"Nadal was not in control of the match, everything was depending on me" - When Novak Djokovic trailed 2-sets-to-love before retiring in 2006 French Open QF

On the men's circuit, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have the biggest and the most intense rivalry. The duo has faced each other a total of 59 times on the tour, with the Serb leading 30-29 head-to-head.

The first chapter of the rivalry was written a long time ago in the 2006 French Open quarterfinals. The defending champion was in the driver's seat with a two-set lead of 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic, who was struggling with lower back pain, had earlier asked for a medical timeout. Before the first game of the third set could end, the Serb decided to retire.

However, the tennis world was taken aback by what he had to say in the post-match press conference. The Serb stated that it was he who had control over the match and not the Spaniard. He added that everything was dependent on him and that he didn't need anything special to beat Nadal.

"I don't like to retire, I don't like these situations. And that's why I'm really unhappy that I finished this way because I think I played pretty well today," Djokovic said. "I think I was in control because I think everything was depending on me. How I was playing, the result was like that. Even with a sore back, I played an equal match against him. I realized today that I don't need to play anything special (to beat Nadal). Nadal, for sure, is the best on this surface, but he's not unbeatable. That's for sure."

"He was not in control of the match. I felt pretty good on the court. I broke him back twice in the second set. I couldn't serve 100%. If I could, I would have won the second set. I think I could win today. I don't think it would have been good for me to continue playing with the pain in my back. This is not the only tournament in the year," he added.

When Nadal was later asked to react to his rival's comments, the entire room burst out laughing after hearing his response.

"Oh yes (laughs). If he said that, it's okay. I don't need to answer then," Nadal said.

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Novak Djokovic has beaten Nadal twice at French Open

Novak Djokovic (L) and Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has an astonishing win-loss record of 112-3 at Roland Garros, with an unbelievable tally of 14 titles. His first loss came against Sweden's Robin Soderling in 2009, while the remaining two defeats came against Novak Djokovic.

In the 2015 quarterfinals, the Serb prevailed in straight sets — 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 — winning against Nadal for the first time in seven attempts in Paris. The Spaniard maintained his record of losing at the French Open every six years as he once again fell to the Serb in the 2021 semifinals. Djokovic has so far won the Roland Garros title twice.