finals

H2H: Connors 2-2 Bjorg

Alongside McEnroe, Borg also played Connors four times in Grand Slam singles finals.

The Swede won both their Wimbledon final clashes, winning a five-set final in 1977 and a straight-sets final in 1978.

However, it was Connors who triumphed in front of his home crowd in New York, claiming victory in the 1976 and 1978 US Open finals.

=7) Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick – 4 finals

H2H: Federer 4-0 Roddick

Two of the leading players of the 2000s, Federer and Roddick met in four Grand Slam finals across the decade.

It was the Swiss who won all four clashes, starting with back-to-back SW19 victories in 2004 and 2005 before defeating the American in front of his home crowd at the 2006 US Open.

The closest Roddick came to victory over his nemesis was the 2009 Wimbledon final, where he fell in an epic five-setter.

=4) Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer – 5 finals

H2H: Djokovic 4-1 Federer

Djokovic and Federer met 50 times across their legendary careers, with five of those meetings coming in Grand Slam finals.

It was Federer who won their first final at the 2007 US Open, though Djokovic was able to turn the tables on the Swiss after that.

The Serbian defeated the 20-time major champion in the 2014, 2015, and 2019 Wimbledon finals, while also triumphing at the 2015 US Open.

=4) Ivan Lendl vs Mats Wilander – 5 finals

H2H: Lendl 2-3 Wilander

Lendl and Wilander’s rivalry was one of the most compelling of the 1980s, and it comes as no surprise that the two were so closely matched in Grand Slam finals.

Wilander won their first two major finals at the 1983 Australian Open and 1985 French Open, only for Lendl to triumph at Roland Garros and the US Open in 1987.

The Czech would win one more major than Wilander (eight Slams to seven) but the Swede ultimately held a 3-2 advantage in Slam final meetings, edging a legendary final at the 1988 US Open.

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=4) Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi – 5 finals

H2H: Sampras 4-1 Agassi

Sampras and Agassi defined a legendary era of US men’s tennis and the two were among the greatest players of their generation, meeting in five major finals.

Fourteen-time Slam winner Sampras won four of those clashes, winning US Open finals between the two in 1990, 1995, and 2002, alongside victory in the 1999 Wimbledon final.

However, it was Agassi who won when they met in the 1995 Australian Open final, with the eight-time major champion lifting the first of four titles Down Under.

3) Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray – 7 finals

H2H: Djokovic 5-2 Murray

Murray will be in Djokovic’s player box at the start of 2025, but the two played each other 36 times at the peak of their rivalry – including in the final of all four Grand Slam events.

It was Djokovic who found the most success in their seven finals, winning Australian Open finals in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016, and then beating Murray to complete the Career Slam at the 2016 French Open.

But two of Murray’s greatest wins came over the Serbian in major finals, with the Brit lifting his first Slam at the 2012 US Open – before a historic Wimbledon triumph in 2013.

=1) Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal – 9 finals

H2H: Federer 3-6 Nadal

Joint top of this countdown is Federer vs Nadal, one of the most enduring rivalries the sport has ever produced.

The pair met in nine major finals and, much like the rest of their head-to-head, it is the Spaniard that had the better of their match-ups.

Nadal won six of their major finals, including Roland Garros victories in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011, alongside iconic wins at Wimbledon in 2008 and the 2009 Australian Open.

However, Federer did find some success, winning back-to-back SW19 finals in 2006 and 2007 before his epic triumph at the 2017 Australian Open.

=1) Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal – 9 finals

H2H: Djokovic 4-5 Nadal

Nadal matches himself at the very top of his list, having also played chief rival Djokovic nine times in Grand Slam finals across a total of 60 career meetings.

Again it is the recently-retired Spaniard who leads this final head-to-head, though only by a narrow 5-4 advantage.

He won Roland Garros finals between the two in 2012, 2014, and 2020, while also claiming significant US Open triumphs in 2010 and 2013.

Djokovic defeated Nadal in three straight Slam finals across 2011 Wimbledon, the 2011 US Open, and the 2012 Australian Open, before again beating his main rival at the 2019 Australian Open.

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