Statistical comparison: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the greatest names in tennis. The Swiss and Spanish superstars have entertained millions of fans from all over the world. The two have won 31 Grand Slam titles between them and there is little doubt about the greatness they have achieved. However, the question that everyone wants the answer to is: which one is the better player? Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal? Federer’s game has a touch of grace that can be matched by no other player. His tantalising serve, delightful passing shots and outrageous winners have made him the ‘complete player’. Nadal on the other hand, often dwells on his aggression to bulldoze his way past his opponents. His determination to keep fighting and hitting impossible winners on the run have made him every opponent’s nightmare.But these are all subjective arguments that do not give us a definite winner. In order to look at the debate with an objective view, we have gathered a detailed comparison of statistics between the two tennis legends. Although statistics only tell half the story, the numbers help to find the answer to the question that every tennis fan in the world wants to know.

#1 Biographical details and career figures

Details/ Player	Roger Federer	Rafael Nadal
Date of Birth	8 August 1981	3 June 1986
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	85 kg	85 kg
Turned Pro	1998	2001
Current Ranking	3	2
Highest Ranking	1	1
Win-Loss Record	972-224	702-137
Grand Slams won	17	14
ATP titles won	80	64

#2 Grand Slam Record

Year	Roger Federer	Rafael Nadal
2003	Wimbledon
2004	Aus Open, Wimbledon, US
2005	Wimbledon, US	French
2006	Aus Open, Wimbledon, US	French
2007	Aus Open, Wimbledon, US	French
2008	US	French, Wimbledon
2009	French Open, Wimbledon	Aus Open
2010	Aus Open	French, Wimbledon, US
2011		French
2012	Wimbledon	French
2013		French, US
2014		French
Grand Slam Finals Win/Loss	17-8	14-6

#3 Records held

Roger Federer

Tournament	Since	Record Accomplished
Grand Slam	1877	17 men's Major titles overall
Grand Slam	1877	3 men's Major titles per-year 3 times 2004, 2006–07
Grand Slam	1877	2 men's Major titles per-year 5 times 2004–07, 2009
Grand Slam	1877	25 men's Major finals overall
Grand Slam	1877	35 men's Major semi-finals overall
Grand Slam	1877	42 men's Major quarter-finals overall
Grand Slam	1877	10 consecutive men's Major finals
Grand Slam	1877	23 consecutive men's Major semi-finals
Grand Slam	1877	36 consecutive men's Major quarter-finals
Grand Slam	1877	59 consecutive men's Major tournament appearances
Grand Slam	1877	274 Major match wins overall
Grand Slam	1877	140 Major hard court wins overall
Grand Slam	1877	60+ wins at each Major tournament
Grand Slam	1877	87.50% 140/20 Major hard court winning percentage overall
Grand Slam	1877	Reached all 4 Major finals 3 times (2006–07, 2009)
Grand Slam	1877	Reached all 4 Major semi-finals 5 times (2005–09)
Grand Slam	1877	Reached all 4 Major quarter-finals 8 times (2005–12)

Rafael Nadal

Tournament	Since	Record Accomplished
All	1877	8 consecutive titles at any single tournament
Grand Slam	1877	9 men's singles titles at any single Grand Slam event
Monte Carlo Masters	1897	8 men's singles titles
French Open	1925	9 men's singles titles
Rome Masters	1930	7 men's singles titles
Barcelona Open	1953	8 men's singles titles

#4 ATP Matchfacts

	Roger Federer	Rafael Nadal
Aces	8723	2412
Double Faults	2218	1219
1st Serve	62%	69%
Break points saved	67% of 5242	66% of 4128
Service games won	88% of 14672	86% of 9776
Break points converted	41% of 9337	45% of 7058

#5 Personal Records

	Roger Federer	Rafael Nadal
Year end number 1 ranking	(2004,05,06,07)	(2008,10,13)
Weeks at world no. 1	302	141
Consecutive weeks at world no. 1	237	56
ATP World Finals titles	6	0
Olympic Games medals	Silver (2012)	Gold (2008)
Win-Loss record on grass courts	131-19	53-15
Win-Loss record on clay courts	197-67	318-24
Win-Loss record on hard courts	596-125	329-92

#6 Head-to-Head

	Roger Federer	Rafael Nadal
Overall record (singles)	10	23
Grand Slams	2	9
Grand Slam finals	2	6
ATP tour finals	4	1
Best of 5 sets matches	3	12
Matches gone to 5 sets	2	3
Doubles	1	2

#7 Money

	Roger Federer	Rafael Nadal
Prize Money	84,035,204	$70,704,129
Prize Money (2014)	$4,767,654	$6,066,446
Endorsements (2014)	$52 million	$30 million
Major Sponsors	Nike, Rolex, Credit Suisse	Nike, Mapre SA, Kia Motors, Babolat
Donations	Roger Federer Foundation,Elton John AIDS Foundation, Humpty Dumpty Foundation, Mines Advisory Group, Small Steps Project	Rafael Nadal Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation, City Harvest, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Small Steps Project

#8 Fan Support

	Roger Federer	Rafael Nadal
Facebook	14.4 million +	14.5 million +
Twitter	2.11 million +	6.64 million +
Instagram	154,000 +	-

Several tennis pundits have taken a shot at claiming which of the two players has the edge over the other. Federer has more Grand Slams to his name, but Nadal has a much better head-to-head record. The answer to the question of which one of the two is a better player will arguably be the answer to the question of who is the best player in history.

There is very little to separate them. Federer and Nadal have their own individual strengths and we are lucky to see the best of both these greats. Federer and Nadal fans, although in awe of both players, will feel that their favourite holds the slightest of edges over the other. So take the statistics that matter the most to you and make your own conclusion based on the numbers!