Rafael Nadal had a fairly successful campaign at the Bastad Open 2024, though he lost the final to Nuno Borges. The highlight of the tournament was the 4-hour-long quarter-final match he played against Mariano Navone.
Nadal denied Navone a chance to become the second player after Novak Djokovic to beat him in a clay court match longer than 3 hours 30 minutes.
The Bastad Open quarter-final match was a marathon one as Nadal lost the first set in a tiebreaker after bouncing back from being 1-4 down. However, the Spaniard bounced back strongly to win the next two sets, 7-5, 7-5.
It was also the 14-time French Open champion’s 17th match on clay that went longer than 3 hours 30 minutes. Interestingly, out of those 17 matches, Nadal lost only 1.
It was against Djokovic in their French Open 2021 semi-final, which lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes.
Rafael Nadal is now *16-1* in clay-court matches longer than 3 hours 31 minutes:
✅5:14 (Coria)
✅5:05 (Federer)
✅4:53 (Mathieu)
✅4:37 (Djokovic)
✅4:23 (FAA)
✅4:12 (Djokovic)
❌4:11 (Djokovic)
✅4:03 (Djokovic)
✅4:01 (Isner)
✅3:59 (Navone)
✅3:50 (Federer)
✅3:49… pic.twitter.com/Opj5tMlab2— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 19, 2024
However, Rafa maintaining his 16-1 record at the age of 38 and after going through a fitness and health crisis in the past 18 months, is incredible. It just underscores why he is considered to be one of the greatest players to have graced the game.
Although it is possible that Nadal could be up for another marathon match like this on clay before the Spaniard finally calls it a day, it is likely that this particular record will remain with Djokovic.
The iconic Nadal vs Djokovic 2021 French Open semi-final
In one of the best matches of his career, the Serb inflicted just his third French Open defeat of his career on Nadal. Although Rafa did win the first set, Djokovic roared back to win the next three.
It remains one of the 3-time Roland Garros champion’s finest moments.
“Definitely the best match that I was part of ever in Roland Garros for me and top three matches that I ever played in my entire career, considering quality of tennis, playing my biggest rival on the court where he has had so much success and has been the dominant force in the last 15-plus years,” Djokovic said after the match, supporting the widespread belief that this was one of the greatest matches to have been played in French Open history.
The last time Nadal and Djokovic faced off at any event was in the French Open 2022 quarterfinals, where the Spaniard took his revenge and went on to win the title. Will the duo face off at the Paris Olympics? That would be a contest for the ages.
