Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic h2h: Top stats that make it tennis' greatest rivalry ever

With Roger Federer falling behind after his year-long hiatus and generally having failed to carry on with his pre-2010 domination, the Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic rivalry has become the focal point of the men's tour in the last decade. While fondly known as the 'Big Three', Federer's involvement in the trio has reduced significantly - he has managed to win just 5 Grand Slams and a modest 12 Masters 1000 titles since 2010. While some of this has to do with age and injuries, a larger factor in Federer being relegated to secondary status has to do with the absolute domination that Nadal and Djokovic have brought to the tour.

Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic head to head stats

The Nadal vs Djokovic head to head currently stands at 29-28, just slightly in favour of the Serbian. As is expected, both players dominate over each other on their surfaces of choice - with Novak Djokovic holding a massive 20-7 advantage on hard courts and Nadal having won 19 of 26 meetings against the Serb on clay. The pair stand at an equal 2-2 on Grass Courts. With just a whisker separating them, the Nadal vs Djokovic head to head is set to get even more interesting as the two men play out their final years on the tour and look to finish as the GOATs.

With 36 Masters 1000 titles each and Djokovic holding 18 Grand Slam titles compared to the Nadal Grand Slams tally of 20, the two legends are barely separable in any area of the game. Rafa currently leads the pair in ATP 500 titles, with 22 to Djokovic's 14. However, the World No.1 catches up when you take into account his 5 year-end titles and the Spaniard's zero wins in that arena. The two players are also one title away from completing their career double Grand Slams - Djokovic needs another French Open title while Nadal needs an Australian Open win to get to his legendary milestone. Notably, though, both tournaments the players need to win are established dominions of the other player.

Nadal vs Djokovic highlights

A rematch of the scintillating French Open 2020 final and a precursor to what may well be the French Open 2021 final, the Rome Masters 2021 final proved to be worth every bit of hype it received. Seeded No.1 and No.2 at the tournament respectively, both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal secured early breaks in the first set, which eventually went 7-5 to Nadal. Hoping to scrub all memories of his humiliating defeat to the Spaniard at Roland Garros, Djokovic came back with a spectacular 6-1 win in the second set, taking the final to a decider.

Despite having a few chances, the Serbian was once again taken down by the Bull, as he powered through to a 6-3 win in the final set, completing his 10th win in Rome. This triumph also took Rafael Nadal Masters to a record-equalling 36 Masters 1000 championship titles. Here are the Nadal vs Djokovic highlights.

Image Credits: ATP Tour Twitter