Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer: Who's had the better Davis Cup career?
The conclusion of the US Open 2024 hasn't given players time to rest as quite a few of them are up for Davis Cup duties. Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Matteo Berrettini, and Jack Draper are some of the well-known names in action this week.
While tennis is mostly an individual sport, players get the rare opportunity to play for their countries during the Davis Cup. The World Cup of tennis has seen some incredible matches over the years, though the current format of the tournament has received a mixed response.
Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal always made it a point to represent their countries whenever they got the chance. The trio's talent often tilted the odds in their countries' favor, and each of them led their teams to glory over the years. On that note, here's a brief look at how their Davis Cup careers stack up against each other:
#3 - Novak Djokovic
Djokovic made his Davis Cup debut in 2004 against Latvia in the Europe/Africa group stage. He defeated Janis Skroderis 6-2, 6-2 in a dead rubber to make a winning debut in the format.
Djokovic was instrumental in Serbia's first and so far only Davis Cup triumph back in 2010. He won both of his singles matches in the first round against the United States to help his country edge past their opponents with a score of 3-2. He needed four sets to beat Sam Querrey and survived a five-set thriller against John Isner.
Serbia dismantled Croatia 4-1 in the quarterfinals and sneaked past the Czech Republic by a 3-2 margin to reach their first-ever final, where they faced France. The Serbs went down 2-1, with Djokovic's win over Giles Simon being their only point.
Djokovic then won his second singles tie against Gael Monfils to level the proceedings, and Victor Troicki finished the job with a win over Michael Llodra to win the title. Serbia also were the finalists in 2013 and made the semifinals on another four occasions.
Serbia's fortunes improved tremendously under Djokovic. Since his debut, he has compiled a 40-8 record in singles, and a 4-8 record in doubles. The Serb hasn't beaten his biggest rivals in this event and lost his only matches against Federer and Nadal.
#2 - Roger Federer
Federer made a winning Davis Cup debut way back in 1999 when he beat Italy's Davide Sanguinetti in four sets in the first round of the World Group. However, he lost his next three singles ties.
Federer was involved in some memorable matches while playing for his country, with one of them being a five-set showdown against Lleyton Hewitt in 2003, which he lost. However, he won his next 16 singles matches and wouldn't taste defeat until 2012, when Isner snapped his unbeaten run.
Federer was a pivotal figure in Switzerland's maiden Davis Cup victory in 2014. They beat Serbia 3-2 in the first round, and ousted Kazakhstan by a similar score. However, it was a close call with the 20-time Major champion winning the decisive singles rubber.
The Swiss team edged past Italy with a score of 3-2 as well and were up against France in the final. Stan Wawrinka put them in the lead with a win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. However, Monfils stunned Federer to level the tie.
Federer and Wawrinka won the doubles tie to go up 2-1, and then the former beat Richard Gasquet to seal the contest 3-1 in Switzerland's favor. The Swiss contingent hasn't reached another final since their victory a decade ago.
Federer amassed a 40-8 record in singles, and a 12-10 record in doubles during his Davis Cup career. He didn't have the opportunity to compete against his main two rivals in this format that often. He won his only match against Djokovic in 2006 and didn't cross paths with Nadal at all.
#1 - Rafael Nadal
Spain had a rich Davis Cup history even before Nadal arrived on the scene. They won the title in 2000 and reached the finals in 1965, 1967, and 2003. The Spaniard didn't have the best start to his Davis Cup career.
Nadal made his debut in 2004 against the Czech Republic and lost his very first match against Jiri Novak. He didn't fare any better in doubles and lost that match as well. However, he proved his mettle when he won the decisive singles tie against Radek Stepanek to send them into the quarterfinals.
Nadal played only one match in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands, which was a doubles tie that he lost. However, Spain defeated their opponents 4-1 to advance to the semifinals, where they took on France.
The 22-time Major champion won both of his matches as they downed the French 4-1. They took on the United States in the championship round and overcame them 3-2 to win their second Davis Cup crown and Nadal's first. He won his only singles tie against Andy Roddick in the final.
Nadal lost his doubles tie against Italy during the World Group play-offs in 2005. He hasn't lost a match since then and has helped Spain claim another four titles (2008, 2009, 2011, and 2019), and a runner-up finish in 2012.
Nadal has a combined 37-5 record so far. He's 29-1 in singles and hasn't lost a singles tie since losing his debut match. He has an 8-4 record in doubles. He's on a 28-match winning streak in singles, and an overall 32-match winning streak.
Nadal's Davis Cup resume is considerably better compared to Djokovic and Federer. The Spaniard helped his country to four titles, while the other two could only do it once each. He also has a better-winning record, and his ongoing unbeaten run is another trump card for him, giving him a clear edge over his rivals in this format.