Statistics and facts: The Fedal rivalry

The Fedal rivalry is indeed the most astonishing rivalry the world of tennis has ever witnessed. It is the most talked about and storied rivalry with every match coming as a gift for all the spectators. The same is the case with today’s Rome Masters finals which will witness the 30^th edition of the clash of the titans. Till date, they have clashed 29 times and the Spaniard leads with a record of 19-10.

Their nine-year-old rivalry is the most watched out for in modern day tennis. Before this, the rivalries that Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors shared with each other had lingered for a long time in the minds of the people.

The facts encircling the Fedal rivalry are simply astonishing.

The pair is the only one to have continued to be ranked in the top two spots for six consecutive calendar years, from 2005 to 2010.

Surface-wise, Rafa has won 12 of the 14 encounters they have had on clay courts. On grass courts, Federer has the upper hand, having won 2 out of 3 meetings. On hard courts, the record stands equal at 6-6.

Another astounding fact is that out of the 29 meetings, 19 are finals, 7 have been semifinals and only 3 have been pre-semifinal matches.

Of all their meetings, their last Grand Slam final meeting – the 2008 Wimbledon Final – has been acclaimed as the greatest match between the two champions.

The rivalry has been fruitful for both their careers. Of all the records that this rivalry holds, the most amazing one would be their all-time record of 8 Grand Slam encounters, which included the three famous consecutive finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon between 2006 and 2008.

Nadal holds a 6-2 record in the Grand Slam finals, in contrast to Federer’s record of 15-1 against every other opponent.

Nadal has stopped Federer twice from achieving a Career Grand Slam and also two calendar-year Grand Slams, whereas Federer has been an obstacle for Nadal when he was on the way to become the first man since Borg to win the “Channel Slam”( to win both Wimbledon and French Open in the same year).

Both the players have won a ‘Channel Slam’- Federer in 2009 and Nadal in 2010.

Federer has also stopped Nadal from getting the title of year-end championships by defeating him in the 2010 finals, and has also invaded the Spaniard’s dream of being second to Agassi’s record of winning a Career Grand Slam, holding an Olympic gold medal, and the year-end championships, all at once, which is a distinction in tennis known as ‘Career Super Slam’.

Between 2005 and 2010, they have together won 21 of 24 Grand Slam titles (12 for Federer and 9 for Nadal).

Federer and Nadal hold astonishing individual records of successive victories on a single surface – Federer has 65 on clay courts and 55 on hard courts whereas Nadal has 81 on clay courts.

Federer and Nadal have individually dominated the grass and the clay courts which led to the “Battle of the Surfaces” in 2007, an exhibition match where one side of the court was a grass court and the other side was a clay court; Federer played on the grass surface and Nadal played on the clay surface.

With the Fedal rivalry gearing up for more heat, the Rome Masters finals promises eye-catching tennis action and many more records for the duo!