For the first time since 2019, fans in the USA will witness Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic competing in the same tournament in their country. Both legends are slated to feature in the 2024 Indian Wells Masters and fans would love a Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic clash.
In total, on American soil, Novak Djokovic has won a whopping 227 matches and lost just 41 in his career so far. The winning percentage for the Serbian superstar is 84.70%, which is remarkable across 268 matches totally played by him. On the other hand, Rafael Nadal has won a mere 189 matches and lost 47 in the States. The Spaniard is not far away at 236 matches, which is still a lot considering his injuries over the years. But he falls short on winning percentage at 80.08%.
Here is the breakdown of the Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic rivalry in the United States –
Indian Wells Masters and Miami Masters
The USA hosts three ATP Masters tournaments. Novak Djokovic dominates the record books of the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open, held in March every year, with 5 and 6 championship victories respectively. He is the joint record-holder for most title wins at both the events. He last won both the tournaments back-to-back in 2016 but still boasts great 50-9 and 44-7 records in Indian Wells and Miami, respectively. That adds up to 94 wins and 16 losses.
Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has struggled in the early season Masters. While he has three Indian Wells trophies with a 59-11 W/L, he has remarkably never won the Miami Masters in his 21-year career. He has lost 5 finals in Miami, having a comparitively ordinary overall record of 40-12.
So while Nadal has more match wins than Djokovic at Indian Wells and Miami combined (99 vs the Serb’s 94), the Spaniard has also lost 23 matches in these events, which is 7 more than the current World No.1.
Cincinnati Masters
Djokovic again trumps Nadal in the Cincinnati Masters, winning 3 titles there while the Spaniard has just the solitary 1 to his name. The 2023 champion’s 45-12 record there far outdoes the Spaniard’s 22-12 one. But neither of the legends have won any ATP 500 or 250 tournament held in the United States in their careers.
US Open
But the biggest American tournament is undoubtedly the US Open. Djokovic, who won his 4th title in New York City in 2023, has finished as runner-up a whopping 6 times too. A W/L of 88-13 and a win percentage of 87% makes him one of the best to ever play at Flushing Meadows.
Nadal has a 67-12 record at the US Open, with an 85% win percentage. Despite having considerably fewer match wins, the Spaniard also has 4 US Open titles to his name. Before his last triumph in 2019, he secured the trophy in 2017, 2013, and 2010 and finished second to Djokovic in 2011.
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic? Duo share iconic in-flight photo as potential early clash looms
Nadal and Djokovic sent the internet into a tizzy after sharing a photo aboard a flight to the USA. Both icons will play in the Indian Wells Masters this year. They shared the image on Instagram, captioning it ‘great company’.
Stars like Boris Becker, Tomas Etcheverry, and gymnast Nadia Comaneci hailed the click in the comments, along with official accounts of the US Open, Indian Wells Masters, and the Rafa Nadal Academy.
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Novak Djokovic confirmed his return to the Indian Wells Masters in 2024 after five years while Rafael Nadal last participated in 2022, losing the final against Taylor Fritz. Since Nadal is entering with a Protected Ranking and will be unseeded, fans could see the legends face off in the early rounds. The last time the duo played each other on American soil was in the semi-finals of the 2016 Indian Wells.
While Djokovic will also play in the 2024 Miami Open, Nadal has opted to skip it, presumably to begin early preparations for the clay swing.
