5 players with winning records against Roger Federer
Roger Federer's numerous achievements have made him one of the greatest athletes of all time. He's beloved by fans all over the world and has come to be known as the face of tennis.
Federer's playing style has been a nightmare for his opponents to deal with, but a visual delight for his fans. He has dominated plenty of his rivals and has a winning record against most of them.
However, there are few players who can boast of having a superior record in their head-to-head against the Swiss. Getting the better of one of the all-time greats is a mighty achievement to have on one's resume. Here's a look at five players with a better record against Roger Federer:
#5 - Patrick Rafter (3-0)
Former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Patrick Rafter has a perfect 3-0 record against Roger Federer. He is one of only two players boasting a 100% win rate against the Swiss ace after playing multiple matches.
All of their meetings took place before 2002, a few years before Federer won his first Grand Slam. Had the duo met when the Swiss was at his peak, the head-to-head would almost certainly not have been so lopsidded.
Their first meeting was at Roland Garros in 1999. Federer was making his Grand Slam debut and was up against Rafter in the first round. He won the first set, but the Australian recovered to win the match in four, ending Federer's debut on a sour note.
Their next encounter was at the 2001 Miami Masters. Federer had just reached his maiden quarterfinal at Masters 1000 level, but his career milestone was marred by a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Rafter.
Their final match took place at the 2001 Halle Open. This was their most competitive encounter, with Rafter edging out his Swiss opponent 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4). Federer would, however, go on to win the tournament a record 10 times.
#4 Alexander Zverev (4-3)
One of the most successful Next Gen players, Alexander Zverev leads 4-3 in the head-to-head against Roger Federer.
Federer won their first match at the 2016 Rome Masters in straight sets. They met a few weeks later at the Halle Open where Zverev stunned the three-time defending champion in the semifinals to score his first win over the Swiss maestro.
Federer got his revenge at the very same tournament the following year, defeating Zverev in straight sets to win his ninth title at the Halle Open. The young German once again evened their rivalry by defeating Federer in the final of the Canadian Masters.
Roger Federer won their next match during the round robin stage of the 2017 ATP Finals in three sets. But Zverev knocked him out of the same tournament in 2018, defeating him in straight sets in the semifinals.
Zverev won their most recent encounter in three tight sets in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Shanghai Masters to take the lead in their rivalry for the first time.
#3 - Dominic Thiem (5-2)
2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem has an extremely respectable 5-2 record against Roger Federer.
Federer dispatched Thiem in their first meeting, winning in straight sets at the 2016 Brisbane Open. The Austrian, however, won their next two matches later that year in Rome and Stuttgart.
Their next meeting took place two years later, with Federer winning in straight sets in the group stage of the 2018 ATP Finals. Thiem responded by winning their next three matches in 2019, all of which were closely contested.
He defeated Federer in the final at Indian Wells for his first Masters 1000 title and then in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters. Both of those wins came in tough three-set battles. Thiem's latest victory over the Swiss was in the group stage of the 2019 ATP Finals, where he won 7-5, 7-5.
#2 - Rafael Nadal (24-16)
One of Roger Federer's primary rivals, Rafael Nadal has a 24-16 winning record against the Swiss. Their rivalry has captured the attention of fans all over the world and has resulted in some of the greatest matches in the sport's history.
Nadal dominated Federer on clay, leading 14-2 on the surface, while enjoying a 8-6 lead on the outdoor hardcourts. The Swiss leads 3-1 on grass, while leading 5-1 on indoor hardcourts.
Nadal won their first encounter, upsetting the then World No. 1 in the third round of the 2004 Miami Open. They met in the final of the same tournament the following year, with the Swiss winning in five sets in a match that's regarded as a classic.
Nadal won their next five encounters, but Roger Federer stopped the rot by winning the final of the the 2006 Wimbledon Championships. He also won their next match at the ATP Finals later that year, the first time he won consecutive matches against the Spaniard.
Nadal won his first and only match against Federer on grass at Wimbledon in 2008. It was the third straight year in which the duo were competing for the title, but this time the Spaniard got the better of his great rival in what is regarded as one of the best tennis matches ever played.
2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles Final: Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer: youtu.be/IfBX0IkcqLg?a via @YouTube
After the 2014 Australian Open, Nadal led 23-10 in the head-to-head. Federer then won five straight matches against him, including the 2017 Australian Open final. Nadal snapped his losing streak in the semifinals of the 2019 French Open, but Federer won their most recent encounter in the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2019.
#1 Novak Djokovic (27-23)
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have faced off against each other 50 times, with the Serb edging the rivalry 27-23.
The pair first met in 2006, with Federer winning their first four matches. Djokovic, who was rising swiftly up the ranks at the time, upset the Swiss maestro in the final of the 2007 Canadian Open to score his first win over him.
Roger Federer won their next match at the 2007 US Open. Djokovic then scored his first win over his storied opponent in a Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, which he would go on to win.
At the end of 2010, Federer led 13-6 in the head-to-head. However, Djokovic transformed into an elite player in 2011. That year, he defeated the Swiss thrice en route to a 41-0 start to the season.
Roger Federer handed Djokovic his first defeat of 2011 in the semifinals of the French Open. They met a few months later in the semifinals of the 2011 US Open, in which Djokovic saved a couple of match points in a thrilling five-set win.
By defeating Federer in the 2015 Wimbledon final, Djokovic tied their rivalry at 20 apiece. The Swiss took the lead by defeating his younger opponent in the final of the Cincinnati Open before Djokovic leveled it up again by winning the 2015 US Open final.
They met twice in the 2015 ATP Finals and split their meetings. Djokovic defeated Federer in the semifinals of the 2016 Australian Open to take the lead in their rivalry for the first time. He won their next three matches as well, including the epic 2019 Wimbledon final where he saved two championship points.
Unbelievable. Unshakeable. Unstoppable.
@DjokerNole wins his fifth #Wimbledon title in an instant classic, defeating Roger Federer 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3)
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Roger Federer scored his first win over Djokovic in almost four years in the 2019 ATP Finals, defeating him in straight sets in the group stage. The Serb, however, won their most recent encounter at the 2020 Australian Open, securing a straight sets victory in the semifinals.
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