Many tennis lovers are excited at the prospect of Rafael Nadal taking on Novak Djokovic in the earlier rounds of an ATP tournament or even a Grand Slam in the 2024 season. Nadal has already conceded that he would never be able to match Djokovic in the Grand Slams race. But the World No.1 himself responded positively to his biggest rival’s comeback, claiming that the sport and he would love to see the duo clash again.
It is no secret that Novak Djokovic has been the biggest nemesis for Rafael Nadal, who was considered the best player in the world from 2008 to 2010 especially. If there is one man who has challenged Nadal’s supremacy on his favorite surface, clay, it is the Serbian. If the metric of Nadal’s winning streaks is considered to be beyond 30 matches, then remarkably 4 out of those 5 have been broken by Djokovic.
1. Novak Djokovic stunned Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo 2013 final – 46 matches
This has got to be one of the most memorable wins for Novak Djokovic over Rafael Nadal in the 59 matches they have played against each other. The 24-time Grand Slam champion may live in Monte Carlo, but has just 2 Masters 1000 titles to his name there. And this was largely due to Nadal dominating there.
Novak Djokovic won his first title there in 2013, beating Rafael Nadal in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 in the finale. Many consider that win as an upset win as Nadal was the champion for 8 years in a row before that match. The Spaniard had won 46 back-to-back matches in Monte Carlo, which continues to be a record at the venue.
2. Djokovic denied Nadal potential 6th consecutive French Open win in 2015 – 39 matches
Rafael Nadal had a daunting task of taking on Novak Djokovic in the 2015 French Open quarterfinals. Nadal was seeded sixth coming into the tournament, having notably not won a single title in the clay swing for the first time since 2004. The Spaniard was far from his best game as Djokovic won the match in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.
With the win, Djokovic ended Nadal’s impressive 39-match winning streak at Roland Garros, which had begun from 2010. However, the Serb could not capitalise on the momentum he had gained, as he lost in the final to Stan Wawrinka.
3. Djokovic silenced the Madrid crowd by beating home favorite Nadal in 2011 final – 37 matches
Rafael Nadal losing on home soil in Madrid is a rarity and that too in a clay court match. Novak Djokovic wrote his name in the history books, having the honor of beating the ‘King of Clay’ there, that too in a Masters 1000 final. This one too was a straight sets win, 7-5, 6-4, showing that whenever Djokovic has beaten Nadal on clay, he has mostly done it convincingly.
That loss was Nadal’s first in 37 clay matches up to that one. Prior to that, the Spaniard was knocked out by Robin Soderling in the French Open 2009 Round of 16. On the other hand, Novak Djokovic extended a winning streak of his own, which had swelled up to 32 matches across all surfaces in what eventually turned out to be a memorable, dominant 2011 season for him.
4. Djokovic scored impressive French Open 2021 semifinal win to end Nadal’s third dominant streak – 35 matches
Novak Djokovic had to fight extremely hard to beat defending champion, Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the French Open 2021. Djokovic won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 and on that occasion, made the most of the performance to go to win his 2nd ever title at Roland Garros.
The win almost meant Rafael Nadal losing for the first time in 35 matches at the French Open as that streak began from the 2017 edition of the tournament. This was the 8th win for Djokovic over Nadal in 28 matches on clay.
5. Magnificent Rafael Nadal run in 2008 ended by Novak Djokovic – 32 matches
Rafael Nadal was on the verge of becoming officially the world’s best player as per the ATP rankings. Almost a month after winning one of the best Grand Slam finals of all-time, that too against Roger Federer at Wimbledon, Nadal found himself playing in Cincinnati. The Spaniard hoped for a good preparation for the US Open, as he aimed for his 3rd Grand Slam win of that year.
However, Novak Djokovic was no pushover even at that time, having won the Australian Open earlier that year itself. And Djokovic won 6-1, 7-5, making that loss significant as it did make the Spaniard lose confidence going into the final part of the season despite going to become the World No.1. It ended Rafael Nadal’s 32-match winning streak in 2008 across all surfaces, as the 22-time Grand Slam champion lost before that ironically to the man who is Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Rome Masters 2008.
