Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s tennis rivalry will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
The Swiss and Spaniard battled it out on the ATP Tour for almost 20 years, contesting a remarkable nine Grand Slam finals.
Their rivalry often drew comparisons with that of Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who were the dominant forces in tennis between 1978 and 1981.
Appearing as a guest on the ‘Late Show‘ in 2011, Nadal was asked the following question by host David Letterman.
“Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, they kind of had that rivalry that made both of them great. Do you feel like [Roger] Federer and you have that same chemistry, that same dynamic, to make one another greater?” he asked.
Rafael Nadal admitted that sometimes it would be ‘better’ if Roger Federer wasn’t around
“I think every rivalry is completely different,” said Nadal.
“McEnroe, Borg had a fantastic rivalry a long time ago, and Federer and I, we have had a lot of matches these last couple of years.
“It’s exciting, it’s emotional, but at the same time, we have a very good relationship, and it’s good, because I think we understand tennis.”
Nadal was then asked if he believed he would be as good a player without Federer pushing him.
“Probably not,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s better if he’s not there!”
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
It’s not surprising that Nadal said that, given the troubles Federer caused him on the ATP Tour.
Despite winning their Grand Slam final head-to-head, Nadal still lost three majors to his Swiss rival.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s Grand Slam final H2H
| Grand Slam final | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2006 French Open | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2006 Wimbledon | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 2007 French Open | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2007 Wimbledon | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 |
| 2008 French Open | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 |
| 2008 Wimbledon | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 |
| 2009 Australian Open | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 2011 French Open | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 |
| 2017 Australian Open | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
Had he won all of his Grand Slam finals against Federer, Nadal would have retired with 25 major titles, the most in tennis history.
The Grand Slam race
- 1. Novak Djokovic (24)
- 2. Rafael Nadal (22)
- 3. Roger Federer (20)
It wasn’t to be, although Nadal can be pleased with his efforts against his legendary rival.
Which tennis player am I thinking of?
Nadal retired with a winning 24-16 record against Federer.
But who had the better of Borg and McEnroe’s rivalry, 30 years earlier?
Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe finished tied with seven wins each
Borg and McEnroe played 14 matches in three years.
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 1981 US Open – F | John McEnroe | Bjorn Borg | 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1981 Wimbledon – F | John McEnroe | Bjorn Borg | 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1981 Milan WCT – F | John McEnroe | Bjorn Borg | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1980 Masters – RR | Bjorn Borg | John McEnroe | 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 |
| 1980 Stockholm – F | Bjorn Borg | John McEnroe | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1980 US Open – F | John McEnroe | Bjorn Borg | 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4 |
| 1980 Wimbledon – F | Bjorn Borg | John McEnroe | 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6 |
| 1979 Masters – SF | Bjorn Borg | John McEnroe | 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 1979 Toronto – F | Bjorn Borg | John McEnroe | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1979 WCT Finals – F | John McEnroe | Bjorn Borg | 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 |
| 1979 Rotterdam WCT – F | Bjorn Borg | John McEnroe | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1979 New Orleans WCT – SF | John McEnroe | Bjorn Borg | 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 |
| 1979 Richmond WCT – SF | Bjorn Borg | John McEnroe | 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
| 1978 Stockholm – SF | John McEnroe | Bjorn Borg | 6-3, 6-4 |
When Borg retired early at just 26 years old, his rivalry with McEnroe finished level at 7-7.
They did, however, resume their rivalry as Laver Cup captains in 2017.
McEnroe and Borg led Team World and Team Europe for seven tournaments.
Laver Cup results with Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe as captains
- 2017 Laver Cup – Team Europe
- 2018 Laver Cup – Team Europe
- 2019 Laver Cup – Team Europe
- 2021 Laver Cup – Team Europe
- 2022 Laver Cup – Team World
- 2023 Laver Cup – Team World
- 2024 Laver Cup – Team Europe
McEnroe and Team World lost that head-to-head 2-5 against their European counterparts.
Both Nadal and Federer’s and Borg and McEnroe’s rivalries will be remembered forever, but will any of today’s stars forge a legendary rivalry of their own?
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner certainly look well on their way to doing so…
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