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Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head: A look through their rivalry ahead of their French Open 2021 Semi Finals
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head: Before the greats of the sport lock horns in the French Open 2021 Semi Finals, let's take a look at their rivalry on the red clay of Paris along with their overall head-to-head record.
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head: Friday, the 11th, is men's single semifinals day at the 2021 French Open, and it does not get any bigger than World No.1 Novak Djokovic taking on World No.3 Rafael Nadal at Court Philippe-Chatrier.
_1623417785509_1623417799251.png "File Photo of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic (right) greeting each other during the 2020 French Open final. (GETTY IMAGES)")
Last year's finalists meet again this year and the Serb will look to avenge his straight-sets defeat at the hands of the 13-time Roland Garros champion. Playing the Spanish Maestro on the red clay of Paris is no easy feat and 18-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic will be well wary of the threats he is bound to face.
The two tennis greats will meet for the 58th time on the ATP Tour. They have given the fans numerous battles to cherish since 2006 and this is going to be no different. Interestingly, their first-ever meeting was during the 2006 French Open quarterfinals, in which Djokovic retired after losing the first two sets.
Before 'Chapter 58' gets underway, let's take a look at their head-to-head record on the Tour.
| Matches Played | 57 |
| 29 |
| 28 |
Thirty-four-year-old Djokovic leads their battle by a very slender margin but defending champion Nadal has an opportunity to wipe out the parity for now.
How have the two champions fared against each other in the recent past? Let's take a look at their last 5 meetings:
| YEAR | TOURNAMENT | WINNER | SCORE |
| 2021 | ATP Masters 1000 Rome | Rafael Nadal | 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 |
| 2020 | Roland Garros | Rafael Nadal | 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 |
| 2020 | ATP Cup | Novak Djokovic | 6-2, 7-6(4) |
| 2020 | ATP Masters 1000 Rome | Rafael Nadal | 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 |
| 2020 | Australian Open | Novak Djokovic | 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 |
It's a well-known fact that Nadal is near-unbeatable on the red clay of Paris. However, he has suffered defeats at the French Open in the past and one of them was at the hands of Djokovic. Here's how their head-to-head shapes up in this Grand Slam.
| MATCHES PLAYED | 8 |
| 1 |
| 7 |
The high-octane clash begins at 9pm IST.
