The real reason why Djokovic>Nadal>Federer>Djokovic

[formula16]

the key to djokovic beating nadal is that nadal cannot take time away from djokovic in the same way that federer can. Nadal prefers standing far behind the baseline and hitting loopy shots to djokovics backhand, similar to how he plays federer. Djokovic eats that ball alive. This allows djokovic to stand inside the baseline and launch shot after shot for nadal to retrieve.

Federer cant really take time away from nadal because nadal has the high looping, massive topspin forehand that only nadal can produce, to the federer backhand. So This creates a very high error rate for federer if he tries to take that ball on the rise. Nadal can use this shot as a "get out of jail shot" when he is put on the defensive against federer. This is not the case when he plays djokovic.

Djokovic doesnt really present that problem to federer. When it comes to playing aggressive, standing inside the baseline tennis, federer definitely beats djokovic in terms of shotmaking. However, Federe does have some mental issues and this leads to some close djokovic wins. This is also the reason why we see federer get much closer to beating djokovic than nadal.

Well, this is my theory anyway

 

[Set Sampras]

The thing is Nadal was not doing the whole standing 300 yards behind the baseline and WTA serving last year and "junkballing" short topspin shots back.. He shyed away from that aggressive, strike first style of play for whatever reason. ( I believe it was Toni who felt Nadal was relying too much on the serve).