In the past years, Tennis has been graced by some of the best talents in the history of the sport, with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, to name a few of the most successful players. In this blog, we will go through some of the best players, and we will especially focus on Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer’s famous Grand Slam wins and their respective records. Make sure to check LV BET sportsblog for the latest tennis news and newest articles.
What can you expect from this blog article:
- What is a Grand Slam title?
- Federer vs Nadal
- The race for the Grand Slam titles
- Iconic battles
- The future
What is a Grand Slam title?
Technically, a Grand Slam in tennis is the achievement of winning all four major championships in one discipline in the same calendar year, which is also known as the calendar Grand Slam in the ATP tour. A calendar Grand Slam is winning the Australian Open, French Open, US Open and Wimbledon finals. Winning one of these prestigious tournaments is a huge achievement, so you can imagine what a monumental effort to win all four tournaments in a single year. The surface for each of the tournaments is different, and this might affect how the player performs, some players might perform better whilst playing on hard courts, whilst others prefer clay courts or grass courts.
The first event of the calendar year is the Australian Open, played annually in late January and early February, the inaugural edition took place in November 1905 on grass courts. The second tournament is the French Open, also known as the Roland Garros, which is played annually in late May and early June. It was first held in 1891 on the sand courts of the Societe de Sport de Ile de Puteaux; the location of this tournament has changed a lot over the years before settling on the clay court at the Stade Roland-Garros, from which it has gotten the name. The third tournament is The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known more as Wimbledon. This tournament is also played annually in late June and early July, with the first tournament taking place in 1877. The last major tournament of the year is the US Open, which takes place in late August and early September. The first ever tournament was held in August 1881 on grass courts.
Some of the players that managed to compete and win the four major titles in a calendar year are Don Budge in 1938, Maureen Connolly in 1953, Rod Laver in 1962 and again in 1969, Margaret Court in 1970 and the latest Steffi Graf in 1988. This achievement was mainly completed in the early years of the sport, and it’s less frequent to have an athlete dominate all four titles in a year.
Federer vs Nadal
A rivalry like no other in the sport, the modern-day greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have shared the spotlight for a number of years, with one of their records being 211 consecutive weeks sharing the top two rankings, from July 2005 to August 2009.
Federer and Nadal have played each other 4o times, with the Spaniard leading 24-16 overall, including 14-10 in finals. In Tennis, one has to note that the surface on which the players compete makes a huge difference, and this rivalry truly shows their respective preferences. Of their 40 matches, 20 have been on hard courts, 16 on clay courts, and four on grass. Nadal leads on clay (14-2) and outdoor hard courts (8-6), with Federer leading on grass (3-1) and indoor hard courts (5-1). Of the 40 games played, almost half of them have been in majors (14), with Nadal leading 10-4. Strangely, the two are yet to meet in the US Open.
In men’s tennis tournaments, seedings are based on rankings, with the top two seeds placed on opposite sides of the draw; 25 of Nadal and Federer’s 40 matches have been in tournament finals. This includes an all-time record of nine Grand Slam finals and 12 ATP Tour Masters 1000 finals. Ten have been in the semifinals, and only three took place before the last-eight stage.
Rafael Nadal has won 92 ATP titles in his career, which can be broken down as follows: Grand Slam: 22 Masters : 0 Masters 1000: 36 ATP 500: 21 ATP 250: 9 He also lost 37 finals, including 8 in Grand Slams. Rafael Nadal has won the Davis Cup five times with Spain; in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019. The Spaniard won the gold medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a gold medal in doubles with Marc Lopez at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Roger Federer has won 103 ATP singles titles, including 20 major singles titles (A record that is only surpassed by the 21 Majors won by Novak Djokovic and the 22 Majors won by Rafael Nadal), 28 ATP Masters titles, and a record six ATP finals.
Significant aspects in the rivalry
A particular aspect of this rivalry is that when looking into their Grand Slam tournament histories, another dimension is brought to the fore. If it was just one player at a time, they would have broken various records, but both have stopped each other at a certain point in breaking records. Nadal denied Federer a career Grand Slam plus two potential Grand Slams (2006-07) by defeating him at the French Open every year from 2005 to 2008. Federer would complete a career Grand Slam by winning the French title in 2009 after Nadal was upset in the fourth round. On the other hand, Federer denied Nadal on two occasions from becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the ”Channel Slam”. Channel Slam was a term used to describe the achievement of winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
Federer has also prevented Nadal from winning the Year-end championship by defeating him in the 2010 finals and eliminating Nadal from the tournament in the 2006 and 2007 semifinals preventing Nadal from becoming only the second man after Andre Agassi to win a career Grand Slam, A gold singles Olympic medal and the Year End championship. These achievements were dubbed a ”Career Super Slam”.
Both men not only possess some of the prestigious records in Tennis but also for consecutive wins on a single surface – Federer on both grass (65) and hard courts (56), Nadal on clay courts (81) – but each of these streaks was broken by the other player. With such dominance from both athletes on grass and clay courts, an exhibition match was done under the name ”Battle of Surfaces”. This was a one-off game between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on a half-grass, half-clay court, which Nadal won with a 12-10 score in the deciding tiebreak in May 2007, when both the grass and clay streaks were still active.
The contrast in playing style has been a source of debate for commentators and analysts. The heavy topspin created by Nadal’s groundstrokes combined with his strategy of directing the majority of his serves and groundstrokes to Federer’s single-handed backhand keeps Federer on the defensive and makes it harder for Federer to use his typical aggressive groundstrokes to dominate baseline rallies. Federer says he is a “different player due to Nadal’s presence”, citing Nadal’s game as a major reason for improvements in areas of his own game. An aspect of this rivalry is not only fueled by the hunger to become the best but also by mutual respect for the other player’s ability.
The race for the Grand Slam titles
In this section, we will discuss how the main players have performed in terms of titles over the years. By the time Djokovic won his first grand slam title in 2008, Federer already had 12, and Nadal had three major titles to his name. Federer, who is the oldest of the three, made him the man to beat in the early stages of both Nadal and Djokovic’s careers.
Roger Federer stalled on 17 after his Wimbledon title win in 2012, for it would be five years before he won another grand slam at the 2017 Australian Open. Alongside Serena Williams, Federer has helped redefine the age in which top players normally hang their rackets, and despite going on to win his 20th slam at the Australian Open in 2018, he is still hungry to add more to his tally.
This drive and hunger from Federer only fueled both Nadal and Djokovic to push their limits even more in order to keep themselves in the conversation for the most grand slam titles.
As the tally stands at the time of writing, Nadal holds the all-time record of 22 Grand Slam titles, ahead of Federer’s 20. Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Mats Wilander are the only men in Tennis history to have won at least two Grand Slam titles on each of the three surfaces.
Tournament
Federer Nadal
Australian Open 6 2
French Open 1 14
Wimbledon 8 2
US Open 5 4
Total Count 20 22
Rafael Nadal holds the outright record of French Open wins with 14, whilst Roger Federer has the record for the most Wimbledon titles.
In the race for the most grand slam titles, Novak Djokovic is also a key player as he has 21 titles; Djokovic leads Federer overall. The Serbian is currently ranked sixth by the ATP, and he also has the record for the most weeks (373), occupying the number one ranking and has finished as the year-end number one a record seven times.
The race for the most Grand Slam titles is far from being decided, and we will be keen on watching who will take the crown. Will it be Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic?
Iconic battles
Some of the best battles have been at the French Open and Wimbledon finals, with great performances from either player. The Federer and Nadal rivalry is a great show of respect for one another and the dedication and hunger to be the best and be considered the best Tennis player of all time.
Enjoy some of the best matches between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer across the years and around the world as they chase the outright lead for Grand Slam titles.
French Open 2019 Semi-Final
Match Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXwpInXtRT8
Roger Federer was playing his first French Open in four years, with his third-round match marking his 400th major match, an all-time record. Rafael Nadal had an edge when playing on clay which always placed Roger Federer at a disadvantage. The reason is that Rafael Nadal plays in a way that makes the other player feel uncomfortable by the way that he defends his court and struts his stuff on the clay.
Rafael Nadal put on a dominant display to progress to the Final, as he won the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. The manner of the defeat would have people wondering, but it’s just Rafael Nadal at his sparkling best, which he replicated in the French Open final when he defeated Dominic Thiem, who managed to secure a place in the final after beating Novak Djokovic.
With this victory in the French Open final, Rafael Nadal extended his dominance in Rolland Garros by claiming the twelfth title and 18th major title overall.
2017 Australian Open Final
Match Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gUvgm23qMU
This final saw the two holding service for six games of the first set, whilst during the seventh game was the pivotal break of serve giving Federer the opening set. Nadal quickly broke Federer’s serve in the second set, racing out to a lead that Federer could not overcome, giving him the second set and levelling the match at one set apiece (6-4, 3-6). The third (6-1) set was a rather lopsided affair seeing Nadal secure his service game only in the fourth game of the set. The fourth set (3-6) started off competitively with the two holdings serve until Nadal broke in the fourth game of the set, a lead he would never surrender, evening the match at two sets apiece. The decisive fifth set commenced with a break of Federer’s serve by Nadal, giving him a lead in the early going; however, Nadal’s serve got broken during the sixth game of the set, levelling the match at two sets and three games apiece. Federer won the next three games breaking Nadal’s service in the eighth game of the set to allow him to successfully serve out the match in the final ninth game. The Championship point was contested various times, but the eventual winner was Roger Federer, winning his 18th Grand Slam title – the most ever by a man in the history of tennis at that time.
Some critics would say that this Australian Open was one of Roger Federer’s biggest matches and the toughest of them all. The Grand Slam record was extended, but more action was on the horizon for the two.
2008 Wimbledon Final
The 2008 Wimbledon Men’s Single final was dubbed one of the greatest Wimbledon final of all time. Protagonists of this final were top-ranked Roger Federer against then second-ranked Rafael Nadal. After four hours and 48 minutes of play, Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7.
It was the last Wimbledon final to be significantly affected by rain, as a retractable roof was installed for the following year’s tournament. Rain delayed the start of the final and again after the first two sets in which Nadal prevailed. After the break from the weather, Federer battled back to win the next two sets, 7-6, 7-6, saving two championship points in the fourth set tiebreak. The tiebreak is often regarded as one of the greatest ever played. With the score at 5-2, Nadal had the opportunity to win the title on his next two serves. However, he double-faulted, and then netted a backhand, bringing the tiebreak back on serve. Nadal saved a set point and had his first championship point but failed to return Federer’s serve. At 7-7, Nadal hit a forehand down the line past Federer, setting up another championship point, this time on his serve, but Federer responded with a backhand down the line to extend the match. The BBC commentator described the scene as, ”The two best passing shots of the tournament, without doubt, have just taken place on the last two points”.
Some statistics that are interesting for this particular final are the break point conversions, Federer had just 7% whilst Nadal had 30% showing his determination and ability to manage the last few points in a game.
You can watch some of the best rallies from that brilliant final here.
2008 French Open
Match Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS3AcrQBgXI
In 2008 Rafael Nadal showed ruthless competitive behaviour as he demolished Roger Federer in the French Open Grand Slam Final. Nadal showed no signs of slowing down as he barely lost any games in the lead-up to the final, and even against Federer, he only lost four games in total.
Federer faced a formidable Nadal, and he also confessed that he did not believe that he could get the better of Nadal, and that was a major thing for him. Nadal was so strong that even Federer could not find the key to win a set.
These tournaments came in just a few weeks before beating Federer at Wimbledon and stopping his grand slam title runs in 2008. In 2008 Nadal won the French Open and Wimbledon Grand Slam.
2007 Hamburg Masters
Match Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRMhRnhKqKw
The 2007 season swung in favour of Roger Federer, who won three of the five matches against Rafael Nadal. The surprising victory from Roger Federer was exaggerated by the fact that Nadal was widely considered the King of Clay, and odds were always overwhelmingly in his favour when his opponent was Roger Federer on a clay surface. Before the final, Rafael Nadal had an 81-match winning streak on clay.
Roger Federer put on an astonishing display to end the winning streak and win the title in just three sets, the third being a decisive 6-0 to finish Nadal off. With the streak for Nadal ended, Roger Federer aimed to win the Paris Final and secure consecutive titles, but Rafael Nadal stretched his outright lead even further.
2005 Miami Open
Extended Highlights of the Final – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKlXGgbwwJI
The second meeting was one year later, again in Miami, but this time in the best-of-five-sets Grand Slam final. Rafael Nadal started better, winning the first two sets, but the more experienced Roger Federer recovered nicely to win in five sets, securing the match point in style. Both Federer and Nadal played again a few months later in the French Open, which was their first match on clay, and Nadal defeated Federer in four sets en route to his first major title. It was the beginning of a truly remarkable strong for Nadal in Tennis history.
2004 Miami Open
Match Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7T8SLvVl28
The first meeting between the two was back in March 2004 at the third round of the Miami Masters. Nadal, who at the time was only 17 years old, surprised many by beating the then number one Rodger Federer in straight sets. In that game, Nadal showed the world what he is capable of and that he has great potential. Most of the onlookers were surprised by his fierce energy, which he still possesses to this date. The commentator described the display from Nadal as extraordinary in just a bit more than an hour, he humbled the world’s number one, dictating how the points were being played.
2017 Laver Cup
Match Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGX0M22xhPw
The usual protagonists of a lot of action and entertainment for the Tennis fans teamed up for the Laver Cup, with most of the people’s hopes and dreams realised as they saw two of the most decorated players come together. During most of their careers, both Nadal and Federer have been known for their singles matches, it was a great spectacle to watch them play doubles.
Nadal showed his great ability in playing from the net, combined with Federer’s record of great serves, posed a great threat to the opposition. The team made up of Nadal and Federer won the game after a decider.
Nadal and Federer also took part in many exhibition matches against each other. In February 2020, Nadal accepted Federer’s invitation to take part in a charity match with him in Cape Town, South Africa, the birthplace of Federer’s mother, on behalf of the Roger Federer Foundation.
The future
Three of the best Tennis players in recent years are approaching the end of their illustrious careers, and we would like to shed some light on what is to come in the coming years. This year we heard some rumours surrounding the possibility of Roger Federer retiring from the sport, but these were squashed by the Swiss as he will only retire when he feels it’s the right time. These rumours started after the Swiss dropped a hint that he might be thinking about retiring after a couple of injuries to his knees which saw him sidelined for a couple of months.
On the other hand, after clinching a record-extending French Open Grand slam, the 36-year-old Spaniard also indicated that he is not going to retire anytime soon, binning any rumours and speculations about his future in the sport. This line of questioning started due to the chronic foot injury problem during the campaign in Paris.
So for the coming year or maybe two, we will have both players competing at the highest level. What about up-and-coming stars in the sport that might create their own legacy?
Young stars
Some of the names that we will potentially hear and read about are Carlos Alcaraz, who is one of the youngest Tennis players at 19 and also the fourth-ranked in the ATP rankings. The Spaniard has some huge shoes to fill if he aims to eclipse Rafael Nadal. The young hotshot has won four titles in 2022, ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Outdoor/Clay), Barcelona (Outdoor/Clay), ATP Masters 1000 Miami (Outdoor/Hard) and Rio de Janeiro (Outdoor/Clay).
Another up-and-coming star is Casper Ruud, who is ranked fifth in the ATP rankings, one spot lower than Alcaraz. The Norwegian won nine titles in total, with most of the honours claimed in 2021, winning the San Diego (Outdoor/Hard), Kitzbuhel (Outdoor/Clay), Gstaad (Outdoor/Clay), Bastad (Outdoor/Clay) and Geneva (Outdoor/Clay). Casper has a lot of potential in his game, and it will just be a matter of time until we see him excel in the upcoming major titles.
One of the Tennis players that capture most of the headlines is Nick Kyrgios for his way of playing and general being. Setting aside his antics and hilarious interviews, he is one of the brightest talents but also is yet to win a major title. He recently advanced to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon by defeating Nadal in the process. Something that the Australian would cherish as Nadal dominated the scene of Tennis history for a long time.
Bet on Tennis
Either way, Federer and Nadal are the main names in Tennis and will surely be remembered for the coming years. Feel free to book your front-row seat to the action with LV BET. The upcoming major tournament will be played in August, being the US Open Grand Slam. Take advantage of LV BET’s betting markets to diversify your bets and stick close to the thrilling action.
If you’re interested in reading more related articles, feel free to continue browsing the LV BET Sports Blog, where we delve deep into Tennis news and announcements. Use your summer break to brush up on the business of sports betting.