5 unique features of the legendary Nadal vs Djokovic rivalry

Modified Jan 13, 2020 11:16 GMT

#5 No player has beaten Djokovic in as many tournament finals as Nadal has

Nadal (right) wins his 34th Masters 1000 title at 2019 Rome

Djokovic holds the second-best win-loss record in finals (77-34; 69%) by an active player, and is 11th overall in the all-time list.

Among 30 players who have met Djokovic in a tournament final, Nadal (11) leads a small group of only nine players to have beaten the Serb when a title has been on the line. Andy Murray (eight), Roger Federer (six), Stan Wawrinka (three) and Alexander Zverev (two) are the only ones apart from Nadal to have bested Djokovic multiple times in a tournament final.

Nadal has beaten Djokovic four times in a Grand Slam final (2012, 2014 French Open; 2010, 2013 US Open), six Masters 1000 finals and once in the final of an ATP 250 tournament (2008 Queens).

However, Djokovic holds a 15-11 head-to-head lead over Nadal in tournament finals, and is also the player with the most tournament final wins against the Spaniard.

On the last occasion when a title was on the line in the pair's legendary rivalry, Nadal beat Djokovic (2019 Rome) to become the first player to win 34 Masters 1000 titles.

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Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Musab Abid