Big 3 dominance: Comparing Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's best ever seasons
Never in doubt when the Big 3 are around. That has been the norm ever since the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic started dominating the tennis scene in the last two decades.
It began with Federer raising the bar of competitiveness in the early 2000s. Nadal's challenges to the Swiss and sheer dominance on clay in the mid and late 2000s gave birth to a legendary rivalry. Finally, in the early 2010s, it was Djokovic's tenacity and consistency that kept Federer and Nadal on their toes every time.
A member of the Big 3 has been ranked World No. 1 for 892 weeks. Barring 2016, one of them was the year-end No.1 between 2004 to 2021.
The Big 3 ushered the 'Golden Era' of tennis, dominating across all surfaces and events. Each of them produced multiple seasons that brought them unparalleled glory and greatness.
Federer's win-loss record in 2004 and 2005 was 74-6 and 81-4 respectively. He won five out of eight Majors in those two years, usurped the World No. 1 position and won a total of 22 titles in a span of 24 months. However, it was the Swiss Maestro's 2006 season that consolidated his dominance on the tennis circuit, reaching all four Major finals (winning three) and ending the season with a win-loss record of 92-5.
Nadal's 2008 season saw him win two Majors and an Olympic Gold. He had a win-loss record of 82-11 that year. The Spaniard's other remarkable season was in 2013, where he won two Majors in a season where he made a comeback after an injury hiatus of 222 days. Nadal's win-rate that season was at his best - 91.46%. However, the Spaniard's most prolific season statistically came in 2010.
Djokovic announced himself into the upper echelons of the sport during the 2011 ATP season. He faced Federer and Nadal a combined 11 times, winning 10 of these matches. He had a 70-6 win-loss record, won three of the four Majors and ended the year as No. 1. Yet, it was his 2015 season that established him as a real titan of the sport.
Here is a comparison of the key elements between Federer's 2006, Nadal's 2010 and Djokovic's 2015 seasons.
MAJORS
Nadal won three Majors in 2010, winning the French-Wimbledon-US Open trio, a feat that was only recorded once previously in the Open Era (Rod Laver, 1969). Moreover, after winning the US Open, Nadal became the youngest player to win the Career Golden Slam and the Double Career Surface Slam.
Most amount of grand slam matches won in a single season:
Federer: 27 (2006, 2007)
Djokovic: 27 (2015)
Nadal: 25 (2010)
Federer and Djokovic, in their respective seasons, have won all Majors except the French Open. Federer in 2006 became the first player since Laver in 1969 to reach the finals of all Majors. Djokovic followed suit during his stellar 2015 season. Nadal, Federer and Djokovic dropped 10, 13 and 14 sets respectively during their respective runs. Nadal also won a Major on each surface in 2010, something neither Federer nor Djokovic were able to accomplish.
Best out of the Big 3: Nadal
MASTERS
Now a two-time Golden Masters champion, Djokovic's sheer dominance in 2015 saw him win six of the eight Masters finals he played in. In comparison, Nadal won three and Federer won four Masters titles in their respective 2010 and 2006 seasons.
Best out of the Big 3: Djokovic
CALENDAR TITLES
Out of the 17 tournaments he played in 2010, Nadal won seven of them - three Majors, three Masters and one ATP 500 event. Djokovic played 16 events in 2015, winning 11 of them - 3 Majors, 6 Masters, 1 ATP 500 and the year-ending championships.
Nadal and Djokovic won 41.1% and 68.7% events they entered during their stellar seasons. However, Federer was triumphant in 12 out of the 17 events he played (70.5%) making him better in this aspect against fellow Big 3 members.
Best out of the Big 3: Federer
WIN-RATE
Nadal had a win-loss record of 71-10 (87.7%) in 2010. The Spaniard lost all ten of his matches to ten different opponents. Djokovic won 82 out of the 88 matches (93.2%) he played in 2015. The Serb's only losses came against Federer (thrice), Ivo Karlovic, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray.
% of Break Points Saved + % of Break Points Won:
Federer 2006: 70% + 43% = 113
Nadal 2010: 69% + 44% = 113
Djokovic 2015: 68% + 44% = 112
Federer edged ahead of Djokovic in this statistic, winning 94.84% of his matches in 2006. The Swiss won 92 of the 97 matches he played that season, losing four times to Nadal and once against Murray.
Best out of the Big 3: Federer
vs TOP 10 PLAYERS
Against top 10 players in their respective dominant seasons, it is safe to say Djokovic has weathered the storm far better than Federer and Nadal. Djokovic won 31 of the 36 matches against top 10 opponents, which is an Open Era record for the most top 10 wins in a single season.
He defeated every player ranked in the top 10 that season. Federer and Nadal have a win-loss record of 19-4 and 11-5 respectively against the Top 10 players in their prime seasons.
#Big3 vs. top 10 is selected 3-Slam tours,
% break points saved + % break points converted:
Djokovic 2015 (36 matches): 66.5% + 42.6% = 109.1 ❗️
Federer 2006 (23 matches): 63.6% + 43.2% = 106.8
Nadal 2010 (16 matches): 65.6% + 36.4% = 102.0
Best out of the Big 3: Djokovic
BIG 3 AGAINST EACH OTHER
Nadal won against Djokovic in the US Open final and the round Robin match at the year-ending championships. He faced Federer twice in 2010. Both matches were contested in the final. Nadal won the finals of the Madrid Masters but lost to the Swiss in the finals of the year-ending championships.
Federer won against Djokovic twice in 2006, at the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Davis Cup World Group play-offs. He faced Nadal six times and lost four matches against the Spaniard. The Swiss thus had a 50% win-rate against his rivals in 2006.
Djokovic was far more impressive against both his nemesis in 2015. He won all four of his matches against Nadal and led Federer 5-3 in 2015. The Serb's win-rate of 75% in this discipline is one of the major reasons why tennis pundits consider Djokovic's 2015 season to be the most dominant.
Best out of the Big 3: Djokovic
YEAR-ENDING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Djokovic and Federer won the year-ending championships in their respective peak seasons, whereas Nadal lost in the final to Federer in 2010. Djokovic's run in the 2015 ATP Finals saw him lose one match in the round robin stage against Federer but he avenged that loss to the Swiss in the finals.
Federer, on the other hand, won the year-ending championships without losing a match in 2006. Moreover, the Swiss dropped only two sets en route to his title win.
Best out of the Big 3: Federer
Conclusion
Given the statistics of their respective prime seasons, Nadal's Surface Slam, Federer's amazing win-rate and Djokovic's quality of wins against top opponents makes each season of the Big 3 a special one of their own.
Also Checkout:- Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head