Decoding the rivalry of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
What's the story
Swiss ace Roger Federer will be aiming for a turnaround after losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals of 2021 Wimbledon.
His long-time rival, Rafael Nadal, had opted out of the tournament.
Earlier, he was denied a 14th Roland Garros title by Novak Djokovic.
Notably, Federer and Nadal could meet for the first time at the US Open.
Let us analyze is their rivalry.
H2H
A look at the head-to-head record
Nadal has a lead of 24-16 over Federer in the ATP head-to-head series.
Interestingly, Federer has won seven of the last eight encounters between the two players.
The former leads 10-4 in Grand Slam matches.
Federer leads 3-1 on grass court and 5-1 on indoor hard court.
Meanwhile, Nadal leads 14-2 on clay and 8-6 on outdoor hard court.
Information
Match results across tournaments
Here are the match results across tournaments (Federer vs Nadal). Grand Slams: Nadal leads 10-4. ATP Finals: Federer leads 4-1. ATP Tour Masters 1000: Nadal leads 12-7. ATP Tour 500 Series: 1-1
Wimbledon
Wimbledon: Federer 3-1 Nadal
Federer enjoys a lead of 3-1 over Nadal at Wimbledon.
He won the first-ever Wimbledon match between the two (2006 final).
They once again met in the final of the following edition (Federer won).
Notably, the 2008 Wimbledon final between the two is termed as the greatest match.
Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 after four hours and 48 minutes.
French Open
French Open: Nadal 6-0 Federer
Over the years, Nadal has stamped his authority on clay court.
He has lost just three matches at French Open, holding a 105-3 record.
The Spanish maestro has the wood over Federer at this Slam (6-0).
Nadal and Federer have met twice in semi-finals (2005 and 2019).
They have met the other four times in the finals (2006-2008 and 2011).
Australian Open
Australian Open: Nadal 3-1 Federer
Nadal also has an upper hand over Federer at Australian Open (3-1).
In 2009, the Spaniard beat Federer to win his only title in Melbourne (7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2).
Nadal outclassed the Swiss player in 2012 and 2014 also (both semi-finals).
Meanwhile, Federer won his 18th Grand Slam title by beating Nadal in the final of 2017 Australian Open.
Feats
A look at their notable feats
Nadal and Federer, together, won 11 consecutive Grand Slams, from the 2005 French Open to the 2007 US Open.
As a pair, they finished six consecutive calendar years as the top-two ranked players (ATP Tour).
The duo achieved this feat from 2005 to 2010 (seven times overall, including 2017).
Nadal and Federer share the record for most wins at a single Slam (105).