5 Greatest tennis rivalries of all time

Tennis is an individual sport and therefore, it is all about personal glory and achievements. Over the decades, there have been many champion players who have left indelible marks in the annals of tennis history. But, on the other hand, tennis is also about winning at the cost of another player and therefore, great players develop rivalries among themselves in the course of their respective careers.

Those rivalries often become the essence of the sport itself as the fans worldwide look forward to a battle between two greats. Some of such matches have become parts of history because of the high-intensity, edge-of-the-seat entertainment they provided.

We would like to take a look at the top 5 rivalries in the history of tennis:

#5 Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe:

Career head to head: Borg 7-7 McEnroe (1-3 in Majors, 2-0 in Masters)

Borg and McEnroe

For some, the ultimate tribute to the Borg vs McEnroe rivalry is the fact that a Hollywood movie has been made in this regard. More seriously though, it represented the clash between 2 contrasting styles of the game. Borg was the typical baseliner who reveled equally on the red clay of Roland Garros and the vintage grass of Wimbledon. McEnroe, on the other hand, was a serve-and-volley player who enthralled the audience with his silky touches in the net and infamous temper.

Borg was quite possibly the coolest among the all-time greats of tennis and never spent more energy on a shot than what was required. He liked to wear his opponent down with his relentless accuracy and concentration. McEnroe was the first player to challenge his dominance.

Borg managed to win 6 consecutive French Open and 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles simultaneously and that record has not been broken yet. However, McEnroe made Borg toiled extremely hard in the 1980 Wimbledon final before the latter prevailed in 5 sets in a match that is still considered to be one of the finest of all time.

McEnroe, however, beat him in the 1980 US open to underline his prowess on hard courts. In the following year, McEnroe finally managed to beat his idol in the final to win his maiden Wimbledon title. This was the first of his 7 career grand slam titles.

Borg ended his career abruptly soon after that and therefore, their rivalry could not extend much. However, quality has to be given precedence over quantity here and the Borg-McEnroe rivalry should definitely feature among the very best in the history of tennis.

#4 Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi:

Career head to head: Sampras 20-14 Agassi (5-3 in Majors, 5-5 in Masters)

Sampras and Agassi

The two American greats, who dominated tennis in the 1990s, formed a great rivalry between themselves as well. Sampras had arguably the greatest serve of all time and Agassi boasted one of the greatest returns. As a result, their tussles were again clashes between 2 contrasting styles of tennis. Sampras won 14 grand slams in his glorious career and Agassi managed to win 8 and not surprisingly, they crossed swords frequently in the finals or semifinals of major tournaments.

Sampras’ serve-and-volley game gave him the upper hand in Wimbledon, whereas Agassi was the favorite when they met in the French Open. However, it is their battles on the hard courts which were the best of the lot. Be it the 2001 US Open quarter-final, when Sampras prevailed in 4 tie-breaking sets, or the 2002 US Open final, when Sampras played sumptuous tennis to win in 4 sets again, or the 1995 Australian Open final, which saw Agassi beat his rival with his immaculate returns and passing shots. The spectators were always treated fine during their battles on hard courts. In a nutshell, their rivalry was very enjoyable and beneficial to the game itself.

#3 Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic:

Career head to head: Djokovic 25-22 Federer (9-6 in majors, 11-9 in Masters)

Federer and Djokovic

The first of the three combinations involving the 3 finest players of all time in the so-called golden era of tennis features Federer and Djokovic. They also happen to be the 2 greatest hard-court players of all time and therefore, their battles on those surfaces are also bound to be among the very best.

The pick of the lot was the 2011 US open match between the two, where Djokovic won in 5 sets. Most recently, they played another classic in the 2018 Paris Masters semifinal when Djokovic again won. Federer’s triumph over Djokovic in the 2008 US Open semifinal was yet another classic.

Both Federer and Djokovic have incomparable groundstrokes and therefore, their battles are baseline slugfests with long rallies and vicious winners. However, Federer has the tendency to come to the net to narrow the angle and try to end rallies quickly against Djokovic.

This strategy has worked at times for him as he has been able to force some points that way. However, Djokovic beat him in 2 consecutive Wimbledon finals in 2014 and 2015. On the other hand, their battles have been more or less even on clay courts. Federer, however, mastered Djokovic in 4 sets in a classic French Open semifinal in 2011.

#2 Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic:

Career head to head: Djokovic 27-25 Nadal (5-9 in Majors, 16-12 in Masters)

Nadal and Djokovic

If one likes intensity, athleticism, and fierce stroke play on a tennis court, one should not look beyond the rivalry between Nadal and Djokovic. They happen to be the 2 finest movers the game of tennis has seen and therefore, it is usually very difficult for each one of them to get the ball past the other. Djokovic beat Nadal in 5 sets in the Australian Open final in 2012 and Nadal returned the favor in the US Open 2013 and those 2 matches remain among the very best their rivalry has offered so far.

Those 2 again met in the Wimbledon semifinal in 2018 and Djokovic managed to beat Nadal before winning his 4th title. Nadal, the greatest clay-court player of all time, has also managed to beat Djokovic 6 out of the 7 times they have met at the Roland Garros.

On the flip side, their relentless baseline battering can be tiresome for the casual tennis lover. However, for people who love to see intense, no-nonsense battles on tennis courts, the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry might well be the greatest. In terms of statistics also, the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry is the finest that the game has seen.

#1 Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal:

Career head to head: Nadal 23-15 Federer (9-3 in Majors, 6-3 in Masters)

Federer and Nadal

This is the rivalry which ranks among the very best in the history of not only tennis but sports in general. Federer is the genius with an artistic touch and a delightful forehand and Nadal is the quintessential athlete who refuses to budge at any stage. Their rivalry manages to divide the whole tennis fraternity usually and treats the spectators with unmatched delight and entertainment.

Nadal challenged Federer’s dominance in Wimbledon by posing serious questions in the 2007 final with his passing shots and forced Federer to stay on the baseline for the majority of the match before the latter carved out a win for himself. Nadal then beat Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final which is considered widely to be the greatest tennis match of all time.

However, Federer managed to dominate Nadal on grass throughout his career but the tables were turned when they met on clay. Nadal has dominated Federer overall in his career with a better head-to-head record in Grand Slams and majors. Their latest meeting in majors happened in the Australian Open final in 2017 and Federer won that match in 5 sets.

Federer and Nadal have also won 20 and 17 majors respectively in their outstanding careers, but mere stats would not be able to do justice to the extent and impact of their rivalry. The two finest players of all time have entertained the audience like never before or since and their rivalry has more or less defined the game of tennis for more than a decade now.