Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have faced off against each other on 60 different occasions at the ATP level. A majority of these encounters were competitive and are cherished by tennis enthusiasts around the globe. However, their meeting in the semifinal of the French Open 2021 will go down as a classic for reasons off the court as well.
Djokovic, who enjoys a 31-29 ATP record against Nadal, put up one of his best performances on the red clay of Roland Garros and etched his name in history books. He would clinch a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 win and become the only player ever to defeat the King of Clay twice in the Paris-based Grand Slam.
The Serbian almost had to celebrate his memorable win without any fans in the stadium. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, there was an 11 PM curfew set. However, the action-packed thriller compelled the government to lift this rule.
The Djokovic-Nadal rivalry was so special it once forced the French authorities to lift the strictest of curfews so that their classic Roland-Garros semifinal could be completed that night pic.twitter.com/a1AkkEmLgi
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) October 19, 2024
Fans would constantly boo the organizers when they reiterated the French government’s curfew all match long. However, after a 93-minute third set, there was an uplifting cheer in the stadium around 10:40 PM. Officials announced the lifting of the curfew, enabling supporters to catch the full contest without interruption.
While the Belgrade native was ecstatic about reaching the final, he seemed even more delighted that the curfew had been relaxed.
“Considering what we were living through in this match before the announcement, I think both of us wanted the crowd to stay. We both had tremendous support. These are the kind of matches we continue to play tennis for,” Djoko said.
Djokovic predicted that Nadal wasn’t undefeatable at Roland Garros
Interestingly, Nole was able to back a bold comment that he made 15 years before this win. Djokovic and Nadal played against each other for the first time during the French Open 2006 quarterfinal. The Spaniard had taken a 6-4, 6-4 lead before Djoko had to retire due to an injury.
During the post-match press conference, Djoker left the tennis world in a frenzy with a bold statement. Despite being down two sets, Novak was satisfied with his performance. Additionally, he also promised to defeat Rafa on the latter’s preferred surface.
“He’s the best on this surface. But he’s not unbeatable, that’s for sure… I have to say that even though he’s the best and everybody thinks he’s unbeatable, I say he’s not unbeatable, he’s beatable,” Djokovic said.
Novak did stay true to his words. In 2015, he became only the second man to defeat Nadal at the French Open after Robin Soderling in 2009. Six years later, he clinched a historic second win against Rafa at Roland Garros – the only man to do so.
