History will be on the line when the Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal rivalry adds another chapter in the French Open final on Sunday.
With a win, Nadal would tie Roger Federer atop the all-time men’s singles Grand Slam title chart at 20. Meanwhile, Djokovic has a chance to become the only member of the current Big 3 to win all four slams at least twice.
Beating Nadal in a Roland Garros title match would also be a historic feat for Djokovic, as no one has done it before. The Serb is, however, one of only two men who have toppled Nadal on the terre battue of Paris (in the 2015 quarterfinals). That is part of his overall 29-26 advantage in the head-to-head series, but it is all tied up 4-4 in Grand Slam finals and 3-3 in their last six matchups. During this recent stretch of six encounters, Nadal is 3-0 on clay and Djokovic is 3-0 on hard courts or grass.
Those statistics are hardly a surprise, of course. Although Nadal is not exactly invincible on clay right now, he does remain dominant–especially at the French Open. Losses in warmup events have rarely meant anything for the 34-year-old Spaniard, so everyone should have seen it coming when Nadal lost to Diego Schwartzman in Rome and then trounced him in straight sets in the Roland Garros semis on Friday. That improved the 12-time champion’s record to a ridiculous 99-2 lifetime at this event.
Yes, a win on Sunday will give him a perfect 100 in his illustrious French Open career.
But it obviously won’t be easy against Djokovic. The top-ranked Serb is undefeated this season aside from his infamous U.S. Open default against Pablo Carreno Busta. He has recovered in style, triumphing in Rome and storming into the quarterfinals this fortnight without surrendering a set. However, things got tricky thereafter. Djokovic was less than 100 percent physically while avenging his “loss” to Carreno Busta with a four-set victory and he needed five sets to hold off Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis.
Of the two finalists, Djokovic looks more vulnerable at the moment. It is true that conditions for Nadal in early October are not ideal, but Court Philippe-Chatrier played faster and with higher bounces than all of the other courts throughout the whole tournament.
It is simply too tough to pick against the King of Clay in a French Open final, even against the toughest of all opponents.
Pick: Nadal in 4
who ya got?
Ricky, i’m with you on this one. I know i will suffer a lot of aches and pains in the process but I believe Rafa will be able to pull this one off!!! I know he’ll be nervous in the first set so I wont be too terribly surprised if he loses it, but i believe Rafa is hungry for his 13th!
VAMOS!!!
Yeah!.. I agree with Ricky… Rafa in 4!…
Many underestimated Rafa in this year’s French Open for that obvious reasons…. they know Rafa’s love affair with RG, court PC & yet they still doubted him… THEY MADE HUGEEE MISTAKE!..
20ISPOSSIBLE!! ..C’mon Rafa!!
Nadal in 4 for the same reasons. Even though it’s Djokovic, even though Rafa lacks match prep, I simply can’t pick against Nadal in the final of the French Open.
And he was dang impressive against Diego.
I didn’t think Nadal played all that well vs Sinner and Diego, even though he won in straights. His backhand and serve are both not working well. This edition of RG he hasn’t flattened out his backhand as he did in 2017/2018. He seems content looping it back or rolling it in. This is probably why Nadal himself said he needs to be a level higher on Sunday vs Djokovic.
So did you think Djokovic played well in the QF and SF? Nadal has not dropped a set all the way to the final and Djokovic has been taken to 4 & 5 sets.
Rafa never talks himself up no matter who his opponent is so I wouldn’t read too much into him saying he’ll need to play at a higher level against Djokovic.
Yep, Rafa to win it all. Playing against Diego and Sinner was good preparation for Rafa, to face Djoko in the final. Rafa will bring his best in the final, nervous or not. He’s too experienced not to know what to do.
Atleast they have noticed the dropshot n moya says serves are less dangerous
https://tennishead.net/rafael-nadal-has-a-plan-to-beat-novak-djokovic-warns-spaniards-coach-carlos-moya/
thanks Sanju. I mentioned in my post yesterday that a benefit Rafa will get is being able to deprive Novak of free points behind his first serve.
Good to hear tht the team is consisering all! hate the pattern when Novak hits drop shots, Rafa chases and then Novak hits a lob volley in reply. You HAVE to anticipate that as he does this so often now
Hope I’ll be celebrating after the match!
Vamos Rafa!
Really tough one to predict, I’m gonna go with Nadal in 4. I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts nervous and falls behind, but if he can get the FH going and shift Djokovic side-to-side enough, he’ll eventually get there.
I know this is awful to admit but, I don’t watch matches between these two any more. I just can’t take it.
If Rafa wins I’ll try to watch the match later and if Novak wins I’ll just watch the highlights and read the comments.
Me too. 🙁 Win or lose, I’ll still be very proud of Rafa for his fight, his attitude, his GRIT. And for his perspective on life and the place of spectator sports in it.
Keep calm, stay focused, remain confident, be strong and show your fighting spirit, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EkCq_feWkAE9WRC?format=jpg&name=medium
I am already nervous! I hate matches between these two! I end up being exhausted every time…
I see Novak is full of optimism, no signs of injury which suddenly disappeared, and he is all excited to face Rafa! Novak is again playing mind games knowing he is in Rafa’s head and trying to reinforce such feeling on the RG clay as well..,But I think Rafa has a special relationship with RG dirt, they are one…it is very difficult for any opponent to break that bond!
Vamos Rafa!
Maybe he is not as confident as he is making out because:
Djokovic said of Nadal, “He’s still there. He’s Rafa, he’s in the finals, and it’s on clay.”
Based on the evidence, Rafa should win but matches are not won on paper so I’m still nervous. I think I’ll need some smelling salts in the first set especially if it’s not going well for Rafa. After 2 sets, we will know where the outcome is heading.
Toni won’t be at the stadium. He said he’s going to watch it alone. He says that many factors favour Djokovic but he believes Rafa will raise his game and win.
Vamos Toni and Rafa!!😀😀
I don’t remember Toni backing Rafa before a match, ever so nothing new here.
I see a number of you are too nervous to watch.
I am nervous but I will.be watching and posting.
Talking of nerves, i imagine that sanju is practically dead with them..
Che sera sera sanju! Rafa will be ok if he loses…He will come back and fight another day whether he wins or loses and we will still love and support him either way…
I’ll be here too! can’t imagine missig this one. There will be scary moments but there is a good chance we all get the happy ending.
Two of the best players EVER playing the final GS match of an otherwise very depressing year.
This match offers some salvation for tennis/sports in 2020.
May we get a high quality match with Rafa Nadal Parera prevailing 🙂
Happy you will.be here vr!!
I expect nny will be too….😀
I’m not going to watch..will be watching something on Netflix n will slowly check after 3.5 hours 🙂
amy,
I am here! As nervous and stressful as it is, I will be watching!
I agree, Rafa will come back and fight another day if he loses this one; but I think he will win.
Hope so lucky!😀 I never make predictions before Rafa matches. Too superstitious..like Rafa!
Vr, what have the mistakes Rafa has been making at net about? He normally never makes them. Presumably it is nerves? Or something else?
Oh no. It’s raining and they are closing the roof..
Vr and lucky..wish they were playing outdoors..😠😠
Obviously.the roof closing favours Novak.😠😠
The roof is closed. It’s raining.
Oh I am so.fed up about the roof. The list of advantages to do with material conditions for Novak.just goes on and on and on.
Is it raining ? I believe the roof closure means it will remain closed throughout the match
It will be closed. Yuk! Definitely definitely an advantage to Djokovic.😠😠
Yet another one on a long list..
oh NO!
Exactly vr!!Big advantage to Novak!😠😠
Come on Rafa darling!
Go out there and get him!
What can I say… I have a special feeling. I hope the guy who wins the most points in this match will win. I really don’t wish you that kind of pain.
What do you feel Eugene
Just referring to my emotions before Fed’s finals.
I can understand what you feel.
Have no idea who will win here. Neither of them is at their best.
51-49 to Nadal for me.
Vr and lucky…can Rafa win with the roof closed?
Ofc he can, but what the heck. There was no forecast of rain AT ALL and then this happened!
djokovic in 5 sets!!!
Shame that such an epic match will have a tiny crowd, but it’s better than nothing.
Indoor definitely helps Djokovic, but I think it’s unlikely to be a decisive factor
Life has strange ways..maybe the roof closed that robbed him wimby a very close match…it will be paid back here …I think it will happen…rafa will win this
Rem ao 12 final lost but rg 13 semi won…
Wimby 18 semi lost..rg 20 won 🙂
Go rafa go
If rafa wins ..rem this tweet…destiny has strange ways
This COULD make Rafa more nervous at the start. Imagine being in his position; with conditions already not in your favor and then this happens!
Anyway, the fact that it is court PC, I am hoping he’ll be comfortable enough.
Novak already heavy on the drop shot and it’s the first game
Drop+ Lob combo. He’ll use it often until he himself starts to get nervous.
He’s used it a hell of a lot this tournament
AWESOME HITTING TO WIN THAT POINT! DEUCE!
Break point!
Break!!!😀
Now hold Rafa!
YES! Such intelligent defending! Exploting Novak’s weak overheads and then unleashing his HEAVY forehand. Backhand playing the perfect supporting role there.
Now, HOLD! consolidation here equally important
Novak is getting ridiculous with the drop shots already.
VR,
Let me know how you think Rafa is hitting his backhand, since you think it’s crucial in this match.
NNY, very pleased with the backhand so far!! He’s got the right mix in play. booming CC, heavy and deep DTL and some smart slices.
VR,
You said he should use slides. Am I dreaming? Rafa up two breaks.
I meant to say SLICES!
Rafa has come out ALL GUNS BLAZING. This early lead should help allay any nerves he might have had.
It’s been quite a high quality start!
Phew! Rafa holds! 😀
Rafa playing great! 2 bps!
Take them rafa!
Yesss! 2 breaks to rafa!😀😀
My god he is playing well
🍀💪💪
Clearly Djokovic is the one nervous! It’s probably Rafa’s aura here and his strong start.
Novak first serve %: 29%, ZERO POINTS won on first serve
in the first game he was throwing 75 mph second serves!
Is this first set in the bag? Come on!
Now hold again rafa! Don’t let up!
No wonder!! I was thinking y no one’s commenting all the wile I am on the expert picks thread, sigh!!
Oh by, Im loving what im seeing form Rafa right now! Glad for the insurance break bcos u know with Novak a break or two means nothing!
VAMOS!!
Fuck! Take this point rafa!
Yes! Rafa saves bp!
The backhand! I see it for myself! He is using it so well.
*high five*
As I write this, Rafa gracefully cuts underneath the ball to carve out a deadly backhand slice, break point Rafa!
Oh no one of Rafa mistakes at net. Win this point rafa!
Yes another bp saved…
Market thinks 3-1 to Nadal at this stage.
So many great shots from Rafa then the mistake. Win the next point! He does with a huge backhand!
I’ll be very surprised if Djokovic doesnt win a set.
Yesss! Rafa wins the game with an ace!
@Amy, Rafa 2/7 on net points so far. Not sure what is happening- hope he can improve. So far his serve and groundstrokse have been so good it hasn’t mattered.
OMG just look at the weight behind those shots. He is putting in extra effort today. When Rafa is really able to take a proper swing, djokovic is shaken off the ground when return Rafa’s forehand from his backand corner.
I told you about the net points vr!! But his backhand is really strong today!
Oh yes he breaks again with another great backhand!😀
Novak hasn’t dealt well.with the slice
Yep, in these conditions, the slices won’t be easy to put away. He has totally rattled Novak.
I just feel the first 2-3 game of set 2 are key.Rafa is sometimes vulnerable in this terrirtory
There’s going to be at least one big momentum swing in Djokovic’s favour. Just a matter of how long he can sustain it.
So Djokovic eats a first set bagel. That’s interesting. Fairly unexpected.
When was Novak last bagelled in a slam final!
Amy – never before.
Didn’t expect this Cheryl!😀
Rafa is the only member of the Big 3 to serve bagels to the other two.
It’s a bagel! Wow! Can our Rafa keep it up?
🍀🍀💪💪
Clinical 1st set from Rafa
Djokovic’s serve wasn’t there. He went to the well on drop shots, although it’s understandable since they worked pretty well whereas he was getting hammered in general baseline play.
Nope but Novak is still playing well enough that Rafa cannot for one minute lapse! Rafa is also doing better in the rallies for now.
totally! Novak playing at a high level.
2 bps! Take them rafa!
Are you guys noticing how difficult Novak is finding to get his first serves past Rafa? I knew this would benefit Rafa but didn’t know how well Rafa will capitalize on this
Good effort Djokovic, showed a bit of heart there.
It’s a testament to the slow, heaviness of these conditions that a bagel set can take 48 minutes – even when it’s indoors
Yeah baby! there comes the backhand slice, Novak can’t do enough and BOOM forehand DTL passing shot winner.
OMG as I type, a wrong-footing backhand DTL winner!
WOW 0-30 1-1
Rafa is really playing well, i mean I can’t remember the last time i’ve seen Rafa play this well albeit against Novak!
VAMOS Rafa!!!
Nadal should try and counter the drop shot by going CC if possible
there you go, he does just that! had a little more time on the ball and went for it.
haha yes, he executed that one well too
I think they are both playing well now
Break rafa!😀
Lovely volley there vr!😀
I hate early breaks but if u get it take it, lol!!
Rafa 15 winners, 3 U.E. Just TRHEE! Despite playing SO aggressively.
deuce! Come on rafa! Yes lovely forehand! Rafa holds!
BEATS HIM AGAINST THE NET! Way to go! bring on the drop shot! Our man has come prepared!
Get the double break please!
He gets it! Am I dreaming here?? what is happening!!!???
Mustn’t count our chickens vr!
Yess! Double break! Am amazin g volley by rafa!
Nadal in 3 losing 2-3 games. Who would’ve thought!
There wasn’t even that option in the polls.
Rafa will get tight in set 3. Thats the part I dont want to see.
Who knows! Djokovic looks lost at the moment
It’s interesting how they both go into their shell when they are losing like this to each other. Big time sooks.
Because its about pride and honour! When you play at such a high level and on such a grand stage the love of the game somehow gets lost at times. There today, they r both chasing history and playing for honour! So it sucks when you r getting beaten!
Hey, but at least Novak is keeping his cool, no?!
I know the match is still running and hasn’t reached a conclusion but, I hope Goran Ivanisevic is watching. LOL
Please don’t invite hubris vr!
apologies haha.
Wow, HUGE forehand DTL brings THREE SET POINTS
VR,
Yes! Goran should go hide under a rock after what he said!
Rafa playing like a god!
Set Rafa! 😀😀
I hope Ivanisevic watches this and feels it. Come on for that Wimby roof.
🍀🍀🍀💪💪
So… you telling me that Sinner is the one who came closest to Rafa? I loved that guy, but didn’t expect this unbalanced final.
Well, let’s see what Djoko has to show in the 3rd. This could be more competitive.
Two sets! One more to go!
Let’s do this Rafa! Number 20 and a tie with Fed and number 13 title at RG!
Novak’s best game of the match. Rafa needs to be careful here- Can’t relax when you have Novak on the other side.
Rafa cannot afford to lose his intensity here! Tennis can be so very funny and I know he knows!!
Wow, Novak actilually won a game. Fk beast. Did you see that coming? Dis guy dangerous.
Petchey saying Novak can turn this round..
Come on rafa!
Of course Novak can turn this around, but that’s only if Rafa lets him!
Yes, the commies r literary DYING for Novak to turn this around, lol!! Precious!
VAMOS, Rafa
Rafa serving so well!
Novak has upped his level so he must focus..
Bp! Take it Rafa!
Rafa needs to tighten the screws here. Novak raising his level and Rafa’s dipped slighly.
Wow, sick forehand drop shot by Rafa.
Yes! Nervewracking!
Come on Rafa break! Too dangerous serving second..
3 bps!! Take them rafa!
Yesss! Now hold!
Fuck. Bp. Come on rafa win this point!
Come on Rafa save this bp!
Damn!! Come on Rafa break back!
We expect a dip from Rafa, but I still think he can win it! The mach is on Rafa’s racket! It had better be, lol!
He shouldn’t have been broken then. He has given Djokovic hope..
Nadal’ level has just dropped off slightly here, but it’s enough for Djoko to get back into it. Similar to the Diego match with the 3rd set woes. Nadal needs to pick up the 1st serve a little
It’s a shame that you have to be down 2 sets and a break before you start playing they way you shouldve.
Okay, this is getting interesting now. lol
Rafa, PLEASE DON’T lose your serve!! We DO NOT want a 4th set.
Come on rafa. Hold.
Rafa opened the door. He needs to stay focused here. Get this done in three sets! No mental lapses.
It’s never easy with Rafa.
Now rafa..do it now!
Ugh Rafa has to serve to stay in the set.
Come on darling hold.
Smart mid-court slice change-up from Rafa on that point, it’s a known Djoko irritant (often relied on by Fed)
Yesss! Now please darling serve it out!
Congrats Rafa, equals Fed’s slam count of 20
For Novak, well, at least he didn’t do as bad as Fed at RG in 08 lol
Yes! Rafa wins!😀
Rafa kicks ass take it back for austarlia woooo hoo love you rafa… tkae it yeaaaa fuck
Yesssss! Vamoooooossss! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💐💋💋💋💋💋💋💪💪💪💪
Wooohoooo!!….20ISREALLYPOSSIBLE!!!!….RAFANS!!….SENDING MUCH LOVE FROM AFAR FOR U GUYS!!…
Brad Gilbert said that this was the most important match in the open era and whoever won it is the goat🐐🐐!!
Holy shit lol yippee 🙂
Group hug nny and vr!
amy,
Yes! Group hug to you and VR!
It’s great sharing this with you! 😍
Yes wonderful nny! But we are so lucky that Rafa is such a great champion!
VAMOSSSSSSSSS!!
And, what a humble speech. Referring to the AO 19 loss and then playing it down by making us all realize how exceptionally difficult this year has been.
I genuienly admire this guy and he’s always touched my soul
They should play under the roof and in fall every year😃😃😃😃🤣🤣🤣
VAMOOOOOOOSSSSS RAFA!!!!!!’
#20
Mr hawk where have you been😃😃 20 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Vamos
Rafa did it! 🏆
Now I am starting to lose it! Happy tears! God bless Rafa! The conditions, the virus, lack of match play, all of it! Rafa did it again!
I am so proud and feel blessed to be able to see it happen!
20 slams
13 RG titles
🎊🎉🏆
YES YES YESSSS!!!
#20thSlam
#13thRG
#100th victory
Also, #WhereIsGoran?
Goran eats humble pee🤣🤣🤣
Yes vamos Rafa! So happy Rafa wins his 13th FO, his 20th Major title and his 100th match at RG!
I know Djoko wasn’t having his best serving day, but I just want to concentrate on Rafa, this special moment in his career. Well done Rafa, winning in such tough conditions, without losing a set and beating your main rival.
So happy and so proud of you!
Didn’t I say, no one can break this special relationship between Rafa and RG clay in the finals! Once there Rafa turns into beast! Gosh, perfect match from the King 👑
Vamos Champ! 💪💪💪💪
Congratulations Rafans! Enjoy this sweet victory. Well done Nadal.
Goran! Where are you? Come out, come out wherever you are. You owe Rafa an apology! Never underestimate a great champion!
This one is so sweet! After the 2019 AO, this is just a wonderful moment!
This is for ed! I hope she is looking down from heaven to see it! 😢
Nny .when did that happen..never knew it..may her soul rest in peace
OmG! I also didn’t know. RIP Ed :/
Sanjay,
You didn’t know? Deuce/Margot came here and told us.
I am thinking about her and wish she could have lived to see it.
Oh my gosh, I didn’t know about ed, sigh!! May her soul rest in peace
Congrats All.
AO 19 revenged with interest. I told you these 2 give paybacks…
Rafa was just determined..now I’m so happy tsitsipas lost..reaching 20 beating novak is just so much sweeter …
There shld have been a massive crowd for rafa reaching 20..but it’s ok
Amy,vr,nny,lucky , mira ,natashao , vmk1 n all rafans…big big congrats .celebrate 🙂
N yeah f&₹34 you Goran..zip that mouth in future
Big congrats sanju!
I did think before the match Rafa was going to win. But I was very upset when the roof was closed.
But hey Rafa was incredible!😀
Sanju,
Well said! This is sweet after the 2019 AO. As you said, it is better to see a Rafa beat Novak. He beat his rival, number one player. That’s how you do it. No one can take anything away from Rafa after going through these conditions. I am on cloud nine!
The best thing is being able to share it with my fellow Rafa fans! 😀
Was about to have a heart attack checking the score…. my tablet was on airplane mode, s** turn on WiFi, those few milliseconds…. and OMG, WTF !!!!! Rafa wins in straights!
A-ma-zing!!!!!,!,!, thank you Goran
vmk1 this was an amazing moment of happiness in a very difficult year for so many.
Soooo happy for him and all the Rafans everywhere. Commiserations to rc wherever she is.
Yes commiserations to dear Elizabeth!
As I said before semi final, inevitable confirmation for 20th slam.
Rafa will have 24-25 slams by the time he retires.
Novak will get 27.
Roger stays at 20
Fg, nobody knows that. That’s childish.
That’s not happening..rafa won’t win 5 more n novak 10..oh please,surely not .10 means he needs to win at rate of 2 per year till he is 38..won’t happen
N sneaking a slam is still possible for fed likely at wimby .difficult but not impossible
Also hope Novak is okay. This is not painful loss for him. Ot wasn’t even close, no tension except the last games.
Thiem -Schwartz the best match overall. My personal surprise: Sinner. Lucky predicted Sinner to be tough. Best player: Rafa. No surprises.
Again, congrats and enioy.
Rafa beats roof, fall weather, sub par preparation, murphy’s law, law of averages, the year 2020 to beat his biggest rival to match # 20.. to think Sinner and diego pushed him the most.. djoko broke him as many times as korda
Yeah agree with Amy, commies to the lovely Elizabeth ,one of the nicest and most knowlegeable fans that post on this forum, Novak will bounce back with the AO just around the corner, stay safe my friend, hugs xx
Nadline, where are you? Probs drunk and celebrating 😄
Winning the Championship Again without dropping a set! Novak looked like a mediocre player against this Rafa! Unreal!
So proud of our guy!!
Love you, Rafa! ❤️
What is left for rafa to do on the rg court?😳 build him a lab there.. he may find a coronavirus vaccine😃
This is the best RG final Rafa has ever played. Hands down! Yep, even better than 2008.
I think Novak’s third set revival might have prevented this match from impact their future matches. Remember how Rafa’s 2008 scarred Fed and Gave Rafa so much confidence that he took him down at RG and AO shortly after?
I do think this is a HUGE win for Rafa. He learnt today that if he can command the baseline, stay aggressive for a long period, there is no reason he can’t beat Novak, even off clay! I know this is court PC but the huge margin of victory is going to spur him to play more freely in his future hard/grass matches against Novak.
The 2nd set of ATP cup this year was already some manifestation that an aggressive Rafa can match Djoko on a hard court but he lacked confidence on key moments. This win will serve as the antidote and I am sure Rafa got a huge boost of confidence today in his head-to-head against Novak.
Interestingly, the next slam could also be RG as AO might not take place given how strict Australian Govt is with lockdowns and restrictions.
AO has already said it’s on…didn’t they
Wow! Extraordinary from Rafa. 20 it is.
My darlings, I can hear the celebrations from here! Enjoy.
Stay safe. Stay sane!
Lovely to see you Margot!
Come back soon darling!
Rafa delivered! I knew he’d do it but, of course, the match had to be played. Rafa has now bageled both Federer and Djokovic.
Vamos Rafa!
Commiserations to Elizabeth. Your man will be back. This is the way it goes.
Now we have an election to win! We have to vote like our lives depend on it! Stay strong and believe! We will conquer this virus and get rid of the Orange Menace!
👍💪
How apt that the 100th rg victim is novak.. with a bagel😀 and hands novak the first loss of the season.. i am sure now more people will agree that this is first loss without an asterisk👍🏻
I dont think Nole played a bad match. I thought Rafa’s FH, BH and serve all were on fire. The first two sets were probably the most one-sided and dominant amongst the big 3 in a big final like this, one step better than Rafa – Fed RG 2008 and Fed-Nole 2015 AO.
Conditions were slow but these guys were playing indoors and ball wasnt bouncing that high.I think this is Rafa’s best performance and could leave a mental scar on Nole which might not be good for him in future battles.
*AO 2016 you mean, which was a semi.
Federer has posted a very gracious message on twitter for rafa .very gracious of him…
Yeah, very nice from Fed! Loved his words! The two of them have always been rivals and friends in the same time! Gracious indeed..
Ricky’s tournament predictions almost perfect.
Final
Nadal over Tsitsipas in 4
OMG!!! Rafa *smoked* him!
I doubted, I admit it. Is Rafa too old, too slow, too dinged up? Would the cold, the late season, the odd light and shadows, the lack of crowd, the painful defeats, the arrogant boastful opponent, would it all get to him? Hah! Rafa is indomitable. Ageless. Dauntless. A living breathing superhero. Not that Rafa would ever believe any of that!
Lucky 13!! I am over the moon, and I got a MATCH to watch. Congrats Rafans!
Fed sends lovely tweet with shade directed at Nole.. ” as my greatest rival we have pushed each other to new heights.. ”
Note the ” greatest rival” shade..
Don’t think its a shade…..its true, lol!!
But it was very gracious of Fed to tweet this! It is at least sets a good example for their respective fans!
Fed also said:
“I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it.”
Completely blanking Djokovic.
https://twitter.com/rogerfederer/status/1315330172221116418/photo/1
Roger’s tweet!
Nadal was better in just about every category – including the return, which is probably the biggest surprise of the afternoon.
I agree with whoever said it’s his best performance ever. That was sublime over an opponent who, I suspect, thought he had Nadal’s number.
Vr said it Cheryl!
Rafa played with such intensity!
As you say, he returned everything with interest..
100% agreed. He outperformed Novak in just about every category including serve and return.
He also outsmarted Novak in terms of tactics. He ready for everything.
I am not quite sure if it was his best performance ever, but I think he did two things that have been lacking in his game in recent years. One, his intensity was high from the first point as he often starts of very slow. Two, he was obviously, to me, cool and calm even in pressure situations, and I have not seen that from Rafa in years!!! It was one aspect of his game that made me fall in love with him but after a few beat downs from Nole and Roger it disappeared. Now I hope its back for good bcos i miss those times when Rafa, no matter the score, I KNOW he would pull the rabbit out of the hat! He was just do formidable! Like someone said earlier, I believe this match may be a game changer for him! Looking forward to AO2021, lol!!
Actually, the ATP leaderboard put Rafa 3 places ahead of Djokovic for ROS of all time and second to Rafa currently.
https://www.atptour.com/en/stats/leaderboard?boardType=return&timeFrame=52Week&surface=all&versusRank=all&formerNo1=false
https://www.atptour.com/en/stats/leaderboard?boardType=return&timeFrame=Career&surface=all&versusRank=all&formerNo1=false
Ao, if they meet, is going to Be very interesting..
Nole will be absolutely focussed on trying to kill him on court. But if Rafa gains confidence from this he is not going to be able to do it. Yes he can win but not in a beatdown..
Let’s not count out Thiem, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Roger and a few other contenders. Hard court offers chances to more players.
I did say IF they meet vr…!😀
True, Ricky well done with predictions for this tournament.
After a few rounds, I thought Rafa needs a hard test in order to be ready for the potential final. Sinner did him a favour. Schwartz was quite spent. Perfect warm up before the explosive final.
Fed knows Rafa deserves. That’s a nice post.
Thanks for being here with us Eugene!
Long live fedal!
All the best Amy 🙂
I never doubted Rafa here but it is indeed a very special victory for him at this stage of his career! Rafa really has nothing left to prove and has created a great legacy for himself especially on this surface.
What was quite amazing to me toady is that Rafa did not appear nervous at all given that he was playing Nole. He seemed more nervous in his previous matches. Novak was not at his best but i think it was mainly bcos of the person on the other side of the net.
I am sure many of the other tennis players were watching this match and they will no doubt try to learn a few things from it. Things are not going to get any easier for Rafa but i believe he will just continue to play his best with the cool demeanor he showed today.
I wish Rafa and Novak all the best for the rest of their careers and I look forward to more matches between them.
Congratulations Rafa, and I am going to have a very good Sunday! Vamos!!
Ricky, great picks! You at least got the right winner, lol!!
I am speechless. Rafa is the GOAT…. period.
People talk about Djoko being a wall but man, in the first two sets today, there was nothing going past Rafa’s defense. Not only was he retrieving but aggressively defending off both wings. He didn’t lose depth on his shots and Novak just didn’t have enough behind his shots.
2017 RG final was also insanely high level but given the circumstances and the rival , this IS the best performance in an RG final by Rafa.
I believe Rafa is going to play Bercy. Rafa needs to focus on majors now, he can use earlier rounds to get into groove.
Look at Nole, he played both USO and RG and ended up winning neither. Masters dont count for a lot in their careers now, its all about being fit and playing well when it matters the most.
Rafa was really sharp today.
I am so happy, I don’t know what to do with myself. Rafa played from another planet. He did not allow Djoko to even breathe. He completely destroyed him and it was such a pleasure to watch. This is by far the best performance ever by Rafa since he became a tennis player. He was immaculate.
Well done Rafa. So proud of you. You are currently the GOAT imho. This was a masterclass. I will watch this match forever!!
I put money on Djok. to win this match. I have never been happier losing money.
Funny. 🙂
Not taking anything away from Rafa. I agree, he destroyed Novak today but, Novak had a lot of unforced errors, especially in the 1st set. (he hasn’t been nervous against Rafa since forever)? From the highlights I don’t see that he had any “injury” issues today.
Shireling you are killing me, Lol. I was expecting the usual MTO especially after he lost 6-0. I was expecting it atleast 5 times during this match. Shocked there was none, Lol.
Yes he listens to his critics Nole! He was quite subdued in this match. I kinda felt sorry for him in a way, lol! But his speech was nice, he speaks very well that Novak
He is a very good sport; incredibly gracious in defeat always.
In Rafa’s 2020 schedule, I dont see him playing Bercy. Is that correct ? I believe Bercy is ON.
This year Rafa has a good shot at WTF but he needs match play for sure.
Rafa said he’ll take a look at the schedule in the next few days, along with team/fam and make decisions. He’s been kinda focused on RG for the past few weeks. 🙂
Nole said he was surprised by Rafa’s level. Why??! Hasn’t he seen Rafa play as the underdog at Rg before! Ie 2013 and 2014 when everyone had Novak winning.
I was overjoyed by all the comments by Goran and Novak himself saying the conditions wouldn’t favour Rafa. I knew that would fire Rafa up while putting additional pressure on Novak.
Underestimating a great champion is a fool’s game..
The conditions didnt suit Rafa as much but I would never bet against him at RG even if it was January . Ive been saying that such a great champion should be able to cope with difficult conditions and he did. But congrats go to Nadal and his fans he was just too good .
When Nole was taken to five sets the other day after being so close to a strraight sets win I sort of knew he wasn’t going to win the final .And he was obviously flat while taking nothing away from Nadal who played a perfect tactical match .
No you did not think that Big Al.. you said that you would give Nole a 50 percent chance.. when you say you knew he would not win the final, it means you are giving him a zero percent chance..And a lot of people believed that Nole had a great chance of victory given the conditions(me included).. rafa stunned the world i think.. not even the most ardent of rafa’s fan would have predicted this outcome. Psychology also states that we twist what we thought of past events in order to make sense of what has transpired later on.😀 I as a thorough Rafa fan could spent most part of the weekend hoping that another ao 2019 beatdown would not happen
The 50 % was wishful thinking – in other words I didn’t have much faith by the time the final came around . I dont think Ive ever predicted Nadal to lose at RG once he was in the final. The conditions werent as bad as first thought .
I still didn’t give Nole more than a 50% chance and Im a fan of his so at least Im objective in my predictions .
Well, actually, in Ricky’s poll I was one of the few that went with Rafa in 3. But I didn’t actually *believe* it. Djoker came out rather flat. I dunno, maybe he thought he’d just stomp all over Rafa the way Ivanisevic said…hah! (Dumbest pre-match statement I’ve ever seen from a coach. Way to put pressure on your guy while firing up his opponent. Nice.)
But seeing Rafa play so well was a real treat!
Rafa said they may finish his season now; will decide tomorrow or Tuesday. Says because of the virus they will need to travel to Australia earlier than usual and he needs to be smart with his schedule.
I hope they don’t play Bercy and wtf. Better to concentrate on best possible preparation for Ao.
I agree..the situation with virus is getting worse by day. Don’t think Rafa should travel to Paris and London, he doesn’t need indoor matches. I believe the best way is to rest, practice, stays away from crowds and get ready for AO! Now that Rafa has gotten Novak out of his head I strongly believe he stands huge chance for winning AO! Especially that it will be nice and hot outdoor conditions in Melbourne 😀
Vamos Rafa!
Glad you agree Natashao. Apparently they will make their decision to shut the season down or not today or tomorrow. If they have to leave for Australia 2 weeks earlier than usual…this is what Rafa said..then they need time for Rafa to.rest, have treatment on the knee and get ready for next year.
Like you, I think he has given himself a huge shot in the arm confidence wide and I don’t see the point squandering that on his worst tournaments Bercy and wtf.
I just don’t care about wtf and the situation with the virus gets worse every day so there is so much added risk in travelling. Much the best thing is to shut down the season and get ready for Ao.
Thoughts sanju or anyone else? Natashao and I agree but I expect some of you will think otherwise..
Will wtf be in London ? If yes will it be played at all ? Uk is seeing a second wave of corona..he surely should not play Bercy but I think wtf a shot can be given
AO needs 2 weeks quarantine so they need to be in Australia by Dec 15 ..still 1 month left between quarantine start n wtf end..what’s the issue
BTW I have rafa reach the final of AO in 21 n I hope he finally converts it and not be a finalist again
I want rafa to win 1 more AO n 1 more USO..AO to complete double career slam n uso to be the leader among big 3 at USO. Yes fed has 5 but he won his lot in 5 back to back years n last one in 2008..Rafa is more consistent at USO than Fed…
Touching photos of Toni in tears after the victory..was being interviewed for Eurosport and had to stop…
Vamos Toni..!
Great game by Rafa and congrats to all the Rafa fans here…sad day for me but Rafa was by far the better player, well deserved no 13 and 20
Wow. Payback for AO 2019! I haven’t been able to see the match yet, but Nadal must have been incredible. I didn’t think he could play better than he did here in 2017, but maybe he did?
Congrats to Rafa! and very happy for all his fans to have something to celebrate in this otherwise crappy year.
In 13 RG finals, Rafa has lost 7(!) sets!!! And this in the era of two other GOATS.
Puerta -05
Federer -06
Federer -07
Federer -11
Djokovic -12
Djokovic -14
Thiem -19
Save the rain, that 2012 set should never have been lost. To have won a tournament as a teenager, in his 20s and in his 30s with the same level of dominance is mind boggling. Remember the part about the huge deal being made of Federer winning 4 majors in his thirties, Rafa has now won 6 and Djokovic has won 5.
Didnt Nole take him to five sets in 2013? That makes it 8.
Sorry,that was the semis in 2013
Nice piece of symmetry that I had thought of.. Roger, Rafa and Novak all have 5 finals in their worst slam and have lost 4 of them.
Roger – Lost all four to Rafa at the French and won one against Soderling who has no slams. Roger has won 3 sets in the four lost finals
Rafa – Lost two to Djokovic, one to Roger and one to Wawrinka and a bum back but has a victory over Roger (who is no mug at the AO). Also the losses have been close with Rafa winning 5 sets in the four lost ones.
Novak – Lost three to Rafa, one to Wawrinka and won one over Murray (GS champ but not so at the French).Novak has won 2 in the four lost finals
So while Rafa’s worst slam has had multiple gatekeepers, Roger and Novak have been completely shut down by one phenomenon 🙂
That’s a refection on the surface though .
I believe Rafa should give it a serious try to win the London final this year. He may not have a better chance than this. He’ll never get younger, plus he’s ‘hot’ now which definitely gives inner strength and also some good hc are missing (Fed, Kyrgios for ex).
Curious how this all will affect Novak. Didn’t win USO, got destroyed at RG by Nadal when it looked like he was on the route having one of his best years in his career. He’s human too and that leaves marks.
Fed, I so hope he’ll come back strong and healthy. At the moment not dreaming about titles, but just feel good and play freely with no pain.
Am I in the minority who thinks Novak will max add 3-4 slams n not more .all people pencilling him to be highest in tally – what is the basis..A Thiem pushed him to 5, Tsitsi pushed him to 5..it will need a little to switch from losing in 5 to winning in 5 as they are young and novak is getting older
Rafa too I think can add maybe 2
I honestly think Rafa will end with max slams..n novaks mistake at uso ,he will regret rest of his life
Yeah, I really hope Rafa plays at Paris Masters and WTF, two events he hasn’t won.
I read Rafa did extensive practice before match just to reach dropshots ..now that’s committment..no wonder novaks drop shot strategy failed. Thanks Moya for watching Novak so minutely and coming up with a great counter plan
VR/Lucky..what did Rafa technically change that completely turned the match upside down ..would be nice if you can tell or anyone else can
Djoker wasnt unsuccessful in drop shots. That was his only savior. I believe Rafa’s ROS and BH CC just surprised Djoker. FH was anyway on fire but thats expected. Rafa hardly missed anything in the whole match.
Sanju, VR is good at the technicalities, I can only comment on Rafa’s game plan or strategy.
Rafa returned serve very well, and the graphics shown that he actually returned a bit further back than usual. He had lots of successes returning Djoko’s serves, though maybe one of the reasons might be Djoko wasn’t serving well in the first place. Still that couldn’t take away how well Rafa returned serves.
Rafa was having problems with Djoko’s dropshots initially, even though he got to them, he hit them DTL often that Djoko immediately lobbed him, making Rafa ran for them and had to hit the ball with back facing his opponent hence he mis-hit most of them.
However, Rafa found a way to handle those dropshots later on in the match by hitting them CC instead, which caught Djoko by surprise and Djoko couldn’t get to the ball quick enough and so mis-hit them.
Rafa was solid in all areas of his game and so there’s nothing Djoko could do. Djoko’s ROS wasn’t good enough to trouble Rafa’s service games too hence not so many BP chances for Djoko.
@Sanju Watch Gill Gross’ analysis of the final on YouTube. Guy is excellent at explaining tennis tactics and he keeps getting better.
I don’t think Rafa is playing London because when asked in his post match interview he said he had to discuss it with his family and his team because of quarantine issues.
I see that Novak called hawkeye when they were 5-5 in the last set.
And that the ball was called out so rafa broke to later serve for the match.
In the highlights they just stop for a second, was there any controversy there? was it a double-fault?
You can’t call Hawkeye on clay! Novak asked the umpire to check the mark and accepted the out call so it was a double fault and cost him that game.
Hawkeye is pretty good but only accurate to a degree – the system is based on a probability formula. There are a couple of exact systems around and one of those will probably be used on clay in the not too distant future.
Sorry you have no way of seeing the full match. Roland Garros is notorious for its very short highlights and stinginess when it comes to “sharing” with YouTube content providers.
Thx Ramara,
Of course, I forgot that on clay you normally don’t need visual assistance since the bounce marks the spot, sort to say.
Well, it must have been pretty clearly out I guess then.
Thx for your kind words but I only have myself to blame …I couldn’t bear to watch the match as I get frantically stressed when Rafa plays Novak. I decided I couldn’t take watching another one.
Of course, had I known….
Nole has just signed up to play Vienna!so he’s going to play Vienna, Bercy and wtf!!
Well that squashes any notion of an injury as he wouldn’t be adding tournaments if he was carrying one. But why is he playing so much and risking getting one?!
To me it smacks of desperation to compensate for losing Rg by making sure he racks up tons of points to keep the #1 forever! He is getting way too caught up with making history instead of just going out there to play well.If he’s not careful he’ll jeopardise his chances at the AO.
@amy, looks like he’s been shaken. Now he’s taking some rattled decisions.
I am sure it’s his decision. I don’t believe his team would push him right now to play those tournaments. Maybe this is his way of doing with his anxiety and regain confidence.
Well I think it’s a dubious decision Eugene and I agree with you.
He is 33 after all and Ao isn’t far away. I agree that he seems shaken and rattled and not thinking things through clearly.
It’s clear n obvious .he wants as much ranking points buffer as possible to reach feds no 1 weeks ( I don’t think he cares to keep it forever ) by winning Vienna (+500) and wtf (+1300) and that will provide cushion incase he loses at ao..at Bercy he won’t gain anything as he won last year n they are allowed to keep the best result of last year/this year
His focus now is on getting his sixth YE no.1, to tie with Sampras and one ahead of Fedal. If he wins Vienna he will secure that. Next he’s going for Fed’s weeks at no.1 record. Those two records are achievable, one at end of this year and the other at early next year. Of course slam record will be next but that takes longer time to achieve.
If rafa plays well next year..he can have 6 ye no 1 too..but weeks at no 1 is out of reach for rafa
Rafa won 51% of return points to Nole’s 33% yesterday. Astonishing numbers…!
When Nole metioned in his post-match presser that he had been “surprised” by Rafa what he really meant was: Rafa usually s** his pants when he plays against me and makes a ton of UEs … well this time it was the other way around. From what I’ve seen in youutbe, judging from Rafa’s demeanour and body language, he was rock-solid in any way
Nadal did not give Djokovic any opportunity to make a comeback in the final. He was simply too good for Novak. The match otherwise was boring and not even half as interesting as Djoker vs Tsitsipas … https://www.138mph.com/rafael-nadal-decimated-djokovic-for-the-2020-french-open-crown/
Oh go away will you, you self-opinionated bore. Your pompous self-regard is truly amazing.
Ignore her amy..she is an attention screamer..best ignored n shooed away 🙂
Kavita tujhe kuch nahin pata..dafa ho jaa…kitni bezaati karegi khud ki 🙂 thoda toh sharam karo
LOL
I guess from a Novak fan’s point of view the match must have been frustrating to watch but, I wouldn’t say boring.
If you consider the final of a Major between the world’s top 2 boring then better not watch tennis at all.
You always have cricket.
In the press room after the match rafa said that he knew coming into the tournament the conditions would be difficult but he told himself that he would not fail and that he has not failed himself.
He was extraordinarily focussed and psyched on Sunday. There aren’t many matches I have seen Rafa play with such intensity and conviction.
Nole just seemed completely taken aback, he seemed to think the conditions would impede rafa’s game and he could beat him relatively easily.
Extraordinary mis-judgement. I was very worried about the conditions and the stupid roof but I knew Rafa was really really going to fight.
He played for his pride
Goes to show Will overpowers all external conditions going against you
As much as I like U. Toni , I think we can all agree that it was a good move to leave his influence somewhat.
Moyá has managed to shake the Novak demons which I thought were never going away.
Of course, Novak can still beat anyone on any given day but this match has shown that Rafa isn’t going to melt against Novak any more. He came close in other matches but this one I believe has turned the tide.
That’s exactly what I think. Hope we are right.
Ohh…i very much hope so shirelling!…but…i want to wait until AO(if they were to meet there) or any other places(other than clay) to c whether what we hoped is true or not…
Also wanna c how Rafa will handle his nerves playing in ‘Novak’s house’ at AO next year…Clay & hc r 2 different things..and very curious to c how Rafa will respond to play there…Really hoped this drubbing of Nole will give him a HUGE boost that he can tame Novak on surfaces other than clay if he has a right game plan & execute it to perfection..He can do it on hc too imo if he determined enough & not let his nerves overwhelmed him…the key point is…his mindset…
Vamos Rafa!!
Tbh, I always thought Rafa was the better player this FO (than Djoko),despite the conditions here. I was hoping that Rafa would win in three sets but it would probably go to four sets as Rafa quite often these days might lose his focus during a set and might then lose the set. In both his SF and Final, the third set was a struggle when out of the blue he suddenly lost his focus or concentration. Fortunately in both matches he managed to win the set and so won the matches without losing any set.
When I watched Djoko vs Tsitsipas, I noticed that Djoko wasn’t really that invincible as Tsitsipas managed to create so many BP chances, it’s just that Tsitsipas didn’t play well enough to take many of them. Tsitsipas imo couldve won the match had he changed his game plan after losing the first set. He made the changes too late in the match, only after losing the second set hence he ran out of the steam by the fifth set against the fitter Djoko.
lucky,
I had the same sense about the match with Tsitsipas. I think it was winnable if Tsitsipas had played the way he did in sets three and four in the first two sets. I think it was the fourth set where Novak had 11 break chances and only made one. That is not like Novak to be unable to capitalize on break chances. Novak also had match point in the third set. But he couldn’t close it out.
I think Tsitsipas will learn from that match. I did not think Novak was looking that great in his matches leading up to the final. But too many times I have seen him raise his level of play in the final.
I watched the replay of the final on the tennis channel. Novak’s first serve percentages were dreadful. It was only 29 % in the first set. Later on in the second or third set it was 44%. You just don’t see Novak serve with such low percentages.
Jim Courier on the tennis channel noted how Rafa was using his backhand slice to throw Novak off his rhythm. Rafa raised his level in every aspect of his game. Serve, return, DTL forehand and backhand.
The drop shots worked early in the match, but later on Rafa was able to handle them. I thought Rafa’s depth of shot was exceptional. The commentators did show how Rafa was standing further back to receive serve.
Rafa came out knowing what he wanted to do. There was no slow start, no sign of nerves. I think this victory has to be very satisfying for Rafa and will give him even more confidence for the matches ahead with Novak.
So which are our fave Rafa wins?? So many to choose from. The one where I was most emotional afterwards was the Rg semi final in 2013 with Nole. There had been that absolutely awful period of time with all the commentators saying he wouldn’t come back to the top after his injury.
That semi-final, which was a de facto final, against his biggest rival winning late in the fifth was unbelievable. But the real poignancy was in his playing amazing tennis when everyone had said he wouldn’t be able to come back from injury and be the same player.
Not the same player. Better! Incredible runs in 2013 on both clay and hard. Wimbledon Final 2008 will always top my long list but there are so many others. We are blessed. Tough times, followed by triumphs. Every time. I do like drama and Rafa has provided a bucket load of that for my final years here. It’s painful, enervating, as Shireling says. But oh so joyful, too. I swear I’ve lived on his USO win last year ever since! I watch the fifth set at least once a week. Rafa said once that winning any tournament was good for a week or two of happiness for him. Well, some of those wins have lasted over a decade for me! Sometimes the good guys win and Rafa is one of those Good Guys!
Wimby 2008 was amazing and the most iconic of his wins: The rain delays; the way it took all day; the flashlights from the cameras going off in the dusk.
Curiously I can remember that all through that match I was quite calm and felt sure Rafa would win in the end. He just seemed unstoppable for a lot of 2008. The affection and friendship between Rafa and Fed at the end of that match when they high fived each other while walking around the court afterwards was very touching.
Am sure that if anyone is going to break his records Fed would prefer it to be Rafa rather than Nole.
One thing strikes me,after all the analysis of who the conditions would suit – tennis is such a mental game. The pressure was really on Nole who was expected to win .Nadal having won 12, what did he have to lose ? The satisfaction of equalling Fed ? Nole has been in a difficult place since the summer and after he nearly lost to Tsitsi I felt he wasn’t going to win and so it proved. Losin g the first set 60 was a disaster when he had game points in his service games.Right from the first game he was getting thrashed,and Nadals tactics took him by surprise .
End of the day though, whats the big surprise? Nadal wins another RG.I dont think its such a bodyblow in their rivalry as some on here have said.
The big surprise wasn’t Rafa winning RG but the manner in which he did it. Completely blowing away Novak.
Absolutely amazing from Rafa, TBH i really thought that Novak was going to win this, he was having an amazing year, and Rafa lacked match play, and after last years mauling at the AO, i was worried Rafa would get trounced again, so happy to be proved wrong ,really didnt expect the match to be so one sided, so happy that the shoe is on the other foot, 20 and tying Roger is fantastic, i had a feeling he would one day ,history was made, cant wait for the AO ….
Commies to Elizabeth , one of the nicest Novak fans on these forums, and the rest of the gang, hope you are all safe and well XX 🙂
I admit that I never thought Rafa could pull this one off. Lack of matches, Nole on the other side and inside his head, Ball/Court/Calendar changes, all were giving me nightmares. I was at a place with no internet, but had nightmares and loss of sleep since friday…. Only to jump high for 5 continuous mins after seeing the score on sunday morning 11 AM PST.
I feel this match would play an important role in their rivalry.. Like Fed with Rafa in AO 2017 final.. After that match, Roger got his confidence back against Rafa and he is 7-1 against him from that day. Hope Rafa does the same and I am eagerly waiting for their next encounter. Doesn’t matter whether it is indoor hardcourt or clay. Billion thanks to Carlos Moya.
7 1 ?? 5 1 it is including the match ..why are you gifting him 2 wins. N 4 of them came in year 17 itself ..
1) No, not 7-1 after the AO2017 win. It’s 4-1 (IW 2019 they didn’t play each other as Rafa withdrawn before their SF meeting due to injury). So, Fed was 5-1 vs Rafa starting from AO2017. Basel win was in 2015, before the AO meeting.
2) This FO win for Rafa is important and meaningful, not just another win at the FO, esp against Djoko. The reason being if Rafa lost, Djoko would be the only one beating him in finals at all the slams. Also, it will cement Djoko’s greatness against his two main rivals, for he had beaten Fed at Wimbledon final, Fed’s backyard; if he beats Rafa too in the FO final, Rafa’s own backyard, he would’ve achieved something no other player could achieved against Fedal. Rafa certainly knows what it means playing and beating Djoko in this FO final, esp given the year that Djoko has.
3) I’m more interested in rating how great Rafa was in his FO finals. To me his 2008, 2017 and 2020 finals were his best performances in FO finals. In all three of these finals, his opponent was left helpless, hopeless almost. Interestingly, these three opponents – Fed, Stan, Djoko – are FO champions, and they all gotten the worse beat down from Rafa.
Fedal rivalry dynamic changed since AO 2017.
Interesting analysis everyone. My favorite performance by rafa is this french open 2020 final followed by the three finals grand slams he won in 2010
I don’t entirely agree that this match n drubbing will alter their matches going forth..surely it will give Rafa more belief. Did the ao 19 drubbing alter anything for rafa at hands of novak ? He beat him feeding him bagels n breadsticks at Rome 4 months later n now RG.
It all depends which Rafa turns up n his mindset. If he is aggressive and tries to dictate n use that bh slice a lot more , mix play a lot , go fh dtl a lot ,serve n return better..he can win over novak at AO too. Didn’t he almost beat him in 2012 ?
And if rafa could handle novak at uso, why not AO..
I agree, if Rafa could beat Djoko at the USO, then why not the AO, esp when the AO Court has been sped up these few years.
If Rafa could go toe to toe with Fed on the quick HCs of AO in 2017 for five sets and barely lost, why can’t he against Djoko then (when Fed is better than Djoko on quicker HCs)?
Too much had been made of their 2019 AO encounter, when Rafa clearly wasn’t at his competitive level yet, after coming back from injury with no proper warm up matches.
I feel in BO3, Djoko always has an edge over Rafa on the HCs, because Rafa tends to start slow and Djoko would run away with the lead when he wins the first set.
In BO5, Rafa has time to come from behind, and if Rafa starts by being aggressive from the get go (like in 2010 & 2013 USO finals) he could win the match.
In both their AO finals (2012 and 2019), Rafa wasn’t sure of how to play against Djoko (2012 after 6 consecutive losses, in 2019 Rafa wasn’t well prepared after coming back from injury).
Hopefully for Rafa, this FO final win will help him in his confidence when facing Djoko on the HCs.
I rewatched the FO final, Djoko wasn’t playing badly, he was not serving well that’s true, but its also because Rafa was returning well (Djoko’s serve speed wasn’t off). Djoko was hitting some great shots during the rallies, like usual, but Rafa somehow found a way to counter them, Djoko got impatient and tried ending the rallies early but often with errors. The stats shown that Rafa was winning most of those short points below three shots, and more medium length rallies than Djoko did, and they’re about the same on the longer rallies. Rafa was just better in almost all areas.
I would expect their encounters on the hard courts to be more competitive; if Rafa could be that close to Djoko on grass (Rafa’s worse surface) then he would be even more competitive on the HCs.
Yes, the thing made me happy was that Nole played so well (except the serve) and lost in straight sets.
AO-2019 – Nadal didn’t loose a set until final.. And many believed he could beat Nole
You got to look at who Rafa beat, mostly young guys, three young guys from third round onwards, and a Berdych whom himself was also coming back from injury – no one top ten player.
I don’t think too many would think that Rafa would beat Djoko then, just maybe made it competitive. I think Rafa fans were hoping Rafa could beat Djoko, mostly because Djoko didn’t look impressive Vs Shapo and Medvedev, but Djoko always raises his level in the final.
AO 21 will be so interesting ..novak defending champion, Rafa going again for double career slam ,Fed coming back after injury n ppl exoecting him to repeat 2017 , Thiem n tsitsipas n Medvedev – will they have a say n cause upsets ,who will draw the giant Slayer – kyrgios n ofcourse how will courts play ( fast ,medium )