by Rafael Nadal will face Novak Djokovic for the final time on Saturday, ending one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever seen.
After first playing against each other at the French Open in 2006, when Djokovic retired from two sets down, the two most successful male players in tennis history have faced each other 60 times.
It was a rivalry initially dominated by Nadal, who won 14 of the first 18 meetings, including a semifinal victory at the 2008 Olympics en route to the gold medal.
The first Grand Slam final showdown came at the 2010 US Open, which Nadal won in four sets, but a year later Djokovic got his revenge after also emerging victorious in the 2011 Wimbledon final.
The 2012 Australian Open final is arguably the pair’s biggest battle as they competed for five hours and 53 minutes in a remarkable encounter. Djokovic prevailed in what is still the longest Grand Slam final.
Both struggled to make it to the 2012 Australian Open finals ceremony
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The Serb improved the head-to-head record for the first time in 2015 when he won the ATP World Tour Finals 23:23. This was part of a streak of seven straight wins for Djokovic against Nadal.
After being eliminated from the French Open by Nadal six times between 2006 and 2014, Djokovic earned his first Roland Garros victory over the Spaniard in 2015, winning the quarterfinals in straight sets.
The 2018 Wimbledon semi-final was the pair’s last game against each other at SW19 and lasted five hours and 15 minutes before Djokovic won 10-8 in the fifth set.
Nadal and Djokovic have each won five of the last 10 meetings, the last of which came in the second round of the Olympics this summer, which Djokovic won en route to the ultimate gold medal.
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 final: Djokovic 4-5 Nadal
In total: Djokovic 31-29 Nadal
