5 best matches between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on clay ft. 2021 French Open semifinal
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic together form one of the best tennis rivalries. Suffice it to say, their rivalry has given some of the most memorable matches of the Open Era, something that is more or less a by-product of the Big 3.
While one is well known as the King of Clay, the other one has set tennis records hard to match up to, including that of the maximum number of Grand Slam titles won (24) by a male tennis player.
Even though Nadal has been battling injuries over the last few years, he is still the tennis player who comes to mind when one talks about the clay season. On the other hand, while Djokovic has not had the best year so far, in defending the French Open and the US Open titles in addition to sustaining the World No.1 rank, the Serb is still dominating the world of tennis.
As we approach the clay season now, let's take a look at the top 5 matches between Nadal and Djokovic on the surface.
#5 2014 Rome Masters Final
Novak Djokovic started the match by losing a set to Rafael Nadal at the finals of the Rome Masters in 2014 but turned the tables thereafter and ended up defeating Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
While it was either Djokovic or Nadal who had been winning the tournament since 2005, this was Djokovic's third title at the Italian Open and could have been Nadal's eighth.
Being the defending champion and the King of Clay, it was assumed that Nadal would continue his reign, but with Djokovic's seven aces and breaking his opponent's serves close to six times, the Spaniard failed to keep up.
Regardless of the same, Nadal took his revenge in a thrilling final at the 2014 French Open a few days later by defeating Djokovic and becoming the first man to win the Musketeers' Cup for the ninth time.
#4 2009 Mutua Madrid Open Semifinal
Hailed as one of the best matches in the history of the tournament, Nadal defeated Djokovic 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9) in a thrilling four-hour-long encounter in the 2009 semifinals of the Madrid Open.
The longest match in the history of the ATP 1000 Masters, the semifinal was one of the initial encounters as part of a rivalry that came to dominate international tennis for years to come.
As exemplified by the scoreline, both Nadal and Djokovic challenged each other till the very end and played neck-and-neck before the former got the better of the latter.
The Serb earned himself three match points in the final tiebreak during the match which apparently helped boost his confidence against Nadal on clay.
Talking about the same, years later, Djokovic said (via Tennis.com):
“It was an incredible match, had some match points,” Djokovic said. “We were rallying in one of those match points, and he hit an incredible inside-in forehand winner on the line.”
“I don’t remember exactly the scoreline, but every set was close. And then I started to believe I could win against him on clay.”
#3 2012 French Open Final
In the final at Roland Garros in 2012, two-time defending champion Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to clinch his seventh French Open title.
Amidst heavy rain because of which the match took place over two days, Nadal made history by surpassing Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles and equalling Chris Evert's record of seven titles, which he also surpassed the following year.
While Nadal led the match by two sets before the aforementioned rain delay, the break made him unsure about the match thereafter. However, the Spaniard succeeded in getting the better of the Serb and prevented him from taking the match to five sets.
In addition to setting the aforementioned records, Nadal ended Djokovic's seven-match winning streak over him and the latter's aspiration of becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four Majors in a row.
After the match, Nadal said (via ESPN):
"You never know if you're going to win another one."
In what was one of his most emotional moments at Roland Garros and his career in general, the Spaniard added:
"I don't know if I am the best or not, I am not the right one to say that."
#2 2013 French Open Semifinal
Before defeating David Ferrer in the 2013 final to clinch his eighth French Open title, Nadal fought and got the better of Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 9-7 in a match that lasted four hours and 37 minutes.
The year before the said semifinal, the Spaniard defeated the Serb in another epic clash between the two GOATs of tennis down under. The 2013 French Open semifinal was compared to the 2012 Australian Open final between the two stars of tennis wherein instead of the Spaniard, the Serb holds the record for the maximum number of titles (10).
While Djokovic defeated Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 in what turned out to be the longest Major singles finals in the history of the tournament and tennis, a year later at Roland Garros, Nadal proved his prowess as the King of Clay and took his revenge.
Nadal admitted to the same and said (via Tennis.com):
“I lost a match like this in Australia. This one was for me.”
This was not just the best match between Nadal and Djokovic but is regarded as one of the best on-court battles in general, one that presented flawless tennis and a fight worth remembering for years to come.
Djokovic, who lost another chance to win his maiden French Open title, said (via Roland Garros):
“It's been an unbelievable match to be part of, but all I can feel now is disappointment. That's it. I congratulate him, because that's why he's a champion. That's why he's been ruling Roland Garros for many years, and for me it's another year.”
#1 2021 French Open Semifinal
In a relatively recent and extremely riveting encounter between two of the Big 3 of tennis, Nadal and Djokovic faced each other for the ninth time at Roland Garros in 2021 where the Serb beat the Spaniard in the semifinal 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
A year earlier, Nadal defeated Djokovic in the French Open final in straight sets and equaled Roger Federer's record of 20 Grand Slam titles.
In 2021, however, the Serb not only took his revenge but also went on to win the title and lift his second French Open trophy after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The thriller lasted for a little over four hours and started with Nadal taking the lead. Djokovic, however, fought his way back and got the better of the four-time defending champion in the last three sets, including an intense tiebreak in the third one.
Talking about the epic match against Nadal, Djokovic said (via The Guardian):
“Definitely the best match that I was part of ever in Roland Garros for me, and top three matches that I ever played in my entire career, considering the quality of tennis, playing my biggest rival on the court where he has had so much success and has been the dominant force in the last 15-plus years, and the atmosphere which was completely electric.”