How have Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic fared against each other in Grand Slams
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, commonly called the Big 3, have dominated the sport for two decades now. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that tennis fans have been spoiled by the sheer brilliance of arguably the sport's best ever players.
At least one member of the Big 3 has reached the semifinals in 71 of the last 72 Grand Slams, a sign of their dominance over the years.
Nadal, Federer or Djokovic have made it to the semifinals in 71 of the past 72 Grand Slams
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While the next generation of players have started to challenge the three seasoned veterans, there is still a long way to go before their time comes to an end.
The rivalries between Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have been nothing short of a spectacle for the sporting world.
Djokovic leads the overall head-to-head against his two rivals (30-29 vs Nadal and 27-23 vs Federer). Nadal, however, has a favorable record against the other two in Grand Slams. The Spaniard has won 21 of 32 matches against his rivals at the Majors, losing just 11 times.
By beating World No. 1 Djokovic in Tuesday's epic quarterfinal at Roland Garros, Nadal improved his record against the Serb to 11-7 at the Majors. He also leads 10-4 against Federer in their 14 Slam encounters.
Djokovic has a 18-17 record against his arch-rivals in Slams. Although he trails Nadal, the Serb leads Federer 11-6.
Federer trails both Nadal (10-4) and Djokovic (11-6) at the Grand Slams.
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have a combined 61 Grand Slam titles
Following Djokovic's 2021 Wimbledon triumph, the Big 3 were level on 20 Grand Slam titles each. The Serbian, chasing a record-breaking 21st title, came close to making history at the US Open last year, but went down in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Djokovic's season this year began on a controversial note, after the unvaccinated 35-year-old was deported from Australia. Nadal took advantage of the Serb's misfortune and took the Australian Open title, his 21st Grand Slam crown, to become the sport's most successful male player.
Injuries have unfortunately forced Federer to miss a lot of events over the last two years. The 40-year-old is determined to bounce back and is expected to be back in action later this year.
Nadal, meanwhile, is preparing for his French Open semifinal clash against Alexander Zverev on Friday. If the Spaniard wins his next two matches at Roland Garros, he would pick up a staggering 14th French Open title and a record-extending 22nd Major triumph.
MOST GRAND SLAM SEMIFINALS - Men's Singles
Federer, 46
Djokovic, 42
Nadal, 36
The Big 3 have pushed each other to greater success every year, and in a way, have been responsible for each other's achievements.