Novak Djokovic’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal is arguably the greatest tennis has ever produced.
The two clashed 60 times at tour-level events and met each other in the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments.
Nadal finished his career trailing Djokovic in the head-to-head, with the Serb leading 31-29, having won their last matchup at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
They delivered a number of iconic bouts, including their meeting in the 2012 Australian Open final, which many consider to be the greatest match of all time.
However, there was one match between Djokovic and Nadal that their longtime rival, Andy Murray, once described as ‘perfect’.
The 2021 Roland Garros semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
During the 2021 Roland Garros semifinal featuring the two legends, Murray took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say: “You cannot play better clay court tennis than this. It’s perfect.”
Djokovic and Nadal were both chasing history in Paris that year, with the Spaniard looking to become the all-time leader in men’s Grand Slam titles.
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
He was tied with Roger Federer on 20, and after years of being behind in the major race, he was finally about to overtake the Swiss star.
On the other hand, Djokovic, who had 18 Grand Slam crowns to his name at the time, was looking to close in on Nadal and Federer, having been in the shadows of them for the majority of his career.
Nadal was off to a strong start in the match, drawing first blood by taking the opening set 6-3 on his preferred surface.
A defiant Djokovic fought his way back into the match, however, and ultimately triumphed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 to advance to the final.
With his victory, Djokovic handed Nadal just his third career loss at Roland Garros, and became the only man ever to beat him more than once at the event.
In the final, Djokovic came back from two sets down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas and hoist his 19th Grand Slam.
Rafael Nadal said the conditions for Novak Djokovic were favourable
Though it was by no means an underdog victory, it was still shocking to see Nadal lose at Roland Garros, where he had been so dominant for so many years.
Would Rafael Nadal be the undisputed GOAT if not for injuries?
When reacting to his defeat, Nadal said in his post-match press conference: “It is true that probably the conditions were a little bit slower later on.
“We had been playing with very warm and high bounces. During the night, the situation goes a little bit the other way, no? So bounce a little bit less. The ball gets less topspin. That’s more favourable for him, the conditions.
“By the way, doesn’t matter. That’s tennis. The player who gets used to the conditions better is the player who deserves to win. So no doubt he deserved to win.”
The year after, Nadal beat Djokovic in the quarterfinals en route to his 14th Roland Garros title.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
