Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have one of the best rivalries in tennis history. The two modern-day greats have thrilled the crowd with many incredible matches over the years. Novak Djokovic enjoys a slight advantage in the head-to-head between the two. The Serbian leads the Spaniard 30-29 in their head-to-head encounters. However, it is Rafael Nadal who won the last match between the two at the French Open quarterfinals in 2022.
Rafael Nadal has announced his comeback on the ATP Tour in 2024. The Spaniard has been suffering from an injury that kept him out of the 2023 season. Now, with Nadal back, the tennis fans are excited at the prospect of these two heavyweights to clash again. Fans would hope to see the two tennis icons add some more incredible matches to their already rich collection. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have delivered some of the best matches in tennis history.
Miami Masters Final 2011 – Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal at the Miami Masters final in 2011. The Serbian extended his unbeaten start to the season to go 24-0 after beating the Spaniard. Djokovic lost the first set 4-6, but staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Nadal in the third set tie-break. The Serbian ended up winning the final 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to win the title in Miami.
Madrid Masters Semifinals 2009 – Rafael Nadal
The Madrid Masters semi-final between Djokovic and Nadal is widely regarded as the best clay court match of all-time. At the start of their rivalry, Nadal overcame Djokovic in a three-set thriller to secure a place in the final. After losing the first set 3-6, Nadal came from behind to win two tie-breaks in a row to win the match. The third set tie-break was on a knife’s edge that the Spaniard clinched at 11-9. Nadal won the match 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (11-9) to enter the final but eventually lost to Roger Federer in straight sets.
Australian Open Final 2012 – Novak Djokovic
The Australian Open 2012 final was one for the ages. The two best players at the time, Nadal and Djokovic, thrilled the crowd with magical tennis. Novak Djokovic won the match in thrilling five sets to beat his arch-rival. The Serbian won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5. in a topsy-turvy encounter. This match lasted for 5 hours and 53 minutes, and remains the longest-ever Grand Slam final contested in tennis history so much so that both the players by the end of it, could not stand for long.
French Open Semifinals 2013 – Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal extended his domination on clay by defeating Novak Djokovic in their French Open 2013 semifinal match. The two tennis icons went head-to-head for five sets in a thrilling match. Nadal had a chance to win the match in the fourth set when he was just two points away from victory but the Serbian fought back to win the fourth set. However, Nadal came back in fifth to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 9-7. The Spaniard went on the defeat David Ferrer in the final to claim his eighth French Open title.
Wimbledon Semifinals 2018 – Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11-9), 3-6, 10-8 at Wimbledon in 2018. The Serbian dug deep to get the win against the Spaniard. This match lasted for 5 hours and 15 minutes, and became the second longest Wimbledon semi-final in history. Novak Djokovic went on the defeat Kevin Anderson in the final to win the title.
