rivalry rivalry known professional tennis players switzerland spain currently engaged rivalry consider greatest tennis history played times recently swiss indoors final leads year old rivalry overall record pair men finished consecutive calendar years ranked players included record consecutive weeks sharing rankings july august matches clay hard court grass winning record grass leads clay hard court leads head head grand slam matches wins clay courts losses grass tournament based rankings seeds placed opposite sides draw matches tournament finals including time record finals masters series finals semifinals taking place stage matches winner set won match played french open final final lauded greatest match long time tennis analysts history played match march round years old ranked time surprised beating straight sets second meeting year later miami time best set final recovered set deficit win sets played months later semifinals french open match clay defeated sets route grand slam title faced matches won beginning final february played hard court loss year ended open era record consecutive wins hard courts clay season ensued continued dominance clay defeating finals french open grand slam final won set quickly fought took sets capture second french open title rome final held championship points serve 5th set failed convert led 5th set won points claim championship faced month later final championships meeting grass won sets capture fourth consecutive title meet semifinals year end masters cup won straight sets route masters cup title years year end career head head advantage risen faced times won matches second straight year played finals clay won meeting straight sets winning consecutive title weeks later met defeated time clay ended match winning streak clay encounter french open final won anticipated rematch sets capturing consecutive french open title meetings repeat finals semifinals won matches final lasted sets instead previous year sets close year narrowed head head record played times won times extending career advantage straight year played clay court finals beat straight year capturing open era record fourth consecutive title weeks later clay court loss defeating sets title double break leads sets hamburg close sets straight year played finals french open won fourth consecutive french open title score puts match sided finals history suffered seriously energy levels movement early hard court clay season fitness training levels didn recover met finals straight year anticipated match rivalry amidst rain delays played longest final history hours minutes captured title winning fifth set near darkness match broke open era record match winning streak grass spanned years played twice splitting matches players began year strong reaching finals australian open hard court final undefeated hard court finals open australian final long hours minutes competitive sets pulling away decisively fifth set secure hard court championship rebounded match spanish soil defeating final straight sets pivotal match broke match winning streak victory ended match winning streak clay swiss historic victory completed career grand slam played twice winning winning second match met final madrid open year match defeated straight sets met world tour finals final marking meeting year end championships meeting finals continued indoor dominance winning sets victory gave record tying fifth title year end tournament played singles matches winning matches winning match lone doubles match defeated semifinals singles match met semifinals won straight sets met semifinal won sets met finals french open meeting australian open final competitive match defeated sets win tenth major title sixth french open crown final meeting year came round robin stage world tour finals match rematch previous year final saw win match straight sets met semifinals australian open leading set break minute fireworks delay celebrations australia day changed momentum match improved hard court record win sets met semifinals won match straight sets route claiming fourth indian title august revealed doubt able play open knee injury prevented playing expressed concern ultimately withdrew met times prevailing occasion severely hampered injuries sustained season met time earliest pair met tournament entered match having suffered injury previous round defeated straight sets april winning passed rankings second place marked time november ranked span unprecedented weeks defeated rome masters final sets finally played match western southern open cincinnati time champion played dazzling set struck points openings service games second set including chance came win sets hampered injury summer switched old experimenting larger frame previous tournaments met semi finals indoor event world tour finals arena beat straight sets career match played inch permanently upgrading larger frame meeting season semi finals australian open won straight sets improved record australian open overall majors grand slam tournament second tournament overall played switching new larger time career november defeated sets final encounter swiss soil captured 7th title hometown victory half years having lost previous meetings analysis significant aspects rivalry huge men careers grand slam tournament histories particular interest especially time record finals encounters includes playing french open finals consecutive years culminating widely considered greatest match tennis history defeat title runs possesses advantage finals encounters plus victories semifinals denied career grand slam plus potential calendar year grand defeating french open year complete career grand slam winning french title upset fourth round twice denied man win channel slam french open year defeating finals succeeded following year combined followed second prevented winning year end championships defeating finals eliminating tournament semifinals preventing second man win career grand slam gold singles olympic medal year end championships distinction dubbed career super slam sports_illustrated record consecutive calendar years atop rankings unprecedented combined performance tournaments span captured combined record grand slam tournament titles including record consecutive titles dominated masters series combining titles including additionally won year end tournaments finally men possess open era records consecutive wins single surface grass hard courts clay courts streaks broken man respective dominance grass clay impetus battle surfaces exhibition match half grass half clay court won grass clay streaks active nearly half meetings come clay best surface weaker surfaces matches clay hard court grass winning record best surface grass leads clay hard court leads grand slam tournament matches wins coming clay courts hard courts grass holds edge overall career win percentage trails head head results hard courts analysts commentators increasingly recognize bad matchup heavy created combined strategy directing majority serves single handed keeps defensive making harder use aggressive dominate rallies typically opponents says different player presence citing game major reason improvements areas game factors head head advantage built include domination clay domination seasons illness injury record clay masks close record surfaces advantage clearly hindered severe injuries respectively competitive record years tournament titles holds time record tournament titles tournament titles include hard courts grass clay total clay hard courts grass players won career grand slam winning majors comparison year end championships holds record year end championship titles won year end championship finals twice defeated finals leads event titles holds masters titles titles clay hard courts coming hard courts clay missing masters titles miami shanghai paris missing rome prevented winning times beat twice rome finals rome final won 5th set lasted hours considered greatest memorable matches contested clay prevented winning miami set final won second sets break set points away victory came sets win miami final lost time head head following breakdown head head results matches finals grand slam matches australian open french open open met finals tennis masters cup world tour finals matches tennis masters cup world tour finals finals masters series world tour masters matches masters series world tour masters finals world tour international series gold matches tied world tour international series gold finals tied best set matches set matches winning match losing 1st set best set matches outdoor courts indoor courts tie breaks head head results court surface clay courts hard courts outdoor indoor grass courts clay played matches clay holding advantage won french open defeating tournaments semifinal finals won clay masters events year defeating highest win percentage clay player history result analysts players consider greatest clay court player won seven meetings best set matches clay grass won championships seven times won championships twice titles consecutive titles sixth seventh titles won met consecutive finals won finals won final lauded greatest match long time tennis analysts hard played matches hard courts holding lead important distinction relative success players indoor outdoor hard courts leads record outdoor hard courts leads quicker conditions low bounce indoor hard courts fit style slower high bouncing conditions outdoor ones favor defeated encounters year end championships including final played indoor despite success hard courts analysts criticized lack consistency reaching tournament finals especially finals overall head head results said favourite kinds surfaces referring match australian open skill comparisons considered greatest tennis player time performance clay prompted experts regard greatest clay court player best tennis players time successful fast courts hits faster serve grass indoor hard courts faster surfaces shots result lower bouncing faster moving trajectory effective faster courts effective slower courts clay improved serving speed placement years serves faster average earns aces service winners overall stronger ground stroke game weaker hard grass courts nonetheless achieved considerable success surfaces including notable wins summer olympics australian open open hard court masters series tournaments media player commentary interviews fellow players regarded best tennis players time november player stated believed greatest player time chance greatest player stays healthy player commentator similar opinion noting argument greatest player eventually possibly subsequently adjusted opinion occasions noting thought greatest player lived later greatest july reversed opinion backed title press conference following 9th record french open win total shy said care records follow path career count time champion told singapore newspaper number number separated field years separated deal golden age tennis november world number player noting support explained believes head head results valid factor determining greatest time ahead greatest debate second people talk head head determining factor single match deciding factor total wins major tournaments individual match mind december uncle coach indicated spanish radio station believed greatest time based overall statistics achievements noting think best time numbers march player similar arguments look numbers able greatest seen comments echoed july great respect greatest time relationship competitive dynamic personal professional relationship good highly competitive maintain healthy regard virtually source personal animosity slight criticisms past example complained slow deliberate style play eve final criticized australian open failure vocal players grievances issues scheduling prize money subsequently apologized making views public players maintained enjoyed good relationship high respect seen interviews seen watching play match box family members match wins despite relationship men somewhat different attitude rivalry atop tennis world ambivalent notion rivalry opponent years younger memorable final choice acknowledge significance admitting definitely special times play weeks later officially surpassed rankings offered compliment look achieve like rivalry looks role model measuring stick success interest rivalry increased collaborated arrange occasional charity exhibition matches benefit charities interests recent match africa played december switzerland won follow match played madrid following day titled joining forces benefit children won cultural impact rivalry increased overall interest tennis highly anticipated final drew strong television ratings tennis europe match featured cover sports_illustrated time years tennis cover pairing significant achievements championships french open won unprecedented major titles time men completed career grand slam completed career golden slam winning beijing olympics tournament victory french open french open won major titles exceptions australian open won open won del pair open era contest french open men finals calendar year pair history tennis contest finals consecutive years history tennis pair face grand slam singles finals french open australian open broke previous record seven finals set championships match australian open marked record 10th time players faced men singles matches tying record set record surpassed met 11th time major semi finals pair win consecutive singles tournaments french open open period won consecutive titles open consecutive titles australian open won consecutive french open titles open era pairs players played final grand slam singles tournament consecutive years french open pair win consecutive finals different majors period french open open championships french open appeared major finals winning australian open australian open australian open open combined win consecutive consecutive french open won french open open trio consecutive years pairs faced major having completed career achieved french open final australian open semifinal pair met occasions completing career list head head matches main draw results included singles doubles exhibitions november played exhibition match hard court seoul south_korea won played battle surfaces hybrid court half clay half grass match held arena capital city native won december played switzerland hard court charity tennis match won played exhibition match december madrid spain won charity tennis match foundation january played final knockout exhibition tournament world tennis championship hard court beaten previous round beaten previous round won encounter score march played set eugene oregon usa won charity exhibition december played world tennis championship december hard court time place won december played matches india international premier tennis league season hard court won set singles paired doubles set lead indian aces victory records pair history met times finals pair history met times finals slam french open rivalry ranked eighth terms matches played performance timeline comparison tournaments bold players met tournament year age end season year end ranking timeline career evolution born years months apart birthday august june different viewpoint career evolution offered taking season ended age starting point comparing accomplishments age instance finished season years old having accumulated career record major titles ranked comparison finished season aged having accumulated major titles total ranked active record updated monday july titles tournaments played comparison way view respective careers evolution look progression titles won number tournaments played win titles level competition including masters series tennis masters cup olympic games series international series gold series international series example won 14th grand slam title 40th grand slam tournament won 14th 38th grand slam tournament grand slam era combined singles performance timeline best result world era
Federer–Nadal rivalry