RG 2021 SF: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic

Who will win?


  • Total voters
    245
Well done, Djokovic. Have a blast Djokovic fans. And commiserations to Nadal and his fans. To be honest, he has been susceptible all clay season...it just takes a Djokovic to exploit it in a five set match...Djokovic doesn't give an inch as you said...Nadal at his advanced age has to rely on his serve to pull through in tough times....but the problem is that his serve has been suspect all clay season....
I might get lambasted for saying this...but i feel tennis needed this Djokovic victory....It will be difficult to support any sport that doesn't offer an element of surprise...And Nadal's hegemony while legendary and unmatched in all of sports had to be stopped....And it would be even better if Tsitsipas (close to impossible) pulls through as well and wins in the finals....He has the opponent he wanted...That being said, this is far from the end for Rafa on PC. The beauty of watching and supporting a champion is not when he wins, but when he picks himself from defeat and then wins again...This applies to the fans of all of the big 3. Nadal will win more french opens thats for sure....So keep you chins up, Rafa fans...
 

ACE of Hearts

Bionic Poster
This was a bad result for Federer. Novak’s the only guy that can claim goat status. I thought nadal had to win at least 3 more slams outside the french to claim something like that. That wimbledon match right must be eating roger at the moment.
 
Damn, I'm a Rafa fan but congrats to Novak! I think he has a great case to be the GOAT at this point when he reaches 20 (notice I never said "if"). He's now solved the case of a Nadal at Roland Garros twice, has a better well-rounded resume slam-wise, and an excellent H2H against his two major rivals. I just don't really see the case for Rafa or even Fed now once he matches their count.
 

Daniel Andrade

Hall of Fame
The other big players are Federer, six years older, and Nadal, one year older but with extra mileage like he were 2-3 years older due to rising to the top a year younger age-wise (05 vs 07). Coupled with no 90s-born players being at least Murray-level talents, we get this. Point is, these physical wins don't actually make him the better player...
They do, Federer could have won a lot more before Nole showed up on scene, and no one forced Nadal to perform spent his body with that "extra mileage like he were 2-3 years older", he made a choice and came up short.

"Point is, these physical wins don't actually make him the better player..." LOL
I'm not even a Nole fan, but the salt of your excuses is showing, chap
 

a10best

Legend
Still wrong. Nothing tight about their USO matches.
2010 USO final - Rafa won 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2 , one break of serve difference in 3 of the 4 sets.. yeah, that's not close. It was a runaway thumping.lol
2011 USO - Djokovic won 6–2, 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 6–1 uhhh , one break difference and losing a tiebreak seems close to me.
What do you want a 9-7 5th set match or 18-16 to call it close?

Today could have gone either way if Rafa won 3rd set TB. He made too any dumb mistakes, like the open court FH volley put away. These 6-3 sets were, (you guessed it), 1 break of serve difference.

Novak Djokovic outlasts Rafael Nadal in epic Wimbledon 2018 semi-final 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11), 3-6, 10-8
Djokovic defeated Nadal 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5 AUS Open 2012.
 

Sunny014

Legend
The other big players are Federer, six years older, and Nadal, one year older but with extra mileage like he were 2-3 years older due to rising to the top a year younger age-wise (05 vs 07). Coupled with no 90s-born players being at least Murray-level talents, we get this. Point is, these physical wins don't actually make him the better player...

Truth is Sir Murray is highly overrated.
Had he been born in 1993 like Thiem/Dimitrov then he too would have been on 0 slams

Djokovic is the real deal, his win over Nadal is legit even if Nadal is 35 because Djokovic himself is 34, just 1 yr difference.

Vs Federer on Grass yes the 6 yrs difference argument is valid.

But Rafa losing today has proven what I have been saying all along, Nadal's mental toughness is hugely clay oriented, break him on clay and you will find him broken on other turfs too .... See what Novak does to him on grass now if they face or at the AO ;)

It will be a bloodbath .... even at the USO novak will thrash Rafa this year
 

TearTheRoofOff

G.O.A.T.
I reckon Borg would've had him beat, but this combination of immense stamina and brutal power is unprecedented. Amazing work ethic from 'Dal to go along with tremendous genetics. He's a real marvel, no?
Yes, no? Agree RE Borg; you're right, the energy Nadal imparts clearly outweighs that of Borg, and I'll bet he is heavier, too.
 

Carax

Hall of Fame
Congratulations to all Djokovic's fans, your boy did good today. Time to regroup for Rafa. It's not too late to fight for his next grand slam.
 

TheAssassin

G.O.A.T.
With how the tennis landscape has recently looked, Nadal and Djokovic winning every Slam over the past three years with the exception of throatgate and holding a firm grip of their fortresses, this is the biggest "break of serve" Novak has achieved in his entire career. Even if he doesn't "consolidate" it in the final, at the very least the same situation remains as Nadal stays at 20. And that is significant going forward.

As for the match, as soon as Novak made the first set competitive despite giving shades of last year by going 0-5 down, I was 100% certain he'd be incredibly tough to handle. Even for Nadal. True, he didn't play well, spraying a lot of errors for his standards. But other than at 5-3 in the 3rd set, Djokovic took advantage of that drop in Bull's form in great fashion and was deservedly rewarded for that.

I have to single out that dropshot he played on Nadal's set point, of all the ballsy shot decisions he's made over his career, this one ranks right up there at the very top. And what a contrast. He lost five games at the start of the match. He won the last six, against Nadal, in the semifinal of his pet Slam.

I expect an apology from Squirmovic brigade for doubting him so much and probably thinking I was delusional for believing he could pull even this off. Because you see it's not just the case of me being an eternal optimist. There is a reason behind that, the one all of you know - Djokovic is the most stunning player ever.
 

Third Serve

Talk Tennis Guru
You're welcome, Fed fans
It's probably worse for Fed fans if Djokovic wins tomorrow tbh. You can make a case for Fed being better if Nadal got #21 tomorrow, but if Djokovic wins, with multiple wins at all Slams and the rounded career he has, it'd be a lot trickier to make that case imo.
 
I genuinely never thought Djokovic was capable of playing that well on clay again, especially against Nadal at RG. I'm kinda stunned to be honest. o_O
He played brilliantly especially on defense the end of the third set when he saved set point. He should wipe out Tsitsipas but you never know.
 

mike danny

Bionic Poster
2010 USO final - Rafa won 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2 , one break of serve difference in 3 of the 4 sets.. yeah, that's not close. It was a runaway thumping.lol
2011 USO - Djokovic won 6–2, 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 6–1 uhhh , one break difference and losing a tiebreak seems close to me.
What do you want a 9-7 5th set match or 18-16 to call it close?

Today could have gone either way if Rafa won 3rd set TB. He made too any dumb mistakes, like the open court FH volley put away. These 6-3 sets were, (you guessed it), 1 break of serve difference.

Novak Djokovic outlasts Rafael Nadal in epic Wimbledon 2018 semi-final 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11), 3-6, 10-8
Djokovic defeated Nadal 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5 AUS Open 2012.
Sorry, I just disagree, their USO matches were not tight. In 2010 Rafa just ran away with it and in 2011 Djokovic destroyed Nadal outside that 3rd set.
 

wang07

Semi-Pro
All the credit to Djokovic, he's done the impossible. The first 2 sets were rather subpar as both players were visibly tense, I agree with that but the 3rd was INCREDIBLE. I never thought there was a chance for Djoker after failing to serve it out and also given the recent struggles in TBs, coming back and winning it that way just added to the insanity. Congrats to all Djoko fans, this is a big one.
 
What can the Nadal fanbase say though anymore? Djokovic just outplayed him at Chatrier. They shouldn't be allowed to say anything at the moment.
Yes, he outplayed him, but Nadal was crap for most of the match. Still it is quite a feat for Djokovic to have done it.
 

veroniquem

Bionic Poster
Hello Vero, how about that, haa? Hope you are doing well. He did it!!!
I am fine,thanks. I hope you are too. Not posting often these days but peeking at the posts now and then.
Novak is truly showing Fedal who is boss ha ha. He's now beaten Rafa twice at RG, TWICE, can you believe it?
Unreal. That + the #1 record. What a feat. What a year. What an effing legend Novak is!!!! GOAT all the way!!!
 

-NN-

G.O.A.T.
After 5-0 who could've thought

I guess it's similar to the match vs Tsitsipas at the AO. Nadal clowned him for two sets there and then.... lost the match. What?! 5 straight sets of humiliation for Tsitsipas and then he turns around and wins the match...
 

Sephiroth

Hall of Fame
I understood what Federer fans felt like in 2015 when Federer couldn't last 5 sets, and that was an even stronger Novak than this one.

Nadal couldn't last the 5 sets and it shows why he plays so, so aggressive, his physical attributes is hidden away when he's steamrolling in 3 sets. Nadal was finished when the 4th set rolled around and I was shocked after seeing the Rafa I know and watched for so many years
 
I am fine,thanks. I hope you are too. Not posting often these days but peeking at the posts now and then.
Novak is truly showing Fedal who is boss ha ha. He's now beaten Rafa twice at RG, TWICE, can you believe it?
Unreal. That + the #1 record. What a feat. What a year. What an effing legend Novak is!!!! GOAT all the way!!!
How can you go from "biggest" Nadal fan to "biggest" Djokovic fan?
 
D

Deleted member 688153

Guest
oh no no no

just heard about this on the radio
pretty fitting that fedal end up with equal slam total. they can be happy

so can djokovic
 
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