Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have enjoyed an epic rivalry in tennis. The two tennis stars have played out some classic matches on the biggest of stages in tennis history. Recently, Nadal admitted that Djokovic is the GOAT of tennis when it comes to numbers and titles. Although both the stars are highly competitive, they share great respect for each other.
Both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have some impressive stats to their names in this rivalry. However, Nadal has one record that Djokovic is yet to match. Nadal’s absence in the 2023 season has allowed Djokovic to motor ahead with more titles in this rivalry. But with Nadal set to return, both the players will be excited to resume this great rivalry.
Nadal 2 – Djokovic 0 in bagel set wins
In tennis, a bagel set occurs when a player wins a set 6-0, leaving their opponent with a bagel on the scoreboard. What’s amazing is that, despite Djokovic’s remarkable success against Nadal, Nadal has accomplished this feat not once, but twice against him.
Rafael Nadal served two bagels to Novak Djokovic, both on clay courts. The first bagel happened in the 2019 Italian Masters, when Nadal won in three sets. The second bagel happened in the first set of the 2020 French Open final. The Spaniard emerged triumphant in that match as well.
The first ever BAGEL in one of the Nadal vs Djokovic matches.
Absolutely Peak Rafa.🔥💥 pic.twitter.com/PWCHDboUEE— Hombre Nadal 🐂🇪🇸 (@HombreNadal) May 19, 2019
Rafael Nadal serving a bagel to Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros Final 2020 ! 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/kXMpXGZxxa
— Loli (@LoliLondon) April 27, 2021
Rafael Nadal, the all-time King of bagel sets?
Rafael Nadal leads the Big-3 in bagels scored. He ranks seventh in the all-time list of players with 120 bagels served. He and Jimmy Connors are tied for third on the list of bagels scored in Grand Slam competitions. Nadal also has a unique distinction of having conceded the most bagels among the Big 3. Nadal has lost a set 0-6, 15 times in his career.
Some of the players that Nadal has achieved a bagel against include Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kei Nishikori. Nadal famously served Tsonga a bagel at Shanghai but ended up losing the match.
Amongst the Big 3, Roger Federer has served the Spaniard a bagel three times on three different surfaces. He first got the bagel against Nadal during the opening set of the 2006 Wimbledon final. Federer won that match.
The second bagel came in the fifth set of the 2007 Hamburg Open final. The next bagel appeared in the second set of their World Tour Finals match in 2011, which again Federer won. On the other hand, Rafael Nadal gave Roger Federer a bagel in the 2008 French Open final, which the 22-time Grand Slam champion won for the fourth time in a row.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer once gave Novak Djokovic a bagel. This was in the 2012 Cincinnati Open final, that was won by Federer as he closed out the match in straight sets soon after.
Roger Federer has 95 bagels, which puts him 11th in the all-time list in the history of the sport. But Novak Djokovic is ahead of Roger Federer, ranked 9th in the all-time list with 110 bagels scored in his career. The Serbian legend has 43 bagels in Grand Slams, out of those 110.
