Nadal vs Djokovic Head to Head Record | Grand Slams | Different Surfaces | ATP Masters

The multiple battles between the two greats have entertained the glorious sport for 15 years and Novak Djokovic leads the head to head record by a slender margin of 29-28 against Rafael Nadal.

Hence, Sportco compares the two modern-day tennis greats by comparing their all-time head to head record in different tournaments and surfaces:

1) Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Last 5 matches

2) Nadal vs Djokovic: Head-to-Head in all 4 Grand Slams

3) Head-to-Head Record in Finals

4) Nadal vs Djokovic: Head-to-Head Record on Clay

5) Nadal vs Djokovic: Head-to-Head Record on Hard courts

6) Head-to-Head Record in ATP Masters Tournaments

1) Last 5 Head-to-Head Matches: Rafael Nadal leads 3-2 against Novak Djokovic

All the three victories for Rafa against Novak have come on his favourite clay surface. The 20-time grand slam champion overcame the challenge of the Serbian in three sets each in the finals of the Rome Masters in 2019 and 2021.

The Spaniard notched up an emphatic straight-set win against Nole in the finals of the French Open 2020 and clinched his record 13th grand slam in Paris.

Novak Djokovic has dominated Rafael Nadal by winning both head-to-head matches on hard courts. The Serbian routed Rafa conceding only eight games in a one-sided final at the Australian Open 2019.

A year later, Djoker had the last laugh again as he defeated the Spaniard in straight sets in the finals of the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup and led Serbia to glory in Sydney.

Viewpoint: The King of Clay has held forte on his beloved surface but has struggled against the unerring accuracy of the Emperor of Hard Courts.

2) Head-to-Head Record in All 4 Grand Slams: Rafael Nadal leads 10-6 against Novak Djokovic

Australian Open: Djokovic leads 2-0 against Nadal

Novak Djokovic has the upper hand in the Australian Open having won both his head-to-head matches against Rafael Nadal. 

It includes an epic five-set thriller in the finals in 2012 spanning a humongous 5 hours and 53 minutes.

It became the longest grand slam final in history since the US Open finals in 1988 between Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl. Rafa labelled it as his toughest loss while Djokovic called it his finest win.

French Open: Rafael Nadal rules the roost with an impressive 7-1 head-to-head record against Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal is the king of Paris with a staggering 7-1 head-to-head victories against Novak Djokovic in the French Open. 

The best head-to-head match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros was the semifinals in 2013. 

Rafael Nadal won the jaw-dropping five-set thriller against Novak Djokovic, clinching it in a marathon of 4 hours and 37 minutes.

Djokovic's only win against Nadal at the French Open was in the quarterfinals in 2015 which Serb won in straight sets. 

It was the Spaniard's second defeat in the history of the French Open. He has not lost on clay in Paris for almost 6 years.

Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic edges Rafael Nadal with a 2-1 head-to-head record

Novak Djokovic announced himself as a serious contender on grass with an impressive 4-set win against the defending champion, Nadal in the Wimbledon finals in 2011.

7 years later, the dynamic duo featured in another unforgettable match in the semifinals. The Serb once again defeated the Spanish legend in a fantastic five-setter spread over 5 hours and 15 minutes.

The Spaniard's only victory against Nole in Wimbledon came in the semifinals in 2007. Nadal was leading 3-6 6-1 4-1 when Djokovic retired hurt after an hour and 41 minutes due to injuries to his back and left foot.

US Open: Rafael Nadal steps up in New York with a 2-1 Head-to-Head record against Novak Djokovic

Rafa won two US Open finals with four-set victories against Novak in 2010 and 2013. Djokovic trounced the Spanish superstar in another four-setter in the finals in 2011.

3) Head to Head Record in Finals (All Tournaments): Novak Djokovic leads 16-13 against Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal began with a bang winning the first 5 head-to-head finals in a row against Novak Djokovic from Indian Wells Masters 2007 to the US Open 2010. 

Post that, Novak Djokovic had a dream run as he grabbed 7 wins consecutively in finals against Rafa from Indian Wells 2011 to the Australian Open 2012.

The Spaniard bounced back with a hat-trick of victories on clay against Nole from the Monte Carlo Open 2012 to the French Open 2012. 

Novak Djokovic took full control of the head-to-head rivalry against Rafael Nadal with 7 victories in the next 9 finals spread from the Monte Carlo Open 2013 to the Doha Open 2016.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have split their last 5 head-to-head finals (3-2) - 3 victories for the Spaniard on clay and 2 wins for the Serb on hard courts.

Viewpoint: Djokovic, the world's best returner has the psychological edge in the finals against Nadal, who is considered the player with the strongest fighting spirit on the ATP Tour.

4) Head to Head on Clay: Rafael Nadal leads by a comfortable margin of 19-7 versus Novak Djokovic

Rafa has dominated Djokovic with an incredible win-loss record in prestigious tournaments like the French Open (7-1) and the Rome Masters (6-3). 

The legendary head-to-head battle in the Madrid Open goes in favour of Rafael Nadal with a narrow 2-1 win-loss record against Novak Djokovic.

The multiple-time grand slam champions are squared 2-2 in their Head-to-Head record in the Monte Carlo Open.

Viewpoint: Though Nadal has clearly won the war on clay, Djokovic did put the Spaniard to the sword with two consecutive victories each on the red dirt in 2011 and 2015.

5) Head-to-Head Record on Hard Courts: Novak Djokovic dominates Rafael Nadal with a 20-7 margin

Similar to how Nadal has dominated Djokovic on clay, the Serb leads Rafa by a comfortable margin of 20-7 on hardcourts.  

Novak has won his last 9 matches against Nadal on both indoor and outdoor hard courts. Rafa’s last victory against Nole on hard courts was a four-setter win in the finals of the US Open 2013.

A statistical comparison of their clashes in different tournaments reveals that Djokovic has taken a big lead in ATP Finals (3-1), Indian Wells (3-1), Miami (3-0), Cincinnati (2-0), Australian Open (2-0), China Open (2-0), ATP Cup (1-0), Doha Open (1-0), and Paris Masters (1-0). 

Rafa has upped his game in New York with a positive 2-1 record against Novak in the US Open. The Spaniard also pipped Nole in a tight three-setter in the semifinals of the Beijing Olympics 2008.

Verdict: Djokovic has been in red-hot form on hard courts and his last loss to Nadal on the surface was eight years ago. The Spaniard has struggled to control the rallies and Novak has proved to be too good with his stellar returning skills and the potent two-handed backhand. 

6) Head to Head: ATP Masters 1000 tournaments: Novak Djokovic once again leads 16-13 against Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic has called the shots when the Serbian has gone head-to-head against Rafael Nadal with a positive win-loss record in Indian Wells (3-1), Miami (3-0), Cincinnati (2-0), and Paris (1-0). 

Rafael Nadal is the king with a better head-to-head record against Novak Djokovic in tournaments like the Rome Masters (6-3), the Madrid Open (2-1), and the Hamburg Open (1-0). 

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have split the honours in Monte Carlo (2-2) and Rogers Cup (1-1).

Verdict: Djokovic is unstoppable in American hardcourt tournaments and indoor hardcourts. On the other hand, Nadal is at his brutal best in European countries like Germany, Italy, Monaco, and Spain.

Wrapping Up

While Rafael Nadal initially dominated the head-to-head rivalry against Novak Djokovic with a splendid 16-7 win-loss record from 2006 to 2010, the Serb fought back strongly with 19 victories in the next 26 matches against Rafa. 

The next eight head-to-head matches have seen Rafael Nadal win 5 in a row on clay and Novak Djokovic notching up 2 victories on hard courts and 1 on grass.