Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: A Rivalry to Remember

It’s been a decade and a half since the greatest rivalry in the history of tennis – Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal- unfurled, and it is still going strong. Without a doubt, the rivalry between the two stalwarts is one of the most enthralling aspects of the sport. The rivalry has its own legacy, different from the player’s individual legacies, but equally appealing.

The pair met each other for the first time at the Miami Open 2004 when Nadal was just 17-years-old. Despite his tender age, he managed to stun the then World No.1 Federer, and the world knew that someone great had come. Thus began one of the greatest rivalries in the history of tennis.

Also Read: Roger Federer Reveals How He Beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon Championships 2019

How many times has Rafael Nadal played against Roger Federer?

Considered one of the best on-court rivalries of the Open Era, the Federer-Nadal rivalry continued to inspire scores of youngsters to take up the sport across the globe. Irrespective of the tournament, the duo managed to produce their best whenever they were on-court. So far, Nadal and Federer met 40 times on the ATP tour, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head with 24 wins.

In the 40 matches that the pair played, 20 were on hard court, 14 of them on outdoor hard court, 6 on an indoor hard court, 16 have been on the clay, and 4 have been on grass. While Roger Federer leads on indoor hard court 5-1, grass court 3–1, Rafael Nadal leads on clay court 14–2 and outdoor hard court 8–6. The Mallorcan also has a superior head-to-head record of 14–10 in finals.

Who is better, Nadal or Federer?

Looking at the head-to-head numbers, it’s evident that Nadal has a comfortable advantage over Federer. But the Swiss Maestro turned it around during the 2017 ATP season, starting with the Australian Open final. Nadal was up a break in the fifth before Federer bounced back to register a memorable 18th slam title.

At present, both Nadal and Federer are at different stages of their careers. Last year, Federer bowed out of the tour after Wimbledon as he had to undergo his third knee surgery. Even the Spaniard had to take a break to recover from his foot injury.

It was Rafael Nadal who managed to bounce back in style as he dominated the Australian Summer by winning the Melbourne Summer Set event as well as the Australian Open. On the other hand, Federer is training for his comeback and recently revealed that he should be able to present more information by April-May 2022.

In the 14 Grand Slam matches between them, Nadal leads 10–4. The 33-year-old has dominated the Swiss ace 6–0 at the French Open and 3–1 at the Australian Open, while Federer leads 3–1 at the Wimbledon Championships. The two rivals are yet to meet at the US Open.

Such was the dominance of Federer and Nadal, that from 2006 to 2008, they played in every French Open and Wimbledon final.

Also read: Simone Biles vs Novak Djokovic Net Worth 2022: Who is Wealthier?

Which player has won more titles?

For long, the Grand Slam title race favored Roger Federer. But that changed gradually with the rise of Novak Djokovic. The Serbian managed to find a place for himself in between the two all-time greats of the game and is dominating the tour. Over the past few years, it’s Nadal and Djokovic who are in the lead to become the greatest player of all time.

By the end of 2021, all three stars had 20 major titles to their name. Both Federer and Djokovic didn’t participate in the 2022 Australian Open as Nadal clinched the crown and took a slight lead by winning his 21st major.

This victory rightfully puts Rafael Nadal as the leader of the pack and he’s also as a clear favorite to win the 2022 French Open. Djokovic, on the other hand, is preparing to make a comeback and challenge the Spaniard for big titles.

Greatest match ever played between the two

When two players continue to meet each other on multiple occasions over the course of more than a decade, it’s a difficult task to pick out just one great match. The same goes with Federer and Nadal. Although they have played high-quality matches, the 2008 Wimbledon final stands out from the rest as probably the best match ever played.

Some fans would even argue that it’s the greatest final ever played in the Open Era. The year before, in 2007, Federer defeated Nadal on the same stage and everyone anticipated the Swiss Maestro to repeat the same feat in 2008, but a resilient Nadal had a different plan altogether.

The 2008 Wimbledon final was an example of how a tennis match can entice fans when two players who are playing their best tennis step up their game at crucial junctures of the match and produce a memorable fight till the end. After losing the first two sets, Federer went on to win the next two in tie-breakers.

The fifth set was the ‘final act’ of this movie. The build-up to the climax was spectacular and fans wanted to know how it ends. This blockbuster match-up ended with Rafael Nadal edging past Federer after 4 hours and 48 minutes.

How many finals did Federer lost to Nadal?

In the beginning phase of their rivalry, Federer managed to edge past the Spaniard, but as Nadal got hold of all three surfaces, there was no stopping him. The Swiss Maestro got occasional victories, but Nadal was able to get the better off Roger on most occasions.

The duo played 14 finals on the ATP tour overall. Out of them, nine matches were at Slams and Nadal won six of those encounters. Federer was able to defeat the Spaniard only on three occasions (2006 Wimbledon, 2007 Wimbledon, 2017 Australian Open).

Ever since their match-up at the 2017 Australian Open final, fans are eagerly waiting to watch these two stalwarts face each other in a major final once again. But, that seems to be a distant possibility at the moment, with Federer’s comeback yet to be determined.

Similarities and differences in their playing style

One of the main reasons why Federer-Nadal matches work big is their playing style. While both of them are all-round players with strong adaptive skills, Federer is most aggressive on all surfaces while Nadal takes time to launch an attack. These contrasting styles of play made up great memories for fans to live through.

Over the years, Federer added more fire to his game with a renewed backhand and introducing slice backhand to neutralize the opponent’s serve. These made him stand the tide against the likes of top stars such as Djokovic, Murray, and Nadal.

On the other hand, Rafael Nadal worked on his net skills and even effectively implemented serve-and-volley to his game. As there were times when his forehand was not at the peak, the Spaniard was quick to change gears and dismantled numerous opponents over the years.

Net worth comparison

Looking at their net worth, Federer surpassed Nadal by a distance. Right from the start of his career, the Swiss Maestro always found a way to use his on-court popularity off the court and built a brand for himself that will continue to grow by strength even after his retirement from the sport.

Nadal, however, has always been a respected professional who has built a solid reputation for himself and also sponsors numerous brands worldwide.

At present, Federer’s net worth is estimated to be around $550 million dollars while Nadal stands at around $220 million.

Sponsorships of Nadal and Federer

Nadal sponsors a wide variety of brands, including Nike, Babolat, Kia, Heineken, and Santander. Right from the start of his career, Nadal has been associated with Nike as the company lived up to his expectations by releasing specific apparel related to the Spaniard.

Rafa’s association with Kia goes way back as well. Nadal started off as brand ambassador for the motor company in 2004 for the Spanish market and later became the poster boy for world-wide promotion.

Coming to Roger Federer, his list of endorsements once again outdoes the Spaniard. He endorses Wilson sporting goods and has a ten-year contract with Japanese clothing brand, Uniqlo. Besides these two, Federer is also an ambassador for Credit Suisse, Barilla, Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, On, and Switzerland Tourism.

The Swiss star aptly uses his extroverted nature to good effect with all his sponsors, as he frequently makes commercials to promote the respective brands.

Also read: ‘I Suggested to Roger We Should Play Doubles’- Rafael Nadal Details How He Convinced Roger Federer for a ‘Fedal’ Comeback