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Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic faced each other for the last time so far this year in Rome.
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On June 3, 2015, Djokovic inflicted one of only two defeats in Roland Garros on serial winner Nadal.
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Rafael Nadal has won over 100 games in Paris since 2005.
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Rafael Nadal has won the Roland Garros trophy 13 times.
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Novak Djokovic believes in his 30th win against arch-rival Nadal.
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58th duel with another major title in mind
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Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic faced each other for the last time so far this year in Rome.
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On June 3, 2015, Djokovic inflicted one of only two defeats in Roland Garros on serial winner Nadal.
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Rafael Nadal has won over 100 games in Paris since 2005.
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Rafael Nadal has won the Roland Garros trophy 13 times.
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Novak Djokovic believes in his 30th win against arch-rival Nadal.
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There has been no other duel since tennis was set up professionally, which the men played more often than Nadal against Djokovic. On Friday, the two face each other for the 58th time.
Roger Federer is aiming for a great success in his last months before his resignation. It is not impossible that there will be more than one. But the almost 40-year-old is unlikely to be able to change too much when it comes to the sum total of his great triumphs. His two arch-rivals are completely different: Nadal and Djokovic are almost six years younger, and they still secure most of the big titles. Since Federer won his last Grand Slam at the Australian Open 2018, Nadal and Djokovic have each won four other major trophies.
But time is of the essence for the two “boys” of the Big 3 to retire as well positioned as possible in tennis history. Nadal tends to downplay the importance of his legacy, while Djokovic makes it very clear that he is on the hunt for the most important records. He took the record for the number of weeks at the top of the world rankings from Federer this year, and set that for the number of Grand Slam titles as a goal. The less in prospect, the more important the direct duels, like that on Friday in Paris, will be.
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Djokovic – Nadal
Fri 11.06. 18:30 – 20:00 | SRF two
F 2021 | 90 Min
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Nadal gave his first set since the 2019 final (against Dominic Thiem) in the quarter-finals against Diego Schwartzman. But what remains in the memory is not the Mallorcan’s short period of weakness on Wednesday, but the reaction to it. With 25: 4 points he outclassed the world number tenth from Buenos Aires in the last set. Djokovic also had periods of weakness in the course of the tournament. Against the young Italian Lorenzo Musetti, he was 2 sets back in the round of 16, before he returned after a toilet break as if transformed. In the quarter-final against Matteo Berretini, he had to go over four sets because he made slight mistakes in the tie-break of the third set.
With 29:28 Djokovic leads in the duels against Nadal. The first took place in Roland Garros almost exactly 15 years ago and went to the Spaniard. This has clear advantages in direct encounters when they take place on clay (18: 7) and especially when they take place in Roland Garros (7: 1). Djokovic secured the only win against Nadal on the Parisian sand in 2015 in the quarter-finals. A few days later he lost the final against Stan Wawrinka. When the Serbian won the title in Paris in 2016, Nadal had to give up injured during the tournament.
The successes in Roland Garros
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Nadal has only left three titles to the competition since he first appeared in Roland Garros in 2005, namely Federer (2009), Wawrinka (2015) and Djokovic (2016). Last year he won his 13th French Open title without losing a set. No other player has ever dominated a Grand Slam tournament like this. For comparison: Federer triumphed eight times at Wimbledon, Djokovic nine times in Melbourne. 105: 2 victories is Nadal’s record at the French Open. Besides Robin Söderling (2009), Djokovic was the only player who could beat the Spaniard in Paris.
That is (also) at stake
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The race for the number of Grand Slam titles between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic is more open than ever. Nadal and Federer are tied with 20 titles, Djokovic follows with 18 (and the retired Pete Sampras is 14). For the first time, Nadal could take the sole lead in this classification. Djokovic could come close to a title and above all set an example in the realm of the Spaniard. The prerequisite for this is that the final is won.
That’s what Nadal and Djokovic say
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Nadal: «It’s a semi-final, not a final. That’s a big difference. There is still a way for the winner to go. I have to play my best tennis. It’s always a big challenge to play against Djokovic. He’s one of the best in history. “
Djokovic: «It’s not a match like any other. There is no greater challenge than playing on clay against Nadal on this court. Every time we compete against each other there is additional pressure and great expectations. The quality of my tennis over the past three or four weeks on clay makes me feel good. I believe that I can win. “
survey
Nadal or Djokovic: who will win?
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