Savor this Djokovic-Nadal rivalry while you can, writes jon_wertheim
The most textured rivalry in men’s tennis has crossed the globe and encompassed all kinds of circumstances. Tuesday’s 59th meeting between the stars will be no different.PARIS—In 2006, Rafael Nadal entered his quarterfinal match as the defending French Open champion after celebrating his 20th birthday a few days prior. His opponent: 19-year-old Novak Djokovic. The match wasn’t especially memorable.
Even the most prescient of tennis fans would never have guessed that match would be the first salvo in a rivalry spanning more than 15 years between two players likely to win more major men’s singles titles than any other in history. On Tuesday evening here, fans will get what they came for—a quarterfinal match discerning observers had predicted as soon as the draw came out. Nadal versus Djokovic on the big court.
Djokovic and Nadal have faced off in three French Open finals over their careers, with Nadal winning all of them.They will meet for the 59th time and … and let’s pause here. Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe—an A-list sports rivalry—played against each other 14 times. Nadal and Djokovic have faced off more thanthat. Yes, some of that is owed to longevity. Djokovic is now 35. Nadal turns 36 on Friday.
Nadal and Djokovic. Djokovic and Nadal. The most textured rivalry in men’s tennis has crossed the globe and encompassed all kinds of circumstances. Seventeen of their 58 matches have come in majors, nine of those in finals. Each has beaten the other on every surface. They have played each other at least once a year since 2006.