One last dance of an epic rivalry? After a long wait of almost 790 days, the tennis world is all set to witness a heavyweight clash between two of the greatest tennis players to have ever featured in this game. Novak Djokovic will take on Rafael Nadal for the 60th time in his career. No other players have played against each other so many times since the Open Era, which began in 1968. Nadal has taken part in three Olympics so far and has grabbed two gold medals already, but for Djokovic, this will be his fifth appearance.

The Serb is still hunting for his first gold medal at this mega event. He won the bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Is 2024 the year he was waiting for Well, the picture looks quite grim for both. With half the year gone, Djokovic is yet to get a taste of a title this season. Nadal on the other hand hasn’t won a Slam match in 2024, which makes this clash quite different from their previous meetings. Who has the upper hand in this match though?

Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal: Preview

Novak Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles, and out of those only 3 came at this venue. Despite his incredible numbers throughout his career, Djokovic has struggled with injuries and lack of form this season. However, he recently thrashed Australia’s Matthew Ebden in the first round by 6-0, 6-1.

His best records this season have been reaching the finals of Wimbledon 2024. Apart from that, he has also reached three SFs and one QF this season. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the finals of the Wimbledon 6-2, 6-2, 7-6. Djokovic hit 8 aces and committed 4 double faults. He won 66% of his first serve and 40% of his second serve. However, he saved 9/14 of his breakpoints against the Spaniard. So far this season, Nole has hit 216 aces committing around 63 double faults. He has won 85% of his service games, and 30% of his return games. How are his numbers compared to Rafa in this season?

Well, Rafa hasn’t played much in this season. His best record came in Bastad where he reached the finals. However, in the finals, he was defeated by Portugal’s Nuno Borges by 3-6,2-6. Nadal failed to hit even a single ace in the match but committed 3 double faults. He won 53% of his first serve and around 28% of his second serve, but in the breakpoints, he recorded 7/12 saved. Apart from reaching the finals in Bastad, Rafa’s best result was reaching the QF in Brisbane International, earlier this year.

The 38-year-old tennis star has hit 35 aces so far this season and committed 29 double faults. He has won 76% of his service games and 32% of his return games. He will enter this match after defeating Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the R1! Numbers don’t look too great compared to his Serbian opponent, but we all know what Rafa is capable of when it comes to the Parisian clay!

Djokovic vs Nadal: Head-to-Head

The sworn rivals have met each other 59 times. Every time they have faced each other, it has always been a story that is quite worthy of telling. Talking about some of the epic clashes at this iconic venue featuring these two tennis stars:

• They have played against each other almost 10 times at Roland Garros. Their first meeting was in 2006 in the QF. Nadal ended up winning after Djokovic withdrew post the second set.
• Out of those 10 meetings, Djokovic has managed to win only on two occasions. First was in the QF of the 2015 French Open and then again in the SF of the 2021 French Open. Apart from that, it has always been a one-man show at this venue!
• Their latest meeting was also at Roland Garros, almost two years ago. In the QF of the 2022 French Open, Rafa defeated Djokovic by 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). So far, the Serb leads the H2H against the Spaniard by 30-29. Can Rafa come up with an equalizer in Paris this time?

Prediction: Djokovic to win in three sets

‘Victory belongs to the most tenacious‘ – Rafael Nadal is surely going to give his all in this match, but sadly my doubts are outnumbering his chances at this moment. However, we all know he is a completely different player when it comes to this venue, as he owns a 112-4 record in Roland Garros. He has created quite a few magical moments at Court Philippe-Chatrier, so although we’ve picked Djokovic, ruling Nadal completely out of this contest will be a foolish thing to do.

Even the Serb wouldn’t dare to rule Nadal out of this contest. He stated, “Playing him is like finals, in any tournament. Particularly here, knowing what he has achieved and what he’s done for our sport, but particularly here at Roland Garros, his record speaks for itself.” According to the Spaniard, “Of course, it’s beautiful to play against one of the two biggest rivals that I had in my career, especially on this court.”

However, he admits the situations are completely different for both of them this time. “He’s (Djokovic) being very competitive. I was not being very competitive for the last two years, so in that case, I think probably he is the clear favorite,” said Nadal. Despite naming himself a less favorite in this faceoff, he has assured his fans that he’s going to try his best in this epic clash!

Nadal has managed a win-loss record of 11-6 this season, compared to Djokovic’s 24-8. Djokovics’s aggressive baseline game with strong groundstrokes from both wings may come in handy in this match. His two-handed backhands are one of the finest on the Tour and he loves playing backhand down the line. Furthermore, his return on serve is a bane for most players who stand against him. On clay, Djokovic should look to be the clear favorite. However, with a tendency to hit his strokes flat, he loses out on the advantage of topspin on clay.

For Nadal, getting the grip of the match right from the get-go will be extremely crucial! Rafael Nadal’s lethal weapons include – heavy topspin groundstrokes, speedy footwork, and tenacious court coverage. His insane topspin, especially from his forehand wing is absolutely lethal on clay, which has trumped his opponents and helped him achieve his astounding record on the surface. Even his footwork on clay is much better than any other player. Is this enough, though, for the number 161 to topple the current world number 2? Perhaps not!