Its quite strange when I tell myself that I have a gold medal, a Davis Cup, and I have two Grand Slam. Nadal took hold of the record by winning his 21st major title at the Australian Open in January, breaking his tie with his longtime rivals Djokovic and Roger Federer, who both have won 20. However, he still has a solid record against the fab 3, mainly against Novak Djokovic. Please logout and login again. Djokovic has been ranked No. [122] At the Montreal Masters, Federer reached the final but sustained a severe back injury there, which took him out of contention for the US Open and the No. At the Olympics, Federer lost in the quarterfinals to James Blake, while Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Nadal, but went on to win the bronze medal. By reaching the final, Djokovic also clinched the year-end No. Following his back surgery at the end of 2013, Murray struggled to return to form in the first half of the year, reaching only two semifinals and losing to Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the quarterfinals while attempting to defend his Wimbledon title, a defeat which saw him fall to No. The match equalled the record of US Openfinal duration in theOpen Era. [157], Since 2010, when the Big Four increasingly began to dominate the tour as a group, many articles and reports have concentrated mainly on the members of the Big Four and their chances in upcoming tournaments, with smaller sections devoted to all other players. Debating When Roger Federer Will Fade From the Big Three Conversation. Stan Wawrinka (12 wins against the Fab 3). Lets be realistic; every player had to face at least one of them in their journey before winning a major trophy. Nadal took hold of the record by winning his 21st major title at the Australian Open in January, breaking his tie with his longtime rivals Djokovic and Roger Federer, who both have won 20.. Three of those have surprisingly come in straight sets -- the 2017 Rome Masters, the 2018 Madrid Masters and the 2019 Barcelona Open. However, the emergence of new players, commonly referred to as the "Next Gen", have tempered their dominance at the ATP Finals and ATP Masters tournaments since 2017. Relief is probably the word I would use describe how Im feeling just now., He added, Mentally, the last three, four days have been pretty tiring. The trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are commonly referred to as The Big Three. Federer's record on grass after his Halle exit stands at 188-28 with an 87% success rate. 1 for an ATP record 378 weeks (as of 27February2023[update]), Federer for 310 weeks, and Nadal for 209 weeks. Check here, Be the first one to comment on this story. They contested in 71 finals, including 23 Grand Slam finals, more than any other trio in tennis history. Here's a look at who they are: Andy Murray has scored two victories over Rafael Nadal on clay, both of which came at the Madrid Masters. [49] Pete Sampras described it as "one of the best achievements in all of sport. At the 2018 US Open, both Djokovic and Nadal made the semifinals, where Nadal retired against Juan Martn del Potro after being two sets down due to a knee injury he sustained during the tournament. The Spaniard was World No. Rafael Nadal won his first ATP Tour match aged 15 in April 2002,[20] and he defeated Federer in their first meeting at the 2004 Miami Open.[21]. Only three players have beaten a member of the Big Four in a major final. Federer is the greatest grass court player and he will prove a more formidable challenge for . Federer has a 22-15 record against Djokovic, which includes winning two of their three Grand Slam meetings. Tsongas star has waned in recent years as he became gripped by a knee injury, but his record here really shows what a good player he was at his peak. 2005 was Nadal's breakthrough year, in which he won 24 consecutive matches on clay, including his first French Open title, beating Federer in the semifinals,[22] and he finished the year as the world No. 3,[31] holding the ranking for the entirety of 2008. At the Paris Masters, Djokovic defeated Medvedev in the final to win his sixth Paris Masters title and surpass Nadal for the most Masters titles at 37. [58] Nadal did not compete due to a knee injury. And like other rivals of this era, such as Marin Cilic, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov lived. [119] Nadal, Murray and Djokovic all lost before the semifinals. [166][167], Even initially, some tennis commentators, including Murray himself,[168] spoke of a "Big Three" or "Trivalry",[169] due to Murray's lesser achievements than those three players. The four of us? Federer finished the year at world No. Head to head records for players in men's professional tennis. 10 in the world rankings. Creator: Mark Metcalfe | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2022 Getty Images, Dominic Thiem (14 wins against the Fab 3). The results, are there, no? 1. At the US Open, Djokovic reached the final but was defeated once again by Stan Wawrinka in a Grand Slam singles final. Something quite amazing. In the men's doubles, none of them would get past the second round. Federer announced that he would again skip the entire clay-court season. Juan Martin del Potro earned the respect in the sport, even from the Fab 3. He also became the first British winner in singles sinceVirginia Wadewon the womens event in1977. In a recent press conference, Djokovic shared his thoughts on the next generation of tennis players and his own legacy in the sport. He said, My goal is to give everything I have to be the best I can. In 2015, Stan Wawrinka triumphed over Novak Djokovic to win the French Open title. solid comebacks. Federer went on to win his first French Open title, defeating Sderling in the final. 1 Novak Djokovic is the answer. He then defeated Anderson in the final to win his fourth Wimbledon title and 13th major title overall. 1, has been No. Additionally, they collectively own the 10 biggest single season payouts ranging from $13.06 million to $21.15 million. 2 in August and ending the 211-week reign of Federer and Nadal as the top two ranked players. 909 Almost a decade later, Federer came close to repeating that feat. In Grand Slams, Djokovic leads 11 wins to 6. .mw-parser-output .citation{word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}^ Outright record underlined. [124] Djokovic and Nadal, meanwhile, made the semifinals, where twetlfth-seeded Djokovic defeated world No. Nadal successfully defended his title over Djokovic in a straight-sets final. They have been ranked as world No. The Big Three monopolized the top spot in the ATP singles rankings 897 weeks (equivalent to 17 years). At the US Open, Djokovic beat Federer in the semifinals to reach his third major final, but lost to Nadal, who went on to complete the Career Grand Slam. Federer: 5 Nadal: 5 Djokovic: 4 Lleyton Hewitt (14) Hewitt has a fine record against them, although it is perhaps a little loaded since he was at the top when Federer and Nadal were just starting out. Nadal then defeated Medvedev 64 in the fifth set, claiming his fourth US Open title and 19th major title overall, one behind Federer's record. Questions had been asked about 34-year-old Nadal . This win combined with winning the gold medal at the London Olympics at Wimbledon with consecutive victories over Djokovic and Federer increased Murray's standing as a member of the Big Four: his end-of-season ranking of world No. They won 11 consecutive majors between them, meeting in each French Open and Wimbledon final from 2006 to 2008. Daniil Medvedev: I now try to be like Roger Federer in my matches. Federer ended Nadal's Open Era record 81-match winning streak on clay at the 2007 Hamburg Masters, while Nadal ended Federer's Open Era record 65-match winning streak on grass and five-year dominance at Wimbledon in the 2008 final, and twice denied Federer the non-calendar year Grand Slam at the 2006 and 2007 French Opens. I saw so many finals. Indeed, throughout the year, Murray failed to register a single victory against another member of the Big Four in nine meetings. Federer suffered his worst season in over a decade. He tied Pete Sampras for the second-most Wimbledon men's singles titles at 7, one behind Federer's all-time record of 8 titles. Del Potro said, It was so difficult to keep trying to fight. The former World No. The current world number 1 title is being held by the Russian tennis star, Daniil Medvedev. Another player with a winning record against Djokovic is Rafael Nadal. That too. Nadal claimed the Monte-Carlo Masters title, which saw him become the first man to win a single tournament ten times and simultaneously establish a new record for the most clay-court titles at 50, surpassing Guillermo Vilas' 49. [111] Djokovic claimed the other spot in the final, to set up a rematch of the previous year's final, and defeated Federer in four sets to win his second major of the year, denying Federer a record eighth Wimbledon title for the second year in a row. Following the win, Djokovic emerged as a clear world No. They have been the most successful men's singles players for the last two decades. Novak Djokovic also has a winning record against Federer and may well have claims to be hailed as the greatest if he ends his career with the most Grand Slams, yet the Swiss maestro holds a collection of records that few will match. [108] Djokovic emerged victorious over Murray in a five-set match that was spread over two days[109] but succumbed to Wawrinka in the final in four sets. At the Tour finals, Federer and Djokovic both reached the final, but Federer withdrew citing injury following a semifinal win over Wawrinka. Alexander Zverev's sole victory over Rafael Nadal on clay came in the 2021 Madrid Masters, when he upset the 21-time Grand Slam champion in the quarterfinals. As 2013 came to a close, Federer's fall in the rankings prompted many sources to debate whether the dominance of the Big Four had ended. That's a really difficult call. And right now I just did it.. Federer won his final title at age 36, Nadal won his most recent title at 36, and Djokovic at 35. see also ITF team competitions: Olympics, Davis Cup, Hopman Cup and Thiem is the only player on the list who has his best days ahead of him, and his record against Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal really underlines what a serious talent he is. 1 ranking in November 2016 and keep it to finish the year at the top position further helped arguments about him belonging in a "Big Four". In the highly anticipated final, Federer triumphed over Nadal in five sets, winning his 18th Grand Slam title and his first since Wimbledon 2012. The Argentinian defeated the five-time defending championRoger Federerin the final, 36, 76(75), 46, 76(74), 62 to win the mens singles tennis title. They held the top-two spots continuously from 25 July 2005 to 14 March 2021, as well as the top ranking from 2 February 2004 to 28 February 2022, meaning that no player outside the Big Four were ranked world No. He progressed to the quarterfinals to face Taylor Fritz, defeating him in a five-set encounter that further aggravated his injury. ", "The Seven Players Who Could Win Their First Grand Slam", "French Open champion Stan Wawrinka can make 'Big Four' the new 'Big Five', says Barry Cowan", "Wawrinka doesn't want Big Four to become Fab Five", "How the Fab Five has dominated men's tennis", "Andy Murray growing in belief after reaching French Open semi-finals", "Membership in Big Four not of huge interest for Wawrinka", "Golden Era of tennis lost on most American fans", "The golden era of tennis is upon us and ain't it grand? The only player to clinch the no.1 spot in the Federer-Nadala-Djokovic era. But I am trying to win every match. However, it is not impossible, and Thiems own record will give him cause for optimism moving forward. Since 2006, only six men (Del Potro, Murray, Wawrinka, Cilic, Thiem and Medvedev) have won Grand Slams apart from the Big 3 , The GOAT era of tennis pic.twitter.com/a7VEmBspF5, Pointing out this wondrous statistics, a Twitter user shared, Since 2006, only six men (Del Potro, Murray, Wawrinka, Cilic, Thiem and Medvedev) have won Grand Slams apart from the Big 3. Nadal won Monte Carlo for a record ninth time. Thats my first Grand Slam. 1 ranking to Djokovic. Coric also registered two wins against Roger Federer, at the Halle Open and the Shanghai Masters. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have won a total of 56 Grand Slam titles, 97 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments and 11 ATP Finals. [88] He did, however, win the Madrid Masters after Nishikori injured his back whilst leading Nadal 62, 43 in that final. [150] Federer retired on 23 September 2022 with 20 Grand Slam titles. [151][152] Many former top professionals have also spoken about the topic, including Bjrn Borg, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanievi. Dominic Thiem has found, if you want to get any major titles in mens tennis, you HAVE to go through at least one of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, or Novak Djokovic. [86][87] Nadal struggled early in the clay season at his traditional favorite tournaments of Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. At the French Open, Federer returned to play at the tournament for the first time since 2015, reaching the semifinals where he was defeated by Nadal in straight sets. Milos Raonic beat Rafael Nadal twice, both times on hardcourt. Roger Federer defeated No. [82][83][84][85] However, the first two Masters titles of the year in Indian Wells and Miami only had Big Four finalists, with Djokovic winning his third and fourth consecutive Masters titles with victories over Federer and Nadal respectively. Russian man to earn Slam glory, joiningYevgeny Kafelnikov andMarat Safin. Blake, who is also a best-selling author, went on to lose to Novak Djokovic in the bronze-medal match of the Beijing Olympics. Berdych beat Federer and Djokovic at Wimbledon 2010 before losing to Nadal in the final. Never expect to be that far in my career. He reached world No. Raonic, a one-time Wimbledon finalist, has a 3-11 record against Roger Federer after having registered wins at the 2014 Paris Masters, the 2016 Brisbane International and the 2016 Wimbledon semifinals. After withdrawing from Indian Wells due to injury, Nadal initially struggled upon returning for the clay-court season, losing in the semifinals at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid. 12 and 16 respectively. He also holds a positive winloss record in Grand Slam singles finals, winning three of four (the loss being to Nadal in the final of the 2017 French Open), as opposed to Murray who has won only three from eleven (a 27.27% strike rate). Federer rebounded from his early loss at the Australian Open by winning his 100th title in Dubai. They made me realise what I had to do to improve. [99] Collectively, the Big Four won 19 titles in 2014, but two Slam titles and two Masters titles went to other players. I always try to watch the finals of Grand Slams because thats where the best players are playing., He added, Before today, for me it wasnt a dream. [citation needed]. Djokovic and Murray were third and fourth respectively, both reaching one Grand Slam final apiece. Federer's run marked a record-breaking eleventh Wimbledon final and eighth title. [89] Nadal went on to defend his French Open title, defeating Murray in the semifinal and Djokovic in the final. Federer's presence at Laver Cup 2023 is particularly noteworthy, given his longstanding relationship with the event as a co-founder but also a player. In the final, Nadal prevailed over Thiem for a second consecutive year, winning the tournament for a record-extending 12th time. Djokovic has reached 33 finals, Federer 31 finals, and Nadal 30 finals. The trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are commonly referred to as The Big Three. Stan Wawrinka would have dominated the world of tennis if not for the likes of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Nadal ended 2019 as the world No. Dominic Thiem has met Roger Federer only once on grass so far -- in the semifinals of the 2016 Stuttgart Open. At the Australian Open, Djokovic and Murray both suffered defeats prior the quarterfinals. At the ATP Finals, Murray beat Djokovic 63, 64, claiming the title and the No. Djokovic won the title and his 20th major against Matteo Berrettini, thereby equaling both Federer and Nadal's all-time tally. He also became the only man in the Open Era besides Federer and Rod Laver to reach all four major finals in the same year. Full list of Roger Federer's defeats on grass: 1. 1-ranked player, following Djokovic's loss in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships, thus ending the Big Four's streak of 921 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings (the streak began on 2 February 2004 when Federer overtook Andy Roddick). The Djokovic-Nadal and Djokovic-Federer rivalries are the only two in the Open Era to reach 50 matches. Federer was the first to come to prominence after winning Wimbledon in 2003, and became the world No. 1 ranking with Nadal overtaking him by 100 points. Let us never forget he was a serious player in his prime. Despite withdrawing from the event due to injury, Nadal ended the year ranked as the world No. Having won two clay-court Masters tournaments and Roland Garros, he was eliminated in the second round at Wimbledon his earliest defeat at a Grand Slam tournament since 2005. Serena Williams Height: Is She Taller Than VenusWilliams? In 2016, the World No. Maybe we play less matches today because it's more taxing, but we do play less best of five set tennis than they used to play. If not for his injuries, Juan Martin would have been twice the player he has been in his career till now. Attempting to become the third man to complete adouble career Grand Slam, Nadal was stopped by Wawrinka. [43] At the US Open, Murray was upset in the fourth round by Marin ili, while Djokovic reached his first Grand Slam semifinal of the season, losing in straight sets to Federer. Nonetheless, FedererNadal remained the lead rivalry, as the pair met in the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. When the conditions have been like they have been, you need to focus so hard on almost every shot because the ball is very hard to control.. At the ATP Cup, Djokovic led Serbia to victory in the inaugural edition in 2020. Seven current or former world number ones have winning records over members of the Big 4: Pat Rafter, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Gustavo Kurten, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic . However, Nadal and Djokovic have him slightly beaten. Schuettler, who was the runner-up at the 2003 Australian Open, failed to beat Novak Djokovic in three matches that took place between 2007 and 2009. Match after match I was playing better., MANORCO PVT LTD 2022 | All Rights Reserved. Federer 2019 Wimbledon final Vs Djokovic: In this match : Federer overall won more points than Djokovic (218-204) Federer won way more winners than Djokovic (94-54) Federer served more aces than Djokovic (25-10) Federer won more 1st serve % points than Djokovic (78%-74%) Federer won more receiving points when compared to Djokovic (36%- 31%) [9][153][154][155][156], I think the top four, they are better. Actually, there are plenty of players who have beaten all of these 3 in the game of tennis. It was his thirdGrand Slamtitle. Winning against them is a very difficult goal, as the young players of the Tour like Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgio are experiencing. Federer entered the 2004 Summer Olympics as the heavy favourite, but lost in the second round to Tom Berdych. This meant that all of the Big Four had reached world number one at some point. The GOAT debate has increasingly become centered around Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, as the trio have made themselves a part of tennis history with their continued dominance. Daniil Medvedev has beaten world no. Four of the five Masters tournaments typically held between the Australian and the French Open were cancelled, with the Italian Open the only one to be postponed. No one else took the world number one spot from them. In the final, Djokovic defeated Nadal in straight sets to claim a record-winning seventh Australian Open title and increased his major tally to 15. 1 ranking for the seventh time, surpassing Pete Sampras' all-time record. The unseeded Zverev defeated the Swiss, who was the three-time defending champion, in the semifinals. Djokovic won one major, reached two major finals and a semifinal, and finished the year on a 22-match winning streak after taking the ATP Finals. 1 ranking for the entirety of the period. Wawrinka himself has downplayed the suggestion that he be included in an expanded "Big Five", describing Murray as "well ahead" of him. Djokovic then won his eighth Australian Open title and his 17th major overall by a narrow victory over Thiem in the final.[128]. However, Medvedev played calm, patient tennis to become the 3rd Russian man to earn Slam glory, joiningYevgeny Kafelnikov andMarat Safin. Its a strange feeling. Nadal breezed through to the French Open title, defeating Wawrinka in the final and not dropping a set at the tournament for the third time in his career. The rivalry started in 2006 with Federer winning the first four meetings, but following Djokovic's first win at the 2007 Canadian Open, the rivalry became mostly even through to its conclusion in 2020. In the 16 Grand Slam meetings, Nadal has won 10 to Djokovic's six, and in the eight times they've played at the French Open, Nadal has lost just once. The trio, affectionately nicknamed the 'Big-3' for their stellar exploits in the game, are the. [57][175][176] His rise to reach the world No. But the Italian went on to lose their 14 other meetings. [98] Federer recovered to win the Davis Cup as part of the Switzerland team for his, and the country's, first triumph in the competition, leading many people to say that his tennis career was now complete. The season was described by many experts and former players as one of the best tennis seasons for a singles player seen in history, with Tennis Magazine describing it as the third-best tennis season ever, behind Federer's 2006 season, and Rod Laver's in 1969. I mean, I don't know. Monfils beat Federer for a fourth time at the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2015. He also joined Nadal in ownership of double digit titles at a single major. He won the 2009 US Open against Federer. To put matters into perspective, 13 of the Spaniard's 21 Slams have come on clay, 12 of the Serb's 20 have come on hard and eight of the Swiss' 20 have come on grass. denotes titles were won in different tournaments. He was dominant even against his fellow Big Four rivals, going 154 against them throughout the year. From 2005 to 2010, they ended each season as the world's top two players. 2. Novak Djokovic[192] and Roger Federer have both recognized the period as a golden era for tennis, though Federer tempered discussion around the all-time-greatest status of the Big Four in 2012, commenting: I'd say no, but I don't know. At the 2008 Australian Open, Djokovic defeated Federer in the semifinals, reaching his first Australian Open final and ending Federer's streak of ten consecutive major finals. Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon due to scheduling reasons. The Big Four regularly held the top four places in the year-end rankings between 2008 and 2013 and were ranked year-end world top four from 2008 to 2012, the longest span of dominance for any quartet of players in tennis history. Among the three Rafa holds the all-time total titles record at 22. He failed to win a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002, losing to Nadal for the fourth time in a French Open final. Nadal is dominant on clay, particularly at the French Open, where he has won all six matches against Federer and eight of ten against Djokovic. I never expected to play a final. [106] This was also the first time he had beaten another member of the Big Four in a tour match since Wimbledon 2013, ending a streak of 12 losses against the other members. At the Olympics, Djokovic was knocked out of the men's singles in the opening round by Juan Martn del Potro, in a repeat of the bronze medal match from four years earlier. The early 2000s were seen as a time of transition in tennis, with older champions retiring and a few players breaking through at the very top of the game. Each player has occupied the top position at the end of the year at least five times, with Djokovic holding the ATP record with seven. Only Murray. Madrid, Spain On This Day: David Nalbandian completes the first and only Big 3 sweep The now-retired Argentine is still the only player to ever beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak. At the US Open, Djokovic retired against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round due to a shoulder injury, and Federer was upset by Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals. [120] Djokovic announced in July that he would skip the rest of the 2017 season to recover from an elbow injury,[121] and Murray did not play another tournament in 2017 as well due to a hip injury. Djokovic was the only player to reach the semifinals at all majors, defeating Nadal in the final of the Australian Open (in what is considered to be one of the greatest tennis matches of all time), and was the runner-up at both Roland Garros and the US Open. Yet there are three players who managed to win several times against Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, often putting the Big Three in great difficulty. The Frenchman could never quite get the measure of Novak Djokovic though, losing 17 times to the Serb in as many encounters. The Spaniard claimed his 14th Major crown . He entered the French Open as the favourite, but was defeated in a massive upset by Robin Sderling in the fourth round. The GOAT era of tennis.. Nadal withdrew before his first match at the Paris Masters, thus yielding the No. 1", "Rafael Nadal wins Davis Cup for hosts Spain against Canada", "Djokovic zum achten Mal Australian-Open-Champion", "Rafael Nadal withdraws from US Open amid COVID-19 concerns", "Pablo Carreno Busta Advances to US Open QFS, Novak Djokovic Defaulted | ATP Tour | Tennis", "Wimbledon 2021: Novak Djokovic beats Matteo Berrettini to join Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as 20-time Grand Slam champion", "Stats: Djokovic ties Federer, Nadal's 20 Grand Slams with 6th Wimbledon title", "Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Novak Djokovic beaten by Alexander Zverev in Olympic semi-final", "Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Novak Djokovic defeated in bronze medal match and misses out on medal", "Rafael Nadal Returns to Australian Open With More Modest Expectations", "Nadal beats Medvedev in Melbourne classic", "Fantastic 14! Defeating the Big 3 of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer is what most players on the ATP tour have aspired to do over the last decade and a half. Nadal then withdrew from their round-of-32 clash in Auckland the following year to hand Hrbaty his third win against the Spaniard. [92] However, Djokovic defeated Dimitrov and Federer beat Raonic to make it an all-Big Four final, the 24th they had contested. ^ Two walkovers (2014 ATP Finals final and 2019 Indian Wells semifinal) are not included in the table. Alcaraz, 19, is also the youngest player to defeat an ATP World No. In a clash of the tennis titans that many had anticipated . 1 player in the final to win his major titles. Despite Nadal going up two sets to love, Medvedev responded furiously and claimed the next two sets. Here is why! It will be safe to say that Dominic Thiem is the closest tennis player who comes to the Fab 3. Tomas Berdych (13 wins against the Fab 3). He lost each of their other seven meetings. . The German lost to Nadal no fewer than five times, but only after winning the very first encounter between the two that took place in 2004 on an indoor carpet surface in Basel. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the three biggest names in men's tennis. Djokovic and Murray both finished with their lowest year-end rankings since 2006, at No. : Fan's Thoughts", "Andy Murray is the 26th men's No1 in tennis but how does he compare? [48], The 2011 season was dominated by Novak Djokovic. Not . Nadal made the final at all eight clay-court tournaments he played, winning six; he also made the semifinals at all eight of his hard-court tournaments, winning four titles. Other players to have beaten Nadal at Roland Garros include Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, and Robin Soderling. 1 ranking. 1 for 18 years or was in the top 2 for nearly 16 years. Having said that, there are few players who actually dont fear facing any of these 3 aces. With the victory, Djokovic won his second French Open title and 19th major singles title overall, and became the third man to have won each of the four majors at least twice or more (after Roy Emerson and Rod Laver), and the first to do so in the Open Era. In the following three years (20052007), Federer almost dominated the tennis scene entirely. With five, Federer has recorded most bagels against all three of his peers, while receiving only one. The 20-time Grand Slam winner went on to win a couple more times before losing in straight sets at the 2002 Dubai Open. Despite multiple appeals for exemption, he was denied a visa to enter the country, which prevented him from defending his title. Djokovic and Federer met in the semifinals, where Djokovic won in three hours. Thiem has a solid record against Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic. Speaking of players who had the hitting power but have been cruelly curtailed by injury, welcome to the party Juan Martin! [60] He did not compete for the rest of the season, but still ended the year as world No.