5 instances when Novak Djokovic dropped 5 or fewer games against Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have forged one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history, if not the greatest. Djokovic has dominated Nadal on hardcourts, while the latter has reigned supreme on clay.
The pair have been at the top of the rankings for several years, with Djokovic currently being the World No.1. They also jointly hold the record for the highest number of Grand Slams won by male tennis players, 22.
Nadal and Djokovic have faced each other 59 times over the past 16 years, with the latter having a 30-29 lead in their head-to-head.
While the two have played some exciting matches over the years, there have been some that were quite one-sided. Djokovic produced some stellar performances against the Spaniard and at times, has beaten him rather comprehensively.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at five instances when Djokovic dropped five or fewer games against Nadal.
#1 Indian Wells Masters - 2008
Novak Djokovic squared off against Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the 2008 Indian Wells Masters (then known as the Pacific Life Open). The Serb defeated the likes of Stanislas Wawrinka, Guillermo Cañas, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Andreas Seppi to reach the final four, where he was up against Nadal.
The game was expected to be a hard-fought battle between the two stars. However, it eventually ended up being a one-sided win for Djokovic. He got the better of Nadal 6-3, 6-2 on the outdoor hardcourt to win his first title at Indian Wells.
#2 Cincinnati Masters - 2009
Novak Djokovic was the fourth seed at the 2009 Cincinnati Masters and reached the semifinals following straight-set wins over Ivan Ljubicic, Jeremy Chardy, and Gilles Simon. He was up against Rafael Nadal, who was also yet to drop a set in the tournament.
Djokovic registered a comprehensive win over Nadal, beating him 6-1, 6-4 to reach the final in Cincinnati for the second successive year. However, he lost 6-1, 7-5 to Roger Federer.
#3. Paris Masters - 2009
Rafael Nadal got off to a blistering start to his 2009 Paris Masters campaign after he defeated compatriot Nicolás Almagro in the second round. The Spaniard eventually went on to reach the semifinals with wins over Tommy Robredo and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Here, he faced Novak Djokovic, who previously beat Juan Monaco, Arnaud Clement, and Robin Soderling.
It seemed like Djokovic was ready for everything Nadal threw at him as he won 6-2, 6-3 to reach the final, where he beat Gael Monfils 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(3).
#4 China Open - 2015
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal locked horns in the final of the 2015 China Open. The Serb booked his place in the title clash with straight-sets wins over Simone Bolelli, Zhang Ze, John Isner, and David Ferrer, while Nadal beat Wu Di, Vasek Pospisil, Jack Sock, and Fabio Fognini en route to the final.
Djokovic entered the match as the favorite to win and beat the King of Clay 6-2, 6-2 to win his fourth successive title at the China Open.
#5 Qatar Open - 2016
The first meeting between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in 2016 came in the final of the Qatar Open. Djokovic reached the title clash with straight-set wins over Dustin Brown, Fernando Verdasco, Leonardo Mayer, and Tomas Berdych. Meanwhile, Nadal booked his place in the final after beating Pablo Carreno Busta, Robin Haase, Alex Kuznetsov, and Ilya Marchenko.
What was expected to be a tightly-contested match turned out to be a one-sided affair, with Djokovic beating Nadal 6-1, 6-2 to win the Qatar Open for the very first time in his career. The victory also marked the Serbian's seventh consecutive win over the Mallorcan.