Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic French Open 2020 Final: Preview, Head To Head, Predictions

The stage is set, the preparations have begun for the last time and the Philippe Chatrier is ready to host the biggest match of the French Open 2020. Two of the greatest tennis players will grace the court to fight for the championship trophy. The atmosphere will be electric when Rafael Nadal takes on Novak Djokovic on Sunday afternoon.

Rafael Nadal has the legacy with him

The Spaniard is the most successful player at the French Open. With his semi-final win over Diego Schwartzman, he holds 99 wins to his name at the Roland Garros.

His winning percentage is unreal as he has faced only two defeats in Paris. A step away from making a century of wins, he’d be eager to defeat Djokovic and achieve the impossible-looking feat.

The twelve-time French Open champion lost his last match at the Roland Garros in the year 2015. Since 2005, he’s been running riot with his lethal left hand.

Seeded second at the French Open 2020, Nadal stormed into the finals without losing a set. However, he is far away from his best game this season.

While results will speak of one-sided domination, it might be noted that he is yet to be tested. His semi-final match against Diego Schwartzman was the toughest he has faced this edition. Although he won in straight sets, Schwartzman exposed his weaknesses in the third set. These vulnerable areas will be critical as Djokovic will try to capitalize on them.

Novak Djokovic will be banking on his performance

Facing the Spaniard on clay is a monumental task. Facing him in the final makes the situation more adverse as he has won 12 Grand Slams in Paris. However, his achievements won’t intimidate Djokovic who will try to continue his spectacular performance.

The Serbian has had only one loss this year; that too through the ‘default’ at the US Open 2020. Unlike Rafa, he had to face some real tests in the tournament. The five-setter against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final is a prime example. The win will boost Djokovic’s confidence as he faces the king of clay.

The four-hour match against Stefanos also means that Novak will be more exhausted than Rafa, who took only three sets to ward off Schwartzman’s challenge. He’ll hope to leave it behind before he sets up for the final clash on Sunday.

The colder weather conditions around Paris have greatly affected the players and Djokovic faces an issue with his neck. Although he picked up the win, it won’t be easy facing Rafa’s strong shots.

Nadal and Djokovic: head to head and prediction

Both the players have faced each other on 55 occasions. Djokovic leads the list with 29 wins to his name. However, Nadal leads 6-1 when we take the French Open specifically. Out of 24 matches on clay, Nadal has won 17.

With the numbers speaking in favor of the Spaniard, he’ll certainly be the favorite. The Serbian is expected to put up a commendable fight. However, as per our prediction, Nadal will be walking away with his 20th Grand Slam title in a five-set marathon match.