Updated: October 11, 2020 8:37:55 am
The Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal clash will undoubtedly be the biggest showdown of the 2020 season that was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic. (Image source: AP)
In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, a meeting between Nadal and Djokovic will undoubtedly be the biggest showdown of the season. It’s the biggest rivalry in sport, and on Sunday, at the French Open final, another chapter will be added to the list of epics between the duo.
However, unlike any other Grand Slam final, the upcoming Parisian match is of greater significance. And it will possibly have a significant influence on the debate on the topic “The greatest of all time.”
Why is this considered the biggest rivalry in tennis?
Sunday will mark the 56th meeting between the two legends. It is the most played tie in the history of the sport. Djokovic leads 29-26 in 55 games played so far.
In the Grand Slams, they have met 15 times and eight times in the final, sharing a 4-4 record. This will be the third time they have faced each other in a French Open final, with Nadal winning the previous two meetings in 2014 and 2012.
At Roland Garros, they have met seven times and Nadal has a 6-1 lead. Their first meeting on the tour was also at the French Open, in the 2006 quarter-finals.
What is at stake for Nadal?
Nadal has never lost the final of the French Open. In fact, he only lost two matches at the Grand Slam on clay: in a four-set loss in the fourth round to Robin Soderling of Sweden in 2009, and in straight sets to Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal plays a shot against Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020 (AP Photo).
He has won 12 titles at Roland Garros so far, and a 13th on Sunday will see Nadal’s tally rise to 20 Grand Slam titles, bringing him up to Roger Federer’s all-time record.
If Nadal wins Sunday’s final in straight sets, it will be the fourth time he has won a Major without losing a set, beating joint record holders Bjorn Borg and American Richard Sears.
What’s at stake for Djokovic?
If Djokovic wins, he will become the only player to win the French Open after beating Nadal in that edition. He will also be the only player to have beaten Spanish in the final of the tournament.
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His overall Grand Slams tally will go up to 18, which will see him trailing Nadal by one and Federer by two titles.
He will also become the only player in the Open Era to have won every Grand Slam at least twice. Federer hasn’t done it since he (and Djokovic) won the French Open just once in 2009 and 2016 respectively, and Nadal has only one Australian Open title (2009) to his name.
Why is Djokovic expected to finally hold the all-time Grand Slam record?
The Serb, a year younger than Nadal, 34, has 17 Major titles to his name. Nadal is 19, and Federer, now 39, is 20.
Age may be on Djokovic’s side compared to his two biggest rivals, but the 33-year-old also has a game suitable for all surfaces. He is a defensive baseline player, by far the best recuperator in the game, who has become much more aggressive in his approach over the years. He has the ability to beat opponents on hard, grass and clay courts, often with alarming ease.
Serbian Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory in the semifinal of the French Open tennis tournament against Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets, 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, at the stadium Roland Garros in Paris. France, Friday, October 9, 2020 (AP Photo)
He has won 11 hard court Grand Slams (eight at the Australian Open and three at the US Open), five titles at Wimbledon and the 2016 French Open. With such competition, it will come as no surprise to see him win multiple Slams at a single calendar year over the next few seasons, which will see him cross over to Nadal and Federer.
The Serbian also recently surpassed Nadal in the most ATP Masters 1000 titles, winning his 36th in Rome two weeks before the French Open. He’s also closing in on Federer’s record of 310 weeks as world No. 1 – Djokovic currently has 288.
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