At this rate, will Djokovic tie up the Nadal h2h?

[Sysyphus]

So, Djokovic and Nadal haven't met since Roland Garros last year. At this point it doesn't seem like a guarantee that they will meet to much on hardcourt or grass (though they certainly might), but perhaps most likely on clay (masters and RG). Novak currently trails by 19-23. Do you think he will tie or overtake Nadal in the h2h before the end of their careers?

 

[sportsfan1]

Rafa has been a major stumbling block for Djokovic at slams. If Rafa declines at the majors and the younger generations fail to challenge, then both Rafa's h2h and slam count can be overtaken by Djokovic.

 

[Backspin1183]

Rafa has been a major stumbling block for Djokovic at slams. If Rafa declines at the majors and the younger generations fail to challenge, then both Rafa's h2h and slam count can be overtaken by Djokovic.

Djokovic to win over 6 more Slam titles? Good luck with that.

 

[Nadal>>>>>Federer]

It depends when and where Nadal will decide to play. On clay Rafa will be the favorite. At all slams, Rafa will be the favorite. Djokovic will win HC MS1000's and WTF matches.

 

[Backspin1183]

After beating Nadal 7 times in a row, Djokovic was 14-16 in the head to head in early 2012. Nadal won 6 of their next matches then. If Nadal is in form again, he's very much capable of beating Novak a few times in a row again.

 

[jm1980]

After beating Nadal 7 times in a row, Djokovic was 14-16 in the head to head in early 2012. Nadal won 6 of their next matches then. If Nadal is in form again, he's very much capable of beating Novak a few times in a row again.

You must mean 6 of 7, because Nadal never beat Djokovic 6 times a row

And like things usually are with Rafa, 4 of those 6 were on clay.

 

[Sysyphus]

After beating Nadal 7 times in a row, Djokovic was 14-16 in the head to head in early 2012. Nadal won 6 of their next matches then. If Nadal is in form again, he's very much capable of beating Novak a few times in a row again.

Will he find that form again though? We know Novak is there, but with Nadal it is a tad more uncertain.

 

[Backspin1183]

You must mean 6 of 7, because Nadal never beat Djokovic 6 times a row

And like things usually are with Rafa, 4 of those 6 were on clay.

Yes, 6 of their next 7 matches. Nadal has beaten him 5 times in a row before. Not his fault if Djokovic isn't that good on clay.

 

[tennisaddict]

While Novak may edge the h2h, Rafa would still claim the honors at majors

 

[Backspin1183]

Will he find that form again though? We know Novak is there, but with Nadal it is a tad more uncertain.

If you see him play a few tournaments without any health issue, he should be good. I'm following Rio tournament to see how he's playing. So far, he's not hitting the ball as well as he should. Still very far from his best. I'm surprised he still wins playing like that.

 

[jm1980]

If you see him play a few tournaments without any health issue, he should be good. I'm following Rio tournament to see how he's playing. So far, he's not hitting the ball as well as he should. Still very far from his best. I'm surprised he still wins playing like that.

Rio has a very, very weak field. If Nadal gets upset Ferrer will win the title comfortably. I mean, just look at his draw.

1R: Daniel Gimeno-Traver
2R: Thiem de Bakker
QF: Juan Monaco
SF: Souza/Haider-Maurer

 

[Backspin1183]

Rio has a very, very weak field. If Nadal gets upset Ferrer will win the title comfortably. I mean, just look at his draw.

1R: Daniel Gimeno-Traver
2R: Thiem de Bakker
QF: Juan Monaco
SF: Souza/Haider-Maurer

Of course it is. Without Nadal and Ferrer, the tournament would be a joke. It's almost as bad as Citi Open Washington. Thanks to Nadal, the tournament in Rio isn't as bad. I think it will attract more players in next few seasons.

And I'm not really surprised that Nadal beat Belucci playing bad, but the score like 6-4, 6-1? If I hadn't watch the match I'd have thought Rafa was playing good with a scoreline like that.

 

[tennisaddict]

Of course it is. Without Nadal and Ferrer, the tournament would be a joke. It's almost as bad as Citi Open Washington. Thanks to Nadal, the tournament in Rio isn't as bad. I think it will attract more players in next few seasons.

Citi Open had Raonic, Nishikori, Isner, Gasquet, Anderson, Pospisil.

Rio is a joke.

I wonder how Mexico is going to be.

Rafa guarantees his WTF spot with the joke of these 2 weeks.

 

[Backspin1183]

Citi Open had Raonic, Nishikori, Isner, Gasquet, Anderson, Pospisil.

Rio is a joke.

I wonder how Mexico is going to be.

Rafa guarantees his WTF spot with the joke of these 2 weeks.

Nadal is bigger than all those names put together. Also Ferrer is there, Fognini too.

And you should know better than anyone that Nadal playing the European clay swing alone is enough to get a place in WTF where he hasn't participated half his career.

 

[Djokovic2011]

It depends when and where Nadal decides to play. On clay Rafa will be the favorite. At all slams, Rafa will be the favorite. Djokovic will win HC MS1000's and WTF matches.

Yep, if Nadal keeps burning out/getting injured in the second half of the season, Djokovic's chances of equaling the H2H are gonna remain slim.

And Nadal won't be favourite at all slams. Novak will be favoured at AO and Wimbledon at the very least.

 

[Dedans Penthouse]

Yes and no, it all depends.

 

[RF-18]

Yes, Djokovic can overtake nadal in h2h.

 

[oneness]

It is close now, so it is highly possible, with Rafa being injury prone and Nole being a year younger than Rafa, plus one of the most obvious reason being nole is a great player.

 

[spinovic]

You must mean 6 of 7, because Nadal never beat Djokovic 6 times a row

And like things usually are with Rafa, 4 of those 6 were on clay.

If Djokovic is to catch him in the H2H, he will have to beat Nadal on clay because that is where they are most likely to meet. It wouldn't surprise anyone if they met 4 times on clay from Monte Carlo to Roland Garros. I'd be surprised if they didn't play at least twice in that span.

After that, it seems pretty unlikely they'd meet any time after the U.S. Open, a part of the schedule where Djoker's advantage would be best. So, after clay, it is pretty much Australia, IW, Miami, Cincy, Canada and USO. There are other possibilities, but not likely ones.

Djokovic, at the least, needs to play even on clay and then win all matchups on other surfaces, IMO.

 

[The Green Mile]

I think Nadal will lead just slightly by the end of their careers.

 

[RF-18]

Tennis will win in the end. So I predict Djokovic will get like 26-24 or something in the end.

 

[oneness]

Tennis will win in the end. So I predict Djokovic will get like 26-24 or something in the end.

So the great RF did not tennis I suppose, else it would not be 23 - 10.

 

[sportsfan1]

Djokovic to win over 6 more Slam titles? Good luck with that.

Djokovic won 7 slams in approximately 4 years (AO 2011-AO 2015). If he plays another 5-7 years, another 6 is possible, especially if there's a 2011 like multiple slam year. Of course as I said earlier, a lot of it depends on Rafa himself, we have to see what kind of form he's in, and if he's starting to decline, or whether his post RG14 slump is just temporary.

 

[Steve0904]

Nadal will probably maintain his lead, but through losing before he meets him more often than he beats him if they play. If they play enough matches in the next couple years particularly on HC and/or grass obviously, I think Novak could catch him.

 

[Backspin1183]

Djokovic won 7 slams in approximately 4 years (AO 2011-AO 2015). If he plays another 5-7 years, another 6 is possible, especially if there's a 2011 like multiple slam year. Of course as I said earlier, a lot of it depends on Rafa himself, we have to see what kind of form he's in, and if he's starting to decline, or whether his post RG14 slump is just temporary.

Djokovic won 4 Slams in last 4 years. At this rate he needs to be winning Slams for next 6 more years. Good luck with your prediction.

 

[RF-18]

just joking

 

[D.Nalby12]

I don't care since Nadal's h2h against chief rivals is vastly irrelevant statistic.

It is the result of Nadal's injury breaks added with his super relative inconsistency and his rival's super consistencies.

Federer and Noel are two most consistent players of all time while Nadal makes up to them going deep only if physically fit and top of his form otherwise he simply skips tournament or loses early to lower ranked player.

 

[90's Clay]

I doubt it.. Nadal will still add some victories over Nole in the near future probably before retiring in 2017 or so

 

[TMF]

I doubt it.. Nadal will still add some victories over Nole in the near future probably before retiring in 2017 or so

If their meeting end up mostly on hard court rather than on clay, Nole will end up with a positive H2H. And if Federer kept his H2H over Nole, we end up with:

Federer > Nole > Nadal > Federer

Just like we already have

Federer > Davydenko > Nadal > Federer

 

[Sysyphus]

If their meeting end up mostly on hard court rather than on clay, Nole will end up with a positive H2H. And if Federer kept his H2H over Nole, we end up with:

Federer > Nole > Nadal > Federer

Just like we already have

Federer > Davydenko > Nadal > Federer

Fed will probably not keep the h2h with Nole though. I predict it's tied or Nole leading by the end of the year.

 

[Djokovic2011]

That would be wonderful Sysyphus. :smile:

 

[KYHacker]

Djokovic won 4 Slams in last 4 years. At this rate he needs to be winning Slams for next 6 more years. Good luck with your prediction.

It is imminently possible-- although not probable-- that Nole could win the calendar year GS this year. It would take some luck, but I think he is the favorite by a good margin to win Wimbledon and the US Open versus any of the others in the Top 10. That leaves RG. I'm not sure Rafa will be healthy enough to survive the draw.

I'm optimistic that this could be the year that we finally have another calendar year slam champion. It's certainly the best chance we've seen in years.

 

[Pagoo]

If Nadal's bad form continues, then Djokovic may not get the chance to even the h2h.

However, if Nadal regains his form, he may well end up with a winning h2h.

 

[DerekNoleFam1]

While Novak may edge the h2h, Rafa would still claim the honors at majors

It is 3-9 in the Majors, so obviously that is an unassailable lead.
Don't think Novak will catch him in Major titles either, but still an outside chance if he can keep winning AO's until late in his career, a la Agassi.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Yep, if Nadal keeps burning out/getting injured in the second half of the season, Djokovic's chances of equaling the H2H are gonna remain slim.

And Nadal won't be favourite at all slams. Novak will be favoured at AO and Wimbledon at the very least.

If Nadal being out of slams (injured no less) to clear the way for Novak (who still wins 1 slam a year) is spun to be an advantage by you, I highly doubt you're thinking rationally.

 

[DerekNoleFam1]

Djokovic won 7 slams in approximately 4 years (AO 2011-AO 2015). If he plays another 5-7 years, another 6 is possible, especially if there's a 2011 like multiple slam year. Of course as I said earlier, a lot of it depends on Rafa himself, we have to see what kind of form he's in, and if he's starting to decline, or whether his post RG14 slump is just temporary.

If Nadal's bad form continues, then Djokovic may not get the chance to even the h2h.

However, if Nadal regains his form, he may well end up with a winning h2h.

It is imminently possible they will not play a lot of matches from hereon in, not so much due to poor form, but Nadal will probably concentrate more on certain parts of the year rather than try to win everything like he did in the past.
Novak should tag him more often than not on hard courts from now on, highly unlikely Nadal will ever recapture that 2013 hard court form.
H2H will end up very close, but like the Fedal rivalry, the one that holds the most Majors should still get the most accolades.

 

[tennisfan87]

If Nadal being out of slams (injured no less) to clear the way for Novak (who still wins 1 slam a year) is spun to be an advantage by you, I highly doubt you're thinking rationally.

Well that's the way it is with Djokovic2011. I don't understand how anyone can observe that as some positive thing or advantage :roll:

He doesn't even get how much Rafa (and we as fans as well) suffer through all these injuries and breaks, I mean really?

Tell me Djokovic2011, why does it seem that you get angry when Nadal's injuries and breaks are mentioned? It looks like you're actually blaming him for his misfortunes and somehow represent that as some kind of advantage, luck or fortune?

 

[MichaelNadal]

Well that's the way it is with Djokovic2011. I don't understand how anyone can observe that as some positive thing or advantage :roll:

He doesn't even get how much Rafa (and we as fans as well) suffer through all these injuries and breaks, I mean really?

Tell me Djokovic2011, why does it seem that you get angry when Nadal's injuries and breaks are mentioned? It looks like you're actually blaming him for his misfortunes and somehow represent that as some kind of advantage, luck or fortune?

Well said. I would kill for him to be fit as a fiddle year round and never have to miss slams like Novak. Djokovic2011 should be glad, because Nadal makes the most of his opportunities when he's in the second week of a slam.

 

[vanioMan]

Well said. I would kill for him to be fit as a fiddle year round and never have to miss slams like Novak. Djokovic2011 should be glad, because Nadal makes the most of his opportunities when he's in the second week of a slam.

Some people think they always have it harder and tougher than the others

Don't ask me what I've gone through as a Roddick fan since 2002...

 

[tennisfan87]

Some people think they always have it harder and tougher than the others

Don't ask me what I've gone through as a Roddick fan since 2002...

Actually, I might get a picture I was a Roddick fan too, he was my favorite player until Rafa came along.

Watching those 'net rushes' against Federer at Wimbledon 2004, was headache - inducing to say the least.

And the 2009 Wimbledon defeat still hurts to this day.

 

[LazyNinja19]

What's going on in this thread?

Oh! The usual....

 

[vanioMan]

Actually, I might get a picture I was a Roddick fan too, he was my favorite player until Rafa came along.

Watching those 'net rushes' against Federer at Wimbledon 2004, was headache - inducing to say the least.

And the 2009 Wimbledon defeat still hurts to this day.

2005 was even worse, in 2004 at least he won a set and was doing pretty well.

I don't know which was more painful to me - W 09 or AO 12. Probably equal.

I've always had hard times watching them play against each other

 

[Djesus]

It is 3-9 in the Majors, so obviously that is an unassailable lead.
Don't think Novak will catch him in Major titles either, but still an outside chance if he can keep winning AO's until late in his career, a la Agassi.

Don't see Novak reaching that far. One day, one of those slides or splits Novak does will come to haunt him...and that can be very dangerous. Like, he is fine at the moment but when he reaches 30, he gotta be careful because it could end someone's career.

 

[vanioMan]

What's going on in this thread?

Oh! The usual....

I'm waiting for you to photoshop Djokovic's head on those two gifs.

 

[powerangle]

Nadal will probably still lead the h2h, albeit the gap may be even smaller.

If Nadal is playing well enough to reach deep into the tournament to play Djokovic, he is playing well enough to beat Djokovic (though it may be 50-50).

When Nadal is not playing well, and Djokovic will likely spank him...Nadal doesn't make it deep enough in the tourney to face Djokovic anyway, as Nadal will crap out earlier in the tournament.

It's a built-in system that retains Nadal his h2h leads.

 

[tennisfan87]

It's a built-in system that retains Nadal his h2h leads.

Really? What about the period before 2011 when Djokovic wasn't good enough to meet Nadal regularly on all surfaces? You don't see me counting those against him, do you?

Nadal was more consistent than he is today (up to 2012, after that he has been dealing with many injury problems and decline), so were does that notion 'he isn't consistent enough' come from?

What was he supposed to do? Wait for Novak forever, until he reaches his peak? It all evens out in the end.

Regarding Federer, he too has missed many opportunities to meet Nadal more, especially in 2011 when he kept losing to Djokovic in the SFs, before meeting Rafa. You don't see me counting those, do you?

And Murray, well, he has never been a model for consistency himself, has he?

 

[Djokovic_is_the_best#1]

Yes Djoko will catch up in the H2H. Joker is arguably fav everywhere against Nadal except for RG. Even there, rafa is only a marginal fav now.

 

[vanioMan]

Well that's the way it is with Djokovic2011. I don't understand how anyone can observe that as some positive thing or advantage :roll:

He doesn't even get how much Rafa (and we as fans as well) suffer through all these injuries and breaks, I mean really?

Tell me Djokovic2011, why does it seem that you get angry when Nadal's injuries and breaks are mentioned? It looks like you're actually blaming him for his misfortunes and somehow represent that as some kind of advantage, luck or fortune?

Well most people are egoists and like to see their point of view only. Have their favourite miss Majors, have career threatening injuries (and miss AO 06), be out for 7 and a half months, then practically for another 6 months (playing 4 matches in this period of time) and then they can talk about "protecting" the H2H or other unreasonable bullsh*t.

 

[Noleberic123]

how things are standing right now. Absolutely.

 

[Deleted member 688153]

how things are standing right now. Absolutely.

If they keep actually meeting, then he will, easily.

But I think Nadal might not face Djoker a whole lot more, not necessarily just because of Rafa's likely tank attempts to preserve H2H, but more because he just won't be able to make it far enough at the events where Djokovic is most likely to beat him.

Just like with the Fedal H2H, it would be even or better if they actually met at AO (rebound)/USO/Cincy/Canada/Indoors more during Roger's prime.

Djoker will beat Rafa at Wimbledon all day long these days, but the problem is, so will Darcis.

The only places they are likely to meet are RG and clay tourneys, where Rafa has the advantage even now.