Rafael Nadal will face Novak Djokovic for the final time on Saturday, bringing down the curtain on what has been one of the greatest rivalries the sport has seen.
Having first played each other at the French Open in 2006, when Djokovic retired as he trailed by two sets, the two most successful male players in tennis history have gone head-to-head 60 times.
It was a rivalry initially dominated by Nadal, who won 14 of the first 18 meetings, including a semi-final victory at the 2008 Olympics on his way to winning the gold medal.
The first Grand Slam final showdown came at the 2010 US Open, which Nadal won in four sets, but Djokovic got his revenge a year later, having also come out on top in the Wimbledon final in 2011.
The 2012 Australian Open final is arguably the pair’s greatest battle, as they went toe-to-toe for five hours and 53 minutes in a remarkable encounter. Djokovic came out on top in what remains the longest Grand Slam final.
Both struggled to stand during the 2012 Australian Open final trophy ceremony
AFP via Getty Images
The Serbian levelled up the head-to-head record for the first time in 2015, when victory at the ATP World Tour Finals made it 23-23. That formed part of a run of seven straight wins for Djokovic over Nadal.
After being knocked out of the French Open by Nadal six times between 2006 and 2014, Djokovic earned his first Roland Garros win over the Spaniard in 2015, winning their quarter-final clash in straight sets.
The 2018 Wimbledon semi-final proved to be the pair’s final match against each other at SW19, lasting five hours and 15 minutes before Djokovic won 10-8 in the fifth set.
Nadal and Djokovic have each won five of the past 10 meetings, the last of those coming in the second round of the Olympics in the summer, won by Djokovic on his way to finally securing gold.
Djokovic vs Nadal head-to-head record:
Clay: Djokovic 9-20 Nadal
Hard court: Djokovic 20-7 Nadal
Grass: Djokovic 2-2 Nadal
Grand Slam: Djokovic 7-11 Nadal
Grand Slam finals: Djokovic 4-5 Nadal
Total: Djokovic 31-29 Nadal
Content Source: www.standard.co.uk