Very few rivalries in tennis have lived up to the Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic rivalry. It all started at the Miami Masters 2007 when Djokovic won against Nadal in the quarter-final by 6-3, 6-4. Interestingly enough, Nadal never beat Djokovic in the Miami Masters. Their head-to-head stands at 30-29, with Djokovic in the lead. Although it’s a close competition, it isn’t close at all when it comes to the Miami Open.
Heading back to the 2014 edition of the Miami Masters, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic played in the finals. This was Nadal’s 4th Miami Masters final appearance, whereas it was Djokovic’s 5th time in the finals. The difference was, that Djokovic had already won 3 out of his previous 4 final appearances, whereas Nadal had never won the Miami Open.
This time too, Djokovic defeated Nadal quite comfortably in straight sets of 6-3, 6-3, which marked the current World No.1’s 4th Miami title. He would go on to win 2 more titles in the consecutive following years of 2015 and 2016. Djokovic remains alongside Andre Agassi as the all-time highest winner of Miami Open titles at 6. After his 2014 match against Djokovic, Nadal had a few interesting yet stunning words to say about his rival. These are words which surely Nadal has never used for any other rival he has played against in his illustrious career –
“He was better than me in everything. He was able to find the right spot, the right position. Playing against him is the worst thing that can happen to me because he has a better return than mine, he has a better serve than my one, especially on this surface,” said Rafael Nadal after his loss to Djokovic.
This was the second time Nadal lost to Djokovic in the Miami Open final. He lost to the Serb 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7) in the 2011 Miami Open. It was also the 3rd time he met Djokovic at the Miami Open, and lost all 3 times. Baffled about why he never won against the Serbian player at this competition, Nadal spoke his mind.
Nadal continued, “In no tournament have I lost this many finals. Maybe you tell me. There is no mental block on something you have won 26 times. Need to find another excuse.”
Nadal had already won 26 ATP Masters events before this tournament. He also has a record of winning 406 matches in ATP Masters, the most by any player. And yet he couldn’t find a way to win in the Miami Open. A disappointed Nadal left after expressing his desperate views on winning. Djokovic, on the other hand, also had a lot to say after his win.
“I played a great match everything was working really well. I didn’t give him a chance to come back in the match. I am really excited,” said the Serbian star.
Djokovic’s confidence was oozing out of his words, almost as if he was invincible and had found a way to beat Nadal every time. In Rafael Nadal’s career, especially in ATP Masters, the Miami Open remains a deep and sad void.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have been absent from the Miami Masters for a few years now
As news about Novak Djokovic’s unavailability from the Miami Open 2024 spreads far and wide, it is also curious to note that Rafael Nadal will also not be playing. Interestingly enough, both Djokovic, the tournament’s most successful player, and Nadal, one of the unluckiest players in the tournament, have been missing the Miami Open for 4 years in a row now.
After the Miami Open didn’t take place in 2020 due to COVID-19, as all tournaments did, it came back the following year. Both of them haven’t played since i.e. 2021-2024.
While Novak Djokovic has himself not yet provided a reason for the same, it could also be mental recovery after his shock loss to Luca Nardi in Indian Wells. Rafael Nadal, as is clear, will be recovering from his already-sustained injury and will take some more time off. They both could be available for the French Open this year.
