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PARIS — Here we go. Again.
The 59th installment of the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry takes place at the French Open under the lights Tuesday night — a quarterfinal match so hotly anticipated that organizers have ensured it will be played free to air, removing the usual paywall.
No two men have played each other more times than world No. 1 Djokovic and record 21-time Grand Slam winner Nadal, a rivalry that began in 2006 and has produced some of the most riveting entertainment imaginable.
Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday, won their first meeting, at Roland-Garros in 2006, when Djokovic retired after losing the first two sets. The Spaniard went on to win five of their first six battles.
At one stage, he led the head-to-head 14-4, but Djokovic, who turned 35 earlier this month, began to get a handle on him in 2011, when he beat him in a Slam for the first time at Wimbledon. Since then, he has edged in front 30-28, as the two men have gone toe-to-toe, their intensity matched only by their will to win.
This will be their 10th meeting at Roland-Garros, with Nadal winning eight of them. Djokovic’s two wins, including his breathtaking semifinal victory in Paris last year, led to his two French Open titles, while Nadal stands at 108-3 overall with a record 13 titles at Roland-Garros — his only other loss coming to Robin Soderling of Sweden in 2009.
Nadal has won 19 of his 27 clay-court meetings vs. Djokovic, including the 2020 final, when he played incredible tennis to win in straight sets. They have played each other in the final of all four Slams.
But Djokovic has not dropped a set on his way to the quarterfinals of this French Open, while Nadal had to play for four and a half hours to subdue Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round. Whoever comes out on top will be favorite for the title, although they will probably have to beat rising star Carlos Alcaraz, who’s likely to be waiting in the semis.
🎙️ “Grand Slams have always been a priority.”
Novak Djokovic…
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Source : espn
