Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal boast epic 18-0 records no-one can tie

Novak Djokovic jokes about his age at the Australian Open

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As two of the most legendary figures in tennis, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal occupy plenty of square footage in the sport’s history books. The duo have played more matches against one another than any other fixture in men’s tennis, while Nadal and Djokovic each boast a record number of titles at the French Open (14) and Australian Open (10), respectively.

That barely scratches the surface in regards to the pair’s prolific pile of plaudits, however, which isn’t restricted to mere silverware. In fact, some of the accolades to their credit may go under the radar for anyone but the most loyal fans long after they hang up their racquets.

And one such feat may never be replicated, with Djokovic and Nadal each tied for the largest head-to-head winning records against any one opponent. That is, streaks assembled against one specific player in particular, and the top of said list reads like an identity parade of Hall of Famers.

Djokovic, 35, and Nadal, 36, stand separate from those other iconic figures as the only two to have won 18 matches against a specific enemy, however. And there are a couple of eerie similarities between the two, with both veterans accumulating their perfect runs against French opposition, for starters.

Nadal has proved to be Richard Gasquet’s kryptonite over the past 19 years, with the three-time major semi-finalist failing to beat his Spanish nemesis in 18 total attempts. The two first faced off at the Estoril Open in 2004, but Nadal has lost none of his potency in their head-to-head having bested his old adversary as recently as last year’s U.S. Open.

In Djokovic’s case, the Serb must feel a sense of glee whenever he sees Gael Monfils on the other side of the draw given his own imperious streak in their rivalry. The duo didn’t meet until the 2005 edition of the U.S. Open, but ‘Nole’ continues to torment his French foe, whom he most recently defeated at the 2022 Madrid Masters.

“I don’t have any explanation for that, I just try to approach it like any other match,” the world No. 1 said after his second-round win in Spain last year. “I guess his game is suitable to my game in terms of playing style. But we’ve had some very close matchups. The last time we played in Dubai he had match points, so that could have easily broken the record.”

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Retired ‘Big Three’ graduate Roger Federer holds a special piece of history himself, being the only men’s player to accrue 17 wins against two opponents without a reply (David Ferrer and Mikhail Youzhny). Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl have each also matched the 17-0 feat against one opponent apiece, while Lendl also notched 16 dominant wins against Americans Brad Gilbert and Scott Davis.

As the tennis world prepares to bid farewell to the two surviving members of the ‘Big Three’ in the near future, it’s questionable as to whether we’ll ever see such supreme streaks built again. ‘Next Gen’ talents like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune might have something to say about that but have a long way to go if they’re to match such special achievements.

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