Novak Djokovic v Rafael Nadal H2H rivalry ahead of ‘one last dance’ at Paris Games
Tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have set up a mouthwatering meeting at the Paris Olympics in what could be their last-ever meeting in top-level tennis.
It will be the 60th installment of their great rivalry – which is the most prolific in men’s tennis in the Open Era – and their first since their 2022 quarter-final encounter at – you guessed it – Roland Garros.
When asked about a potential meeting with his great rival, Djokovic replied: “It’s gonna be a spectacle if we get to meet,” he said in Paris. “Expect some fireworks on court, like the good old times… I hope we get to meet because it will probably be one last dance for both of us.”
Although Nadal doesn’t see it as their “last dance”, he is excited about their match-up, saying: “Of course it’s beautiful to play against one of the two biggest rivals that I had in my career, especially on this court.”
So let’s look at this “beautiful” rivalry over the years.
First-Ever Meeting In 2006
Rafael Nadal was the defending Roland Garros champion and he came up against a 19-year-old Novak Djokovic in the quarter-final and the match didn’t go the distance as the Serbian retired with a back injury with the score 6-4, 6-4 in Nadal’s favour.
Djokovic then stunned those at the post-match press conference by stating: “I think I was in control of the match.
“I was playing pretty well. Everything was depending on my racket. Even with a sore back, I think I played equal.
“I think I could have won today. He’s not unbeatable.”
Nadal was then asked about Djokovic’s comments and replied: “Oh yes. If he thinks that, it’s okay. I don’t need to answer.”
The Spaniard went on to win the title as he beat Roger Federer in the final.
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Most-Recent Meeting In 2022
Sixteen years later and they again met in the last eight at the French Open and the result was the same although Djokovic did win a set this time with the final score 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Both were a lot more complimentary with Djokovic saying: “Congratulations to Nadal. He was a better player I think in important moments.”
Nadal stated: “It was a very tough match. Novak is one of the best players in history without a doubt. Always to play against him is an amazing challenge. All the history that we have together, today was another one.”
Head-To-Head Over The Years
They have played each other 59 times with Djokovic edging the H2H 30-29.
Nadal at one point had a 14-4 advantage in the rivalry as he won five consecutive matches between 2008 and 2009, but Djokovic was dominant between 2011 and 2012 as he won seven in a row to close the gap to 14-16.
After winning the 2014 French Open final, Nadal was 23-19 ahead before Djokovic won another seven consecutive matches to take a 26-23 lead – an advantage he hasn’t relinquished.
H2H On Clay And At Roland Garros
It is a dominant statistic for Nadal as he leads their rivalry 20-8 on clay while he is 8-2 at Roland Garros, including 3-0 in French Open finals.
Djokovic’s two wins at Roland Garros have come in the 2021 French Open semi-final when he won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 and the 2015 quarter-final (7-5, 6-3, 6-1).
The good news for Djokovic is that he is the only man to beat Nadal twice at Roland Garros with the Spaniard suffering only four losses at the venue.
