Djokovic/Nadal vs. Federer/Nadal

[BGod]

These have been the great rivalries since Agassi/Sampras.

However there are two glaring differences between the two:

1. Federer is nearly 5 years older than Nadal, a tremendous margin in tennis terms.

2. Nadal has a superior head to head record, in large part because of differing primes.


I have personally seen the Djokovic/Nadal rivalry, one where their Slam head to head is 3-3 outside of the French and where they've met at every Slam Final the superior rivalry in definition.

What say you?

 

[MichaelNadal]

Age was in Federer's advantage when Nadal was a teen but that's always conveniently forgotten.

 

[NatF]

Age was in Federer's advantage when Nadal was a teen but that's always conveniently forgotten.

It would have been if they met more on hard courts and grass when Nadal was a youngster.

 

[BGod]

Age was in Federer's advantage when Nadal was a teen but that's always conveniently forgotten.

They didn't meet much until Nadal hit his prime when Roger was aging.

 

[MichaelNadal]

It would have been if they met more on hard courts and grass when Nadal was a youngster.

A fair point, but they did meet a few times on hard and grass and Federer took advantage. You could very well say if they had both been 25 back in 2006 or 2007, Nadal would have beaten him at more than one Wimbledon.

 

[LazyNinja19]

FEDAL rivalry has always had that "something special" feel to it (when both were in their primes).

 

[NatF]

A fair point, but they did meet a few times on hard and grass and Federer took advantage. You could very well say if they had both been 25 back in 2006 or 2007, Nadal would have beaten him at more than one Wimbledon.

Nadal played his best on grass at 21 and 22 years of age. Federer would have loved 2012 and even 2011 Nadal on grass over 2007/2008.

 

[helterskelter]

A fair point, but they did meet a few times on hard and grass and Federer took advantage. You could very well say if they had both been 25 back in 2006 or 2007, Nadal would have beaten him at more than one Wimbledon.

Not sure about that. Watching them this week, you have to say that losing to Nadal on grass was one of the worst defeats of Federer's career.

 

[GoaLaSSo]

Federer and Nadal have had a lot of amazing matches. Just because Nadal wins most of them doesn't mean they aren't special.

I'm not a huge fan of the Nadal/Djoko matches. I don't feel like they are incredibly exciting anymore.

 

[Tenez101]

Djokodal is actually a rivalry.

 

[Atherton2003]

I liked the Fed/Nadal matches - that was the best rivalry I've seen in any sport.

 

[MichaelNadal]

I liked the Fed/Nadal matches - that was the best rivalry I've seen in any sport.

Those final Sundays just had a special feeling I haven't felt since. Regal Fed vs Kid Pirate matches were amazing to say the least.

 

[Vensai]

I like the Djokovic/Nadal rivalry more.

 

[Phoenix1983]

Federer vs. Nadal is the defining rivalry of men's tennis.

It's the equivalent to Ali vs. Frazier, or Senna vs. Prost.

 

[ibbi]

Djokovic and Nadal is a great rivalry in that they're pretty evenly matched, the matches can go either way, and they've played each other soooooooo much.

But Federer and Nadal was so much more. First of all the matches were infinitely better to watch, second of all the complete clash of styles, and on court personalities made the rivalry sport transcendingly iconic. It is THE great rivalry of the post-Pete and Andre era.

 

[tennisaddict]

Where is the Fed-Novak option ?