Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic: The rivalry that has enriched tennis

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have clashed 50 times in tennis with the Serb holding a slight advantage.

The rivalry of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer has taken Tennis to a whole new level. (Image credit: Twitter)
By Karthik Raman | Mar 15, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are three players who have enhanced the quality and appeal of Tennis in the modern era. The style of play, the versatility in all surfaces and the dominance in all aspects make the trio one of the greatest set of sporting personalities to have ever set foot in a Tennis court. The rivalry between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic takes excitement to a whole new level. Federer vs Nadal was the original start of the Tennis rivalry, Nadal vs Djokovic took competitiveness to a whole new level while Djokovic vs Federer is a clash of style, aggression and the bonafide right to be called the greatest.

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won a total of 58 Grand Slams in the last decade and the dominance of the trio is simply amazing. The Federer vs Djokovic rivalry in particular has become one of the showpiece rivalries in tennis along with the Federer vs Nadal rivalry and the Nadal vs Djokovic rivalry. Federer and Djokovic have provided some classic moments in the rivalry and none can get any better than their epic 2019 Wimbledon final.

The magic of July 14, 2019

July 14, 2019 was one of the most freakish days as a sports fan. In the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup final in Lord’s, England and New Zealand played out an unbelievable match in which the normal game and the Super Over were both tied. England were declared the winners due to a superior boundary count and it was the ultimate heartbreak for New Zealand. At the same time, in another part of London, the greatest Tennis match of all time was being played.

Roger Federer was gunning for a record ninth Wimbledon title and the final against Djokovic went into the fifth and final set. Federer had two match points but he squandered them and the match went into the super tie-break. After four hours and 58 minutes, Djokovic ended Federer’s dream as he won the match 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 to end a final for the ages. Both had played the longest-ever finals in Wimbledon and it was a symbol of the heights of greatness both players had reached.

In the overall rivalry, Djokovic leads Federer 27-23 in head-to-head encounters. Initially, it was Federer who had dominated the rivalry, winning seven out of the first 10 matches against Djokovic. Federer continued to dominate but in the period between 2011 and 2012, Djokovic won six out of the seven meetings against Federer and this included wins in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, French and US Open Grand Slams.

From 2016 to 2020, Federer has won only one out of six encounters against Djokovic and that has meant that the Serb is the only player in living history to have a positive head-to-head record against both Federer and Nadal. It is Djokovic’s ability to raise his game against Federer and Nadal that has made him one of the greatest along with Federer and Nadal in the Tennis world.





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