Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal - Who is the better player?

[MenInG]

Simple question.

Vote now and let us know why you think this is the case.

 

[JaDed]

Federer

 

[sweep_shot]

Federer is possibly the greatest of all time.

 

[big_gamer007]

Very very difficult to judge. There was a time both were at peak and Nadal dominated Federer. OTOH I would guess Nadal still has superior H2H between the two.

Federer is my favourite but to be honest I don't think there any difference between the two. Both are equally great.

 

[Xoib]

In my opinion Novak is superior to both.Has a more well rounded recorded then Nadal who is bit of a french bully and has dominated Federer in grand slam finals.

 

[Bhaijaan]

20 grand slams vs 19 grand slams

Obviously it's very very close and ultimately down to personal liking.

Both are champion athletes and role models

As fans of the sport we must be happy to have witness this era

Djokovic is also there. He bloomed late compared to the other two but he had a phenomenal peak of his own and might just still end up with most grand slams

 

[Manager101]

Sampras all the way.

 

[Hitman]

Nadal is my man, my all time favorite.

 

[JaDed]

In my opinion Novak is superior to both.Has a more well rounded recorded then Nadal who is bit of a french bully and has dominated Federer in grand slam finals.

I feel the same, but love Federer due to high school Memories, hopefully Novak beats Federer's record and not Nadal.

 

[Diffusion]

1. Djokovic
2. Nadal/Federer

 

[Xoib]

I feel the same, but love Federer due to high school Memories, hopefully Novak beats Federer's record and not Nadal.

Actually looking again its unfair to call Nadal french bully as he has 7 non French slams. Some ATG's like Connors, Aggasi and McEnroe has won 7 through their careers but the bar has been set so high by these 3 that you have to find any small point to push it in anyone of three favor

 

[JaDed]

Actually looking again its unfair to call Nadal french bully as he has 7 non French slams. Some ATG's like Connors, Aggasi and McEnroe has won 7 through their careers but the bar has been set so high by these 3 that you have to find any small point to push it in anyone of three favor

Nadal is better than all of em, these 3 are defn the best ,ignoring the recent bias as well.
But he is the french open bully among the three.

Sampras has a grand total of 0 french open best being he reached a final, was great in that era but these 3 have done better overall.

 

[princeuk]

Both are excpetional players, rather than comparing I prefer to appreciate both of them, thats just me.

 

[Dead Ball]

In my opinion Novak is superior to both.Has a more well rounded recorded then Nadal who is bit of a french bully and has dominated Federer in grand slam finals.

French bully?

There's hasn't been a tennis player in history who has dominated a single court like he has. Not Federer, Not Djokovic. Nadal has blown them away like n00bs on clay. That argument should work in his favor for GOAT status, not against.

Federer was great in the 00's when he was facing the likes of Roddick in the finals but when Djokovic/Nadal were at their peak, he has clearly struggled against them. Has he ever won slam beating both Djokovic and Nadal on the way? I remember Djokovic doing it multiple times..

Djokovic, to me, is a mental beast. Nadal, a warrior and Federer an artist. All three have their place, but if I needed someone to play for my life it would be Djokovic. I have seen him make so many unbelievable comebacks, it's unreal. Federer is the best to watch, but mentally he seems below the other two. Too many chokes.

 

[JaDed]

Nadal is better than all of em, these 3 are defn the best ,ignoring the recent bias as well.
But he is the french open bully among the three.

Sampras has a grand total of 0 french open best being he reached a final, was great in that era but these 3 have done better overall.

Sampras rchd sf, and Nadal best among older players that were mentioned.

 

[Xoib]

French bully?

There's hasn't been a tennis player in history who has dominated a single court like he has. Not Federer, Not Djokovic. Nadal has blown them away like n00bs on clay. That argument should work in his favor for GOAT status, not against.

Federer was great in the 00's when he was facing the likes of Roddick in the finals but when Djokovic/Nadal were at their peak, he has clearly struggled against them. Has he ever won slam beating both Djokovic and Nadal on the way? I remember Djokovic doing it multiple times..

Djokovic, to me, is a mental beast. Nadal, a warrior and Federer an artist. All three have their place, but if I needed someone to play for my life it would be Djokovic. I have seen him make so many unbelievable comebacks, it's unreal. Federer is the best to watch, but mentally he seems below the other two. Too many chokes.

To be fair Federer is 5 years older then then other 2 so his peak came earlier then them and yes he bea both Novak and Rafa on his way to grand slam glory few times.

 

[Smbhayi]

Rafa is my fav, so definitely he is...

 

[pakistani pride]

Nadal is better than all of em, these 3 are defn the best ,ignoring the recent bias as well.
But he is the french open bully among the three.

Sampras has a grand total of 0 french open best being he reached a final, was great in that era but these 3 have done better overall.

Which year Sampras reached the final in FR OPEN?

 

[JaDed]

Which year Sampras reached the final in FR OPEN?

Corrected the above post already..3 above urs

 

[KingKhanWC]

Federer by a distance. He is a complete tennis player and started playing before Nadal and Djoc but even at 38 on his day can beat both of them.

 

[MenInG]

Is this simply a case of judging by number of Grand Slam wins?

 

[Hitman]

Is this simply a case of judging by number of Grand Slam wins?

I think history rates players by the number of grand slam titles they have won. That’s what I’ve always felt. Federer is 5 years older than Nadal, and yet Nadal is just 1 grand slam title away from him.

In my opinion, Federer is a bigger star and is a bigger brand than both Nadal and Djokovic. But he will be surpassed by both of them in the long run.

 

[MMHS]

Roger and it’s not even a contest. In fact I would put Novak at second; but undoubtedly these three are the greatest three tennis players of history (Borg, Sampras & Laver makes too 6).

Rafa is around 5 years junior to Roger, Novak is probably 7; which suggests Rafa & Novak faced Roger at their prime mostly and when Roger was in decline. Roger’s 2nd half of career crossed path with the greatest two other players in history at their prime, otherwise he could have won 35 GS by now! But, that’s probably true for other two as well. Roger is technically so good and effortless that even at this age, only two players can claim to be better than him.

Also, another factor is Rafa is by far the greatest player on Clay, while Novak is probably the best ever synthetic/hard court player - these days almost 90% tournaments are played on these 2 types of surfaces hence Rafa & Novak have dominated Roger in H2H. Turn the clock around 50 years back when all 3 GS were played on grass (only French Open on clay) and over 80% tournaments played on grass, Roger with his all round game would have been untouchable. He is probably the best serve & volley player I have seen (though without a booming 1st service), his passing shots are unbelievably accurate and his anticipation is second to none. He (& Novak) are among very few players with almost equally stronger back & forehand game, though I think Novak is slightly better than Roger on backhand.

Rafa is a power dynamo who’ll dominate everyone with base line rallies and his fitness/strength is almost inhuman - he will win more French Open & eventually cross Roger in GS count, I am sure; but Roger is my all time favourite and the GOAT of tennis; Novak is probably closer to him than Rafa.

 

[RajBan]

Roger is better as a player of all three. Technically he is just the complete player and he dominated purely based on skill and not on power game. I personally like Rafa more though because he in his early days went against peak Roger and fought inch by inch. Djoko is tremendously good as well and to dominate Tennis world during Rafa and Roger era speaks volumes about his ability. Maybe the difference between the three is much less than we will like to believe and more of difference in playing philosophy that decide their respective fanbase because its very difficult to choose between the three at times. It's like a 3 way see saw battle for last several years.

We are fortunate to have 3 legendary players playing together for a sustained period. It actually makes that question "who is better " trivial. Additionally all three are very humble individuals and have tremendous mutual respect as compared to 80s-90s era when there were plethora of talented and legendary players unlike today's three but some of them were always at each other.

Just enjoy the show till it exists. You may not see it again in your lifetime.

 

[shlazz]

Novak is a serial quitter and no matter how many records or GS he achieves, he will not be looked down as an all time great. Although credit has to be given to Novak for playing his cards intelligently and wait for both Rafa and Fed to slow down and then pounce on the opportunity.

Fed and Rafa on the other hand have played raw tennis without concern about their health and injuries and have regressed exponentially. Only their hunger for tennis have made them win GS after GS even after past their prime.

 

[pillionrider]

Personally have always preferred Nadal. Federer is my 2nd favorite. I think it's to do with following him around the time I got into Barcelona and Spain in football. I was also big on Fernando Alonso around that time.

But there's no doubt that in terms of artistry, Federer is a pure master. An unpolluted genius. Like Messi.

 

[pillionrider]

Personally have always preferred Nadal. Federer is my 2nd favorite. I think it's to do with following him around the time I got into Barcelona and Spain in football. I was also big on Fernando Alonso around that time.

But there's no doubt that in terms of artistry, Federer is a pure master. An unpolluted genius. Like Messi.

And that's why my vote went to Federer despite liking Nadal more.

 

[Xoib]

Novak is a serial quitter and no matter how many records or GS he achieves, he will not be looked down as an all time great. Although credit has to be given to Novak for playing his cards intelligently and wait for both Rafa and Fed to slow down and then pounce on the opportunity.

Fed and Rafa on the other hand have played raw tennis without concern about their health and injuries and have regressed exponentially. Only their hunger for tennis have made them win GS after GS even after past their prime.

Djoker is already an all time great.Knowing when his body is up to it and when not add to his greatness in terms of talent he is below Rafa and Roger but he knows how to maximize his output which adds to his greatness.
Also he is more clutch then the other 2 when you consider how many marathon GS knock outs he has won against both Rafa and Federer.

 

[Mamoon]

(1) Federer


(2) Djokovic
(3) Nadal

 

[Afhan Ali]

(1) Federer


(2) Djokovic
(3) Nadal

Why it is like that?

 

[Mamoon]

Why it is like that?

In my opinion, Federer is easily the greatest tennis player of all time by some distance. It is tough to choose between Djokovic and Nadal, but I would side with the former because I believe he is a more all-round, complete player.

 

[shah_1]

Djokovic
Nadal
Federer

Federer had to face likes of Hewitts and Rodicks in his prime. Nadal and Djokovic to face other other in their prime.

 

[Swashbuckler]

IMO Djokovic is the greatest of them all (marginally) but we aren't discussing that here.

Coming to this topic, I choose Federer by a whisker even if he loses the slam record which is very likely.

1. Court surface homogenization these past 15 or so years has reduced court speeds everywhere and brought them close to clay court speed. Look at the CPI data and comments by players/experts. Earlier all the hard courts used to be 35-50 CPI, now they are mostly under 30. Carpet is obsolete, grass plays like low bouncing green clay, hard courts play more at IW/Miami speed than Shanghai. Which type of players benefit from these changes? Who has benefited, Federer or Nadal? Sponsors and tournament organizers want longer rallies, long marathon matches for revenue reasons, the biggest casualties have been serve/volley and aggressive first strike tennis, Federer is a master of both. Since mid 2000s he is being forced to play against his nature which is energy sapping baseline exchanges. No one had to change his playing style as much as Federer, it is a testament to his genius that he adjusted so easily and continued winning.

2. Not a single grass Masters 1000, excess number of slow HC masters and a long clay season. Who benefits? No BO5 finals in masters 1000 as opposed to 2000s which saw Federer's prime. More fatigue as a result and poorer haul for him, his 2 great rivals not only got courts to their liking but lack of gruelling M1000s meant they could win more and not exhaust themselves before the slams.

3. Federer leads in many other counts like year end no 1, weeks at top, most slam finals, most consecutive slam finals, other streaks (SF, QF), tournament wins etc. Nadal has a singles Olympics gold and more M1000s (courtesy clay) but Federer has record number of ATP WTFs which is like the 5th slam in the calendar. It is the season ending championship of ATP tour where top 8 play, Nadal has never won it which will always be a black mark.

4. Nadal's record is extremely clay skewed. Would it be acceptable if a desi cricketer has 70% of his career accomplishments in SC? Sure he could still be hailed as ATG but GOAT? No way. Federer's record is more balanced, only player to win 5+ trophies in 3 slams, only Djokovic can equal him.

5. They say a champion in one era will always be a champion in another. I don't think that adage is applicable to Nadal. Put him in 90s era and the high paced blitzkrieg tennis will overwhelm him. Modern racquet technology and the advanced strings have benefited him more than anybody else. Give him the wooden racquets of old and he wouldn't be able to generate insane topspin at 5000rpm. Without that Nadal loses his greatest strength. Federer can adapt to any era, any technology, before 2014 he played with a much smaller racquet frame and still held his own against his great rivals.

6. Federer was a trendsetter Nadal a follower. It was always up to Federer to raise the game and set new benchmarks. Tougher to be a leader, Nadal was simply reacting all the time to Federer's initiatives to up the bar. He also flew under the radar because all the pressure/spotlight was on the great Swiss.

7. Federer was, is and will always be more sporting, Nadal tends to use unsporting tactics (gamesmanship) to gain psychological edge in close matches. Nadal has always flouted rules but never been reprimanded courtesy ATP's business interests. He doesn't even pay heed to the shot clock, imagine the arrogance and sense of entitlement. Federer by contrast always plays fairly, even when he is facing a heartbreaking loss.

8. Federer's artistry elevates his greatness, not just a champ but a ballet dancer on the court. Nadal's bull like demeanor and warrior spirit will have its takers but to see beauty in its purest form, look no further than Federer. Modern tennis is dominated by power, physicality, so to see an artist on court is a pleasure other generations of fans may never see live. And who else can play the SABR, tweener, half volley etc like him, guy is a genius, insanely talented.

9. Federer's longevity, played with Sampras, Rafter generation, still going strong at 38. Apart from Jimmy Connors no other player has seen so many generations of tennis stars pass by. Like Sachin he has played against father-son combo, testament to his evergreen presence in elite tournaments.

10. I know this is about 'better player' but I will digress for a moment to highlight Federer's impact on the sport. He has brought so many new fans to tennis, filled seats in a way no one else could, touched so many people's lives, brought money and popularity to the sport, democratized it (first European superstar after 20+ years of USA hegemony, shifted balance to Europe), given so much back either via charity or in his various roles in player council etc. Tennis will always be synonymous with Federer like how boxing is with Ali or basketball with MJ. Nadal no doubt a great ambassador but even he benefited because of Federer, whether it be fame or financially. Federer is not just a champ on court but also the symbol of tennis, he fulfills both duties with aplomb.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Rafa is around 5 years junior to Roger, Novak is probably 7; which suggests Rafa & Novak faced Roger at their prime mostly and when Roger was in decline.

Counter argument can be that peak Federer played baby versions of Nadal (outside clay) and Djokovic. Teenager Nadal with no serve dominated peak Federer even on HC because of match up and psychological issues, helped that Nadal was an early bloomer. Djokovic suffered a lot against Federer in his younger days, check their H2H in the 2007-10 period when the Serb was still finding his feet. Fed hasn't declined that much, in fact his racquet change and tactics against Nadal post 2014 have helped him dominate the rivalry. All I am saying is that age difference works both ways, for most of 2000s he was in his peak while they were still developing. Even Nadal was far from complete back then, he developed his proper HC game only in 2010.

Turn the clock around 50 years back when all 3 GS were played on grass (only French Open on clay) and over 80% tournaments played on grass, Roger with his all round game would have been untouchable. He is probably the best serve & volley player I have seen (though without a booming 1st service), his passing shots are unbelievably accurate and his anticipation is second to none. He (& Novak) are among very few players with almost equally stronger back & forehand game, though I think Novak is slightly better than Roger on backhand.

Respect your opinion but to me Federer's BH has always been an issue. One handed backhand has that unique problem while dealing with high bouncing balls. Trick is to take the ball early which Federer hesitated to do in his peak years, cost him a lot against Nadal's moonballs. Also his tendency to slice, slice, slice may work wonders on low bouncing, skiddy grass but need top spin and flat, powerful BH (like Stan) elsewhere. Only time I saw peak Federer with a great BH was against Blake in 2006 Masters Cup final, he should have played like that against Nadal as well instead of being so passive. His BH post 2017 has been a revelation and big reason behind success against the Spaniard but his FH is now sadly gone.

 

[Swashbuckler]

To add to my previous point Federer's neo backhand has been brilliant to watch but works well only in patches. Loss in speed and anticipation, reflexes, fluctuating concentration powers etc means he can't always take the ball early and that results in lot of shanks. I am also being harsh on Fed's BH before 2014 because then the racquet head was smaller, more than anything he should have shifted to larger racquet frames when courts perceptibly started slowing down. There would have been a trade-off with his FH power but with better BH and serve he could have done way better in the 2010-13 period.

 

[Kroll]

Both are greats of the game. But I'm opting for Federer. Don't forget Nadal's majors are pumped up by 12 wins from the French Open whereas Federer is better overall on the other three courts.

 

[MMHS]

Counter argument can be that peak Federer played baby versions of Nadal (outside clay) and Djokovic. Teenager Nadal with no serve dominated peak Federer even on HC because of match up and psychological issues, helped that Nadal was an early bloomer. Djokovic suffered a lot against Federer in his younger days, check their H2H in the 2007-10 period when the Serb was still finding his feet. Fed hasn't declined that much, in fact his racquet change and tactics against Nadal post 2014 have helped him dominate the rivalry. All I am saying is that age difference works both ways, for most of 2000s he was in his peak while they were still developing. Even Nadal was far from complete back then, he developed his proper HC game only in 2010.



Respect your opinion but to me Federer's BH has always been an issue. One handed backhand has that unique problem while dealing with high bouncing balls. Trick is to take the ball early which Federer hesitated to do in his peak years, cost him a lot against Nadal's moonballs. Also his tendency to slice, slice, slice may work wonders on low bouncing, skiddy grass but need top spin and flat, powerful BH (like Stan) elsewhere. Only time I saw peak Federer with a great BH was against Blake in 2006 Masters Cup final, he should have played like that against Nadal as well instead of being so passive. His BH post 2017 has been a revelation and big reason behind success against the Spaniard but his FH is now sadly gone.

I can explain the first part of your post - why it was favourable for the younger two. Those days, often these two lost to other players before meeting Roger, who was almost certain to make the SF at least. These 3 met each other more frequently when Roger was almost 30 or beyond. That’s why Novak actually leads Rafa 28-26 in H2H, and he leads Roger as well 26-22.

Coming to next part, Roger comes from the old classical technic of single handed Tennis, something worked perfectly till late 1990s, but we have moved into power tennis era where players brutally hits both sides double-handed. This was one weak area for Steffi as well and she struggled against both great lefties of her time (Martina & Monica) - Gabi Sabatini was better back hand player & so was Vicario with her two handed back hand. I felt Roger was so good with his FH (& had a bit ego for it as well I guess), that he didn’t focus on his BH. It only tells how good Roger technically was/is that at this age he is absolutely unmatchable on his day.

 

[MenInG]

poll is neck to neck

Please make sure you add your votes

 

[imrankhannsu]

I like Federer as he makes playing tennis look so easy. Also I remember him beating Sampras in Wimbledon which was amazing to see

 

[MenInG]

Which other old tennis rivalry can equal this one?

 

[sweep_shot]

Local favourite Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors with a 6-0 6-3 victory over Moldovan Radu Albot in Basel.

The 38-year-old world number three, seeking to win the event for the 10th time, won in one hour and two minutes.

He next faces the winner of the match between compatriot Stan Wawrinka and American Frances Tiafoe.

British number one Dan Evans was beaten 6-4 6-2 by Tiafoe in the opening round.

Federer, champion in Basel in four of the last five editions of the tournament, began this year's event with a 6-2 6-1 win over German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk in only 52 minutes.

Evans, 29, the world number 43 who became British number one for the first time this month, had beaten 48th-ranked Tiafoe in three sets in their only previous meeting on the hard courts of Florida this year.

But 21-year-old Tiafoe, who saved six break points out of seven, won in one hour and 16 minutes.

Seventh seed Wawrinka beat Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-3 6-4.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/50160702.

 

[Hitman]

Which other old tennis rivalry can equal this one?

John Mcenroe vs Boris Becker was sensational.

 

[Abdullah719]

Roger Federer pulls out of inaugural ATP Cup for 'personal reasons'

Spoiler

Switzerland's Roger Federer has withdrawn from the inaugural ATP Cup in January for "family reasons".

The 20-time Grand Slam champion's decision means Switzerland no longer qualify for the 24-team event.

Switzerland had been drawn in the same group as Great Britain, who qualified after Andy Murray confirmed his entry.

An extra team will now qualify for the event, which runs from 3-11 January 2020, with the final line-up confirmed on 13 November.

Federer, 38, said it had been a "difficult decision" to withdraw but he "looks forward" to playing the Australian Open later that month.

"It pains me to not be a part of the most exciting new event on the calendar, but this is the right thing to do if I want to continue to play for a longer period of time on the ATP Tour," Federer said.

"I have decided that the extra two weeks at home will be beneficial for both my family and my tennis."

Federer has also pulled out of this week's Paris Masters in order to "pace himself", with next month's ATP Finals in London coming up.

The ATP Cup, which carries 750 ranking points, is separate from November's revamped Davis Cup but could amalgamate with that tournament, according to International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty.

A country's team for the ATP Cup can include up to five players and team's qualify courtesy of their players' singles rankings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/tennis/50232523

 

[sweep_shot]

Novak Djokovic made a winning start at the ATP Finals but Roger Federer was beaten by Dominic Thiem in his opener.

Djokovic, who is chasing a record-equalling sixth title and trying to overhaul Rafael Nadal as world number one, was imperious, beating Italian eighth seed Matteo Berrettini 6-2 6-1.

But Federer lost 7-5 7-5 against fifth seed Thiem at London's O2 Arena.

The Swiss, 38, was uncharacteristically wayward while Thiem impressed with his powerful hitting.

Federer and Djokovic meet later in Group Bjorn Borg, their first match since their marathon Wimbledon final last July and one Federer may now have to win to reach the semi-finals of the season-ending championships.

Djokovic can overtake Nadal and become year-end number one this week but must reach the final to stand a chance.

Nadal is in Group Andre Agassi but is an injury doubt for the tournament with a stomach muscle issue, although the Spaniard said on Friday that he is confident of playing against Alexander Zverev in his opener on Monday.

This is the second year in a row that Federer has lost his opening match at the ATP Finals, having been defeated by Kei Nishikori 12 months ago.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion made a slow start, losing his serve in the opening game of the match, and despite levelling the scores three games later, a string of errors off the Swiss' racquet at 5-5 saw Thiem take the decisive break of the first set.

Federer struggled to create momentum because of his errors but threatened to take the upper hand early in the second set, only for Thiem to save break point with a brilliant forehand on the run.

The Austrian was on the front foot for much of the match and pushed his opponent in most of his second-set service games before eventually clinching another break for a 6-5 lead thanks to a crunching forehand, a fine return and Federer's missed volley.

Federer had two opportunities to break back when his opponent served for the match but was unable to convert - and Thiem sealed the win on his second match point.

He has now beaten Federer in each of their past three meetings and leads their overall head-to-head 5-2.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/50367714.

 

[sweep_shot]

Roger Federer moved into the ATP Finals last four at the expense of Novak Djokovic with a scintillating win over his great rival at the O2 Arena.

Swiss third seed Federer, 38, won 6-4 6-3 in a round-robin match which eliminates the Serb second seed from the season-ending tournament in London.

Federer will meet top seed Rafael Nadal or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last four.

Djokovic's defeat also means Spain's Nadal is guaranteed to finish as the year-end world number one.

Nadal, 33, is far from certain of reaching the last four himself, needing victory over Greek sixth seed Tsitsipas on Friday to have any chance.

However, if German seventh seed Alexander Zverev beats Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev then Nadal is out regardless of his result.

If results do go his way then Nadal will top the Andre Agassi Group and face Federer - who has finished second behind Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem in the Bjorn Borg Group - in Saturday's semi-final.

Six-time champion Federer, who lost his opening match to Thiem, jumped for joy after clinching a victory which goes some way to avenging his defeat by Djokovic in an epic Wimbledon final in July.

Asked what he did differently at the O2, Federer said: "I won match point, I guess. It was so close at Wimbledon. It was a privilege to play that match, so many ups and downs.

"I couldn't be more happy right now. I think I served great, had great anticipation, clear game-plan and it worked great tonight - hopefully not for the last time against Novak."

Federer dominates battle for survival
Anticipation for the first meeting between the pair since that enthralling Wimbledon final was high as they met on the other side of the English capital in a situation which few would have predicted before the tournament.

When the draw was made last week, most expected their final round-robin match to be a decider for who would top the group.

Yet both players came into it fighting for survival after Thiem blasted them off the court to earn back-to-back wins which assured the French Open finalist of a last-four spot at the O2 Arena for the first time.

Federer was the one who produced a high-quality performance at the crucial time, with Djokovic looking out of sorts and nursing an elbow injury in the final stages.

Federer dropped just three points on his serve in the first set, firing eight aces and winning all points behind his second serve, as even Djokovic's famed defensive game could not cope with his accuracy.

While this victory will not completely make up for that bitter defeat at SW19, which denied him a 21st Grand Slam triumph, Federer's delight at avenging it was clear.

Federer missed two championship points before going on to lose Wimbledon's longest singles final in a historic final-set tie-break, but ruthlessly took his first opportunity here as Djokovic disintegrated.

'There was not much I did right' - Djokovic
Djokovic, 32, had won his four previous matches against Federer but, apart from a brief spell at the start of the second set, rarely looked like testing the Swiss.

The reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion only created one break point, which Federer saved in the fourth game of the second set, and won just seven more points from that moment.

With defeat looming, Djokovic quickly became ragged as Federer swept past him to win four of the final five games.

As well as missing out on ending the year as world number one, defeat also means four-time champion Djokovic failed to reach the semi-finals here for the first time since 2011.

"There was not much that I did right this match, to be honest. Realistically he was better player in all aspects and absolutely deserved to win," Djokovic said.

"He served great, moved well, returned my serve very well. From his end, I think he did everything right.

"From my end, I was just playing too neutral. I couldn't read his serve well. Just a pretty bad match from my side."

Afterwards Djokovic played down the significance of the elbow injury, which occurred when he stretched for a return at the baseline in the second game of the second set.

The Serb said he hopes he will be fit for next week's inaugural Davis Cup finals in Madrid.

"The pain was pretty sharp but I could play the rest of the match," Djokovic said.

"If I had something really serious I think I wouldn't have been able to hold a racquet. It did not pose any issues later on."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/50423549.

 

[Captain caveman]

John Mcenroe vs Boris Becker was sensational.

Do you mean john mcenroe vs bjorn borg?

 

[Arya]

Both are greats of the game. But I'm opting for Federer. Don't forget Nadal's majors are pumped up by 12 wins from the French Open whereas Federer is better overall on the other three courts.

9 of Federer's majors came against a bunch of nobodys and a teen Nadal. He has chickened out of French Opens for years now, and that's a major blot to his leagacy. Nadal on the other hand has contested several Wimbledon finals and beat peak Federer to claim the title. Not the forget, Olympic Gold and Davis Cup participation, Nadal has been there for his country too, while Federer has always been a self-centered royalty in Tennis.

 

[sweep_shot]

Rafael Nadal missed out on a place in the ATP Finals last four as defending champion Alexander Zverev claimed the remaining semi-final spot in London.

Nadal, who beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5 in the afternoon session, needed Daniil Medvedev to beat Zverev to secure a place in the last four.

However, Zverev came through 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to eliminate Nadal and set up a meeting with Dominic Thiem.

Tsitsipas will face Roger Federer in the other semi-final on Saturday.

Swiss Federer, who is bidding for a seventh title at the tournament, plays Greek Tsitsipas from 14:00 GMT in a match which is live on BBC Two.

Germany's Zverev takes on Austrian Thiem from 20:00.

World number one Nadal had knocked Russian fourth seed Medvedev out of the tournament with his hard-fought victory over Tsitsipas.

Ultimately, it was a lifeless performance in his opener against defending champion Zverev on Monday that cost Nadal.

Seventh seed Zverev has had a mixed season but put in a convincing performance against Medvedev to advance to the semi-finals.

The German broke Medvedev in the opening game of the match and capitalised as the Russian's serve faltered in the closing stages.

After staving off a break point, Medvedev held his nerve to force a tie-break, but a double fault allowed Zverev to serve out the match.

Zverev, who did not face a break point all match, fell to his knees after the final point, and said afterwards he could "still improve" on his performance.

"This arena is where I play my best tennis, we don't play in this atmosphere anywhere else in the world," he said.

"I think I've played two great matches. Only the best four players left are in the semis."

Close but not enough for Nadal

Nadal showed the grit, determination and never-say-die attitude that have been the hallmarks of his illustrious career to beat Tsitsipas in two hours and 52 minutes at the O2 Arena.

He was edged out of a tight first set in the tie-break before starting to hit more winners than unforced errors and tip the balance of the match in his favour.

Greek sixth seed Tsitsipas was the player under all the pressure on serve, facing nine break points in the match with Nadal needing to convert just one in each of the final two sets.

Nadal himself served supremely and did not face a single break point, but the 19-time Grand Slam champion has yet to win the season-ending tournament.

"I did all the things I could do, fighting until the end," Nadal told the crowd.

Tsitsipas, 21, was already assured of reaching the last four on his ATP Finals debut whatever happened against Nadal and, despite a lengthy battle against the top seed, says he still has "left something in the tank" for the weekend.

"During the match I thought about it a couple of times, but at the end I really wanted to win, and that win means a lot to me because it's against a tough player, the current world number one," said Tsitsipas, who won the ATP Next Gen finals last year.

"I didn't really go full, full. I could have gone even more full than that but I'm not disappointed by that.

"I wanted to win but probably wasn't willing to die on the court for that."

'I never thought at 33 I'd have this trophy' - Nadal finishes 2019 as number one

No matter what happened against Tsitsipas, Nadal was already assured of finishing the year as men's world number one.

The French Open and US Open champion clinched that accolade for the fifth time after nearest rival Novak Djokovic lost to Federer on Thursday, eliminating the Serb from the ATP Finals and therefore meaning he could not overtake Nadal to land the prestigious prize.

As well as the two Grand Slam wins, Nadal also won ATP Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Montreal.

The 33-year-old Spaniard is the oldest player to finish as the year-end number one since the ATP rankings were introduced in 1973.

Following his victory over Tsitsipas, Nadal was presented with a trophy marking the achievement on court at the O2.

"It's a real honour to receive this trophy. Honestly, what can I say? I am super happy," Nadal said.

"After all the things I went through in my career in terms of injuries, I never thought at the age of 33 and a half I would have this trophy in my hands again.

"It's something really, really emotional for me, a lot of work."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/50437201.

 

[Chrish]

Is this simply a case of judging by number of Grand Slam wins?

Yes that seems to be the case from reading Tennis discussions. Hence, Djokovic is almost certain to take over them both.

 

[sweep_shot]

Rafael Nadal clinched an emotional Davis Cup victory for Spain over Canada when he beat Denis Shapovalov in front of a jubilant home crowd in Madrid.

His 6-3 7-6 (9-7) win sealed the title, with Roberto Bautista Agut returning to the team three days after his father's death to put the hosts 1-0 up.

Bautista Agut was in tears after beating 19-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in the opener.

Nadal's win gave Spain an unassailable 2-0 lead and a sixth Davis Cup title.

The world number one has won all eight of his rubbers this week to help Spain to a first title since 2011 and ensure local fans were celebrating at the end of the inaugural edition of the competition's revamped version.

"When you have this moment it is difficult to describe with words - so many feelings, so many emotions you have never felt," Spain captain Sergi Bruguera told Eurosport.

"Unbelievable. Imagine Roberto yesterday was in the funeral of his father, now he is here giving everything - the mentality, the spirit, giving everything for his team.

"Rafa, he is out of this world, I don't know if he is an alien or what. Not one day we went to sleep before 3am this week."

The new format has featured 18 teams playing in a week-long event in the Spanish capital, with a round-robin group stage followed by knockout rounds. Under the old system, teams played home and away ties through the year.

'I could not be happier' - Nadal caps successful year with team joy

Rafael Nadal had not lost a Davis Cup singles match since 2004 and it was always going to be a tough task for Shapovalov to send the tie to a deciding doubles rubber.

Nadal, who this year won the French Open and US Open to take his total to 19 Grand Slam titles, dominated the first set before the 20-year-old Shapovalov got himself back into the match to force a second-set tie-break.

The youngster saved two match points with blistering back-to-back winners and fashioned a set point of his own, but finally succumbed when he netted a forehand.

Nadal dropped to the ground before being mobbed by his team-mates. When he finally got to his feet, he held aloft Bautista Agut in a tight embrace as the cheers rang out.

"An amazing week, a lot of things we went through - the father of Roberto passed away... a lot of things happened," Nadal said.

"I could not be happier. It has been an unforgettable moment in this amazing stadium; we can't thank the crowd enough. Our team spirit prevails."

Bautista Agut puts aside grief to deliver for Spain

While Nadal's victory settled the title, it was Bautista Agut's performance so soon after his bereavement that heightened the emotions.

Bautista Agut went home on Thursday after his father was taken ill. The Spanish federation later announced the player's dad had died.

But the world number nine returned to Madrid to watch his team-mates beat Great Britain in the semi-finals on Saturday before being recalled for the final.

The 31-year-old, whose mother died last year, pointed to the sky after claiming victory when Auger-Aliassime went wide on the first of three match points.

He hugged his captain Sergi Bruguera before leaping into the arms of his delighted team-mates in the stands.

"It was very special feeling on the court and I just could go out to try my best, give my best," he told Eurosport.

"I am very happy I could win the first point for Spain."

Auger-Aliassime was playing his first match at the revamped tournament this week after an ankle injury, with Canada reaching their first final by using just the same two players in all of their singles and doubles matches - Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil.

Inaugural event ends on a high

While the new format - the brainchild of Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique - experienced some teething problems this week, the event drew to a close on a high, partly helped by home success.

There had been empty seats at some ties during the week but at Sunday's final there was a packed and noisy arena, where Spain's King Felipe VI was in attendance and singer Shakira - the partner of Pique - performed before the tie started.

Scheduling issues had meant there were some late-night/early-morning finishes but Nadal showed no sign of fatigue as he put in another convincing performance that underlined why he was named most valuable player of the tournament.

His Spanish team will pocket 2.1m euros (£1.8m) and can look forward to next year where Madrid will once again host the event.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/50539416.

 

[MenInG]

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal always draw a crowd, but even for them this was a record.

Two of the greatest players to ever pick up a racquet came together in front of a sell-out crowd of 51,954 at Cape Town stadium, the biggest ever to watch a tennis match.

Federer beat his great rival 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the three-set exhibition match in aid of the Roger Federer Foundation, on what felt like something of a homecoming for the Swiss star.

Spoiler

His mother was born in South Africa and although the Swiss great regularly holidayed there as a child, he had not been to Cape Town in 20 years.

Signs around the cavernous football stadium said, "Welcome home, Roger," whilst the coin used for the toss was a newly minted 20 Swiss Francs with Federer's image on it — Federer recently became the first living Swiss to be engraved on one of the nation's coins.

"Definitely Team Roger," Kolisi said.

"Sorry, Nadal, I love you, too."

Nadal smiled graciously on the other side of the net.

This was, in fact, Federer's first match in his mother's country of birth.

Federer also rates South Africa as his second home — and the public responded in kind, with organisers saying the demand for tickets was in the region of 200,000 requests.

"It was a magical evening," said Federer after the contest, which was played in high spirits between points, but was fiercely competitive when the ball was in play.

The 38-year-old Federer, winner of a record 20 major singles titles, and the 33-year-old Nadal, close behind with 19, laughed and joked regularly between points.

Federer won the first point with a high backhand volley, and broke in the first game on the way to taking the opening set 6-4.

Nadal broke back twice at the start of the second set and unleashed his big forehand winners, grunting loudly in the process, to level at one-set-all.

Rafael Nadal runs forwards and plays a tennis shot with the ball just going over the top of the net
PHOTO: Rafael Nadal put everything into the contest when the ball was in play. (AP: Halden Krog)
Federer won with a dainty drop shot on match point. Nadal gave everything to get there, and was going so fast he couldn't stop in time and had to leap over the net.

He ended up standing next to Federer and they hugged.

"We tried our best as always," Nadal said.

"It's a lifetime experience playing in front of such an amazing crowd in an amazing stadium. It was a big pleasure for me to be part of it."

Ultimately, the match showed off the real friendship that lies beneath the fierce rivalry that began when Federer and Nadal played each other for the first time on tour at the Miami Open 16 years ago.

Federer also revealed that on the day of the exhibition, Nadal told him for the first time that he secretly cried for joy when Federer finally won the French Open in 2009.

Federer pulled in a couple of big-name friends alongside Nadal to help out on the night: Bill Gates and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah.

Before the main match, Federer and Gates teamed up to beat Nadal and Noah 6-3 in a one-set doubles exhibition.

Microsoft co-founder Gates played one pinpoint lob volley that the announcer described as "the billionaire's touch".

Comedian Noah did plenty of good-natured trash talking. He shares a similar heritage to Federer. Both have Swiss fathers and South African mothers.

"Roger's at a disadvantage. We're both half-Swiss, half-South African, so I'm in his head. I know what he's going to do," Noah, who wore a pink shirt and black headband to match partner Nadal, said before the doubles match.

Nadal has a 14-10 advantage over Federer in finals, leads 10-4 in their meetings at grand slams, and 24-16 in their career matches.

Five years younger, the Spaniard may well go past Federer's record of 20 grand slams.

"I hope I can still play for a bit longer," Federer said. "We'll see how much more. But there's still lots to look forward to.

"In my dreams, I never dreamed this far. I hoped to win just one Wimbledon. If he [Nadal] catches me, it's OK."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02...n-front-of-biggest-tennis-crowd-ever/11946466

 

[The_KING]

Federer is the more talented player and as of right now, the better and more accomplished player. But Nadal is far tougher mentally and will most likely surpass Federer, once it’s all said and done.

 

[RickyG]

Bas 19-20 ka farq hai...

 

[Hasan123]

Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time.

 

[AFM]

Out of the Big 3, Nadal is the only one with an Olympic Gold medal and multiple Grand Slams on all 3 surfaces.

 

[globalcitizen]

Ultimately better player is judged by wins in major tournaments.
Leaving that aside Federer is all technique and Nadal is all power
Just like in cricket, players with technique are more pleasing to watch , same in tennis.. Federer is better that way

 

[The_KING]

Out of the Big 3, Nadal is the only one with an Olympic Gold medal and multiple Grand Slams on all 3 surfaces.

Well, there are 2 hard court slams and only one each on grass and clay, so multiple grand slams on all surfaces isn’t a strong argument.

 

[Haroon786]

Could write an essay on this, but some of my thoughts have already been encapsulated by posts in this thread already - Nadal on clay and Federer everywhere else. Overall, Federer easily.

 

[Abdullah719]

"LOSING A YEAR OF OUR LIVES": NADAL EYES 2021 AUSTRALIAN OPEN INSTEAD

Throughout his career, 19-time major champion Rafael Nadal has never been afraid to express how he is feeling or expose his state of mind.

In an Instagram Live with Roger Federer just over two weeks ago, the Spaniard told his longtime rival and friend he hadn’t picked up a tennis racquet since Indian Wells. Last week, Nadal spoke about his desire to simply be able to hug a friend he hasn’t seen in months. And now, the 33-year-old has shared a willingness to give up the rest of 2020 if it means gaining an entire season next year.

"I would sign up right now just to [be] ready for 2021," Nadal told El Pais and other Spanish publications. "I'm more concerned with the Australian Open than with what happens later this year. I think 2020 has been practically lost. I'm hopeful of being able to start next year.''

The FFT announced Tuesday that Roland Garros would shift back a week from the September window they previously claimed in hopes that a restructured calendar is still possible later this year. Nadal would have the opportunity to tie Roger Federer’s record of 20 majors with a 13th French Open crown, but after seeing numerous events he holds close to his heart like Monte Carlo and Wimbledon wiped away for the year, the left-hander is struggling to get past what’s already gone.

"Sadly, I'm not going to lie to you, the feeling is that we are losing a year of our lives,'' Nadal said. "And at 33, 34 years old, that is more valuable than at 20, when you have more time ahead of you."

Nadal did finally hit on a private court Monday with coach Carlos Moya according to Mundo Deportivo, though like many based in Spain—including world No. 1 Novak Djokovic—was confused about his country’s rules and regulations in place.

"I was not sure if I can go train at the academy So I preferred to avoid confusion and train at the private court in a friend's house,"

https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/202...w-2021-australian-open-future-covid-19/88674/

 

[MenInG]

Rafael Nadal responded to doubts over his form with a straight-set win against sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the Italian Open quarter-finals.

Spain's Nadal, who saved two match points before beating Denis Shapovalov in a marathon match on Thursday, was much improved in a 6-3 6-4 victory.

It was a measure of revenge for the second seed, who lost to Zverev in the Madrid quarter-finals last week.

The 34-year-old will now face American world number 47 Reilly Opelka.

Opelka reached the semi-finals of a Masters 1,000 for the first time by beating Argentina's Federico Delbonis.

"I'm surprised, clay's not really my thing, not an American thing, it's probably just a fluke," said Opelka, who entered the tournament on a six-match losing streak.

Later, Serbia's world number one Novak Djokovic faces Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev meets Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the final last-eight match.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and British number one Johanna Konta have both pulled out of this summer's Tokyo Olympics.

Federer, 39, has suffered a setback with an existing knee injury.

Konta, 30, has contracted Covid after withdrawing from Wimbledon when a member of her team tested positive and she was identified as a close contact.

The Swiss legend won doubles gold at Beijing 2008 and silver in 2012, losing the singles final to Andy Murray.

Federer, now ranked number nine in the world, had two knee surgeries in 2020.

Report
In the last two years he has seen his Grand Slam tally equalled by Spain's Rafael Nadal at the 2020 French Open and most recently by Serbia's Novak Djokovic - who won a 20th major at Wimbledon 2021.

After losing to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon Federer told reporters he was unsure whether he would play at SW19 again.

 

[The_KING]

Why is Federer even playing anymore? This setback shows that his body can't cope with the demands of professional tennis anymore. He needs to retire before he becomes a parody of himself.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Djokovic most definitely is the greatest ever Tennis player.

However, Roger Federer remains the guy who defined this era of Tennis. Call it bias or whatever, that guy carries himself with a class and aura that is hard to ignore and even if Djoker wins 30 GSs, this era would still be remembered more for the fact that Roger Federer played in it.

 

[topspin]

Federer is still the greatest. Djokovic has capitalised on the decline of him and Nadal.

 

[MenInG]

Aug 10 (Reuters) - World number four Rafa Nadal on Tuesday said he had withdrawn from the Masters 1000 hardcourt event underway in Toronto due to persistent pain in his injured left foot.

The injury kept the 20-time Grand Slam champion out of Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics this year and played a role in his shock third-round exit at the Washington Open last week.

"I have had this issue for a couple of months, as people know," said Nadal, a five-time winner of the event which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Of course, it is not a happy situation after all the success that I had here in Canada, not being able to play this year after missing a year."

He said the decision was a tough one but added that the most important thing was getting better so he could go back to appreciating his time on the court.

"Today, with this pain, I am not able to enjoy it, and I really don't believe that I have the chance to fight for the things that I really need to fight for," he said.

Nadal has said he has been dealing with a recurring foot issue since 2005, which returned at this year's Roland Garros, where he fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals before deciding to sit out two of the year's biggest events.

Nadal will now turn his attention to getting fit ahead of the U.S. Open in New York.

"I really wanted to play here a lot, but now is the moment to make a decision, and this is unfortunately the decision that I have taken, and probably in the next couple of days we are going to know more," he said.

Second seed Nadal will be replaced by lucky loser and fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the main draw.

 

[MenInG]

Roger Federer says he will be sidelined for "many months" as he prepares to have further knee surgery.

The 40-year-old Swiss, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, had two knee operations last year.

In a video post on Instagram, Federer said he hoped the surgery would give him "a glimmer of hope" to return to action.

He was knocked out in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in July and then missed the Tokyo Olympics.

"I'll be on crutches for many weeks, and also out of the game for many months," Federer, who turned 40 a week ago, said on Sunday evening.

"It's going to be difficult in some ways but, at the same time, I know it's the right thing to do because I want to be healthy, I want to be running around later as well again.

"I also want to give myself a glimmer of hope to return to the tour in some shape or form.

 

[MenInG]

Rafael Nadal will miss the US Open after the Spaniard ended his 2021 season because of a foot injury.

The injury caused the 20-time Grand Slam winner to miss the Cincinnati Masters and Canadian Open last week.

Defending champion Dominic Thiem and five-time winner Roger Federer have also pulled out of this year's US Open.

Nadal, 35, wrote on Instagram: "Honestly, I have been suffering a lot more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time."

He added: "Having discussed it with the team and family, this decision has been made and I believe that it is the way forward to try to recover and recover well.

"I am [determined] to do whatever it takes to regain the best possible shape, to continue competing for the things that really motivate me and the things that I have done during all these years.

"I am convinced that with the recovery of the foot and obviously a very important daily effort this can be achieved. I will work as hard as I can to make it happen."

The four-time US Open champion did not compete at Wimbledon or the Olympic Games in order to rest following the clay-court season.

He sustained the injury at the French Open in June, where he failed to defend his title for the first time since 2016 in defeat by Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

The US Open begins on Monday, 30 August, however 2020 champion Thiem will be absent because of a wrist injury and Federer has also ended his season as he prepares to have further knee surgery.

Federer and Nadal are tied with world number one Novak Djokovic - who will be seeking to complete the calendar Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows - for the all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles.

BBC