5 instances when Rafael Nadal dropped 5 or fewer games against Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, popularly known as The Big 3, are three of the greatest athletes to have played the sport. The tennis greats who have played in the same era have treated fans to some of the most memorable matches ever played.
The Big 3's rivalries have been neck-to-neck as these players are constantly edging past each other to create tennis history.
Nadal and Federer have played each other 40 times in their careers, with the two-time Wimbledon champion leading the head-to-head 24-16. Meanwhile, Nadal and Djokovic have played against each other 59 times with Djokovic leading the head-to-head 30-29.
Let's take a look at five times the four-time US Open champion came out on top against Federer and Djokovic, dropping just five games or less during these matches.
#1 Nadal's win over Federer at the Rome Masters final in 2013
The Rome Masters is an ATP 1000 Masters clay court tournament. Played at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, the event in 2013 was the 70th edition of the prestigious tournament.
Popularly known as the 'King of Clay', 'Rafa' completely dominated Swiss legend Roger Federer in the final. Seeded 5th in the tournament, the 2009 Australian Open champion dominated Federer to clinch his seventh Rome Masters title.
The 22-time Grand Slam Champion had only dropped four games in the final. The Spaniard ousted second-seeded Federer in just 69 minutes at a score of 6-1, 6-3 to lift the trophy.
The Spanish great holds the all-time record, winning the Italian Open a total of 10 times.
#2 Nadal edges past Federer at the Miami Masters semi-finals in 2011
Former World No. 1 Nadal defeated Roger Federer at the Miami Masters, an ATP 1000 Masters tournament, in 2011. The Spaniard beat Federer in the semi-finals to set up a final clash with Novak Djokovic.
Nadal cruised past the Swiss 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and nineteen minutes. He took a 3-0 lead in the second set before Federer could put a number on his scoreboard.
With this win, in 2011 the Spanish legend took his head-to-head against Federer to 15-8. Surprisingly, the 36-year-old has never won the Miami Masters despite reaching the finals five times in his career.
#3 King of Clay's win over Federer at the 2008 Roland Garros final
Nadal clinched his fourth Major title at the 2008 French Open where he defeated Federer in straight sets.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was a three-time defending champion in 2008. He dominated the Swiss 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 in just under two hours by dropping only four games.
This marked the fourth time the Spanish sensation defeated Federer at the French Open, which included three final wins and one semi-final win, all when Federer was World No.1.
Rafa won the 2008 title in straight sets. He would repeat this feat in Paris in 2010, 2017 and 2020. With his 2022 victory at the French Open, the Spanish star now holds the record for winning a particular Slam 14 times.
#4 Rafa cruises past Djokovic at the 2012 Monte Carlo Masters final
The King of Clay defeated Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the 2012 Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco in straight sets.
Nadal took down Djokovic in the title clash 6-3, 6-1. The match lasted an hour and nineteen minutes and the Spaniard dropped only four games to clinch the title for the eighth consecutive time. It was only in 2013 that Djokovic ended the Spaniard's eight-year reign in the tournament.
In 2012, the former Wimbledon champion won the ATP 1000 Masters tournament without dropping a single set. The Spaniard has won the Monte Carlo Masters a whopping eleven times and the former World No. 1 has won 36 ATP 1000 Masters tournaments in his career so far.
#5 Nadal secures his win against Djokovic at the 2007 Rome Masters quarter-final
One of the Spaniard's most dominant wins over the Serbian came in the quarter-finals of the 2007 Rome Masters. The Spanish star cruised past Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals 6-2, 6-3 and went on to win the title by defeating Fernando González in the final, 6–2, 6–2.
The 36-year-old dropped just five games in the match. He was seeded second in the tournament while the Serbian was ranked fifth.
In 2007 Djokovic and the 'King of Clay' faced off against each other in the Indian Wells finals, which marked their first face-off in a final.