. Federer is the only player on this list to have played at least three matches against a player and lose all of them, he never defeated Pat Rafter. By 2011, Nadal declared that his joint dominance with Federer had ended, following the ascent of Djokovic and later Murray. Another interesting statistic pointed out by Nick Nemeroff is that only 2 players have beaten Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic for 5 or more times. The American has an identical 1-8 head-to-head record against Roger Federer as well, beating the Swiss player at the 2008 Indian Wells Open. 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. In 2015, Stan Wawrinka triumphed over Novak Djokovic to win the French Open title. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were born a week apart, played each other as juniors,[23] and both made their major debuts in 2005. Federer entered the 2004 Summer Olympics as the heavy favourite, but lost in the second round to Tom Berdych. Each member of the Big Four reached the 2010 ATP Finals semifinals with Federer defeating Nadal in three sets in the final, leading to them achieving their third successive season in the top four positions. Blake, who is also a best-selling author, went on to lose to Novak Djokovic in the bronze-medal match of the Beijing Olympics. 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. Following Murray's strong end to 2014 and reaching the final of the 2015 Australian Open, he moved into the top four in the ATP rankings for the first time in over a year, meaning that the Big Four held the top four places in the rankings for the first time since early 2013, slowing the idea of the regression of the quartet. On his day, though, Del Potro was feared, even by the big guns. Thiem has lost the crucial matches against them, being bested in two French Open finals by Nadal and an Australian Open final against Djokovic. Likewise, Federer is the only player to have beaten Djokovic at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and the French Open. Nadal won his eleventh title in Monte Carlo, then claimed an 11th Barcelona title, winning both without dropping a set. [52], By his standards, Federer had a weak season. Its quite strange when I tell myself that I have a gold medal, a Davis Cup, and I have two Grand Slam. Having suffered from injury-plagued seasons, Nadal and Federer ended the year at number nine and 16 respectively. Daniil Medvedevtriumphed overNovak Djokovicin the 2021 US Open final, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to win the mens singles tennis title. Despite being down two sets to love in the final against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic rallied to win the title in five sets. [174], Murray's three Majors, two Olympic Games victories, ATP Finals, Masters titles and his success in reaching the world no. Meanwhile, Murray continued to rise in the rankings, reaching his first major quarterfinal at Wimbledon, losing to Nadal. They did not break it but emerged ahead of the rest of the tour. Daniil Medvedev has beaten world no. 1 for an ATP record 378 weeks (as of 27February2023[update]), Federer for 310 weeks, and Nadal for 209 weeks. 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. He became the second player after Andre Agassi to win a Grand Slam singles tournament, ATP Finals, Olympic and Masters titles, and the first to do so in the same calendar year. Creator: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce Copyright: 2022 Getty Images, Juan Martin del Potro (17 wins against the Fab 3). [4], The Big Four was used to describe the larger quartet of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Andy Murray from about 2008 to 2017, though the term is occasionally still used when referring to the group in that period. [64] Nadal and Federer lost early at Wimbledon, thus ending Federer's record streak of 36 consecutive major quarterfinals. [51] They all reached the semifinals at two of the year's Grand Slam events, and between them won every Masters tournament. Tennishead >> The World's most popular destination for tennis fans & players who want breaking tennis news, in-depth match analysis, tournament reporting, expert opinion, professional writing, tennis racket & gear reviews, videos, competitions & social media commentary. Hrbaty failed to get past Djokovic when the two squared off in a Davis Cup World Group tie in 2008 which is the only encounter the two have been part of. 1 after winning the Australian Open in 2004. Having said that, there are few players who actually dont fear facing any of these 3 aces. While Federer came out on top of their first four encounters, taking 10 consecutive sets from a youthful Djokovic in 2006-2007 during a time when he was the undisputed No. 2 behind Nadal and overall had his best year since 2007, with his highest number of titles won since that year, winning two majors for the first time since 2009, and ending the year with a winning percentage of 91%, his highest since 2006. However, with all four members being European, this may have had a potentially negative effect on tennis popularity in North America compared to previous decades, when Americans were regularly at the top of men's tennis. Creator: Mark Metcalfe | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2022 Getty Images, Dominic Thiem (14 wins against the Fab 3). The Big Three have been competing to win the most Grand Slam men's singles titles of all time. [32] He also won his first two Masters titles. The only player to clinch the no.1 spot in the Federer-Nadala-Djokovic era. [92] However, Djokovic defeated Dimitrov and Federer beat Raonic to make it an all-Big Four final, the 24th they had contested. 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. I dont know how Im going to feel if I win a second one or third one. Andy Murray is the player who came closest to the level of the Big Three (until 2016, they were, in fact, called Fab Four or Big Four). 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. Rihanna Disappoints Serena Williams With Her Super Bowl 2023 Half Time Performance, Coco Gauff Made a Shocking Prediction About Rihannas Super Bowl PerformanceWhichCameTrue, Rafael Nadal Does Not Believe He Will Be Able to Beat Novak Djokovicin2023, Serena Williams Nationality and Religion: What Is Serena WilliamsFaith, Serena Williams Weight Transformation: Tennis Legend Shows off IncredibleNewLook. 6 has a far better record against Roger Federer, winning four times. Daniil Medvedev: I now try to be like Roger Federer in my matches. The American's wins came in the 2005-06 period before the Mallorcan grew to be a near-invincible force on the ATP tour. Stan Wawrinka would have dominated the world of tennis if not for the likes of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. He won the 2009 US Open against Federer. 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. (W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (WL) winloss record. Djokovic and Nadal lost early at the Australian Open. It's just different times and definitely more athletic, there's no doubt about that. To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended. There is a theme here, right? Speaking of players who had the hitting power but have been cruelly curtailed by injury, welcome to the party Juan Martin! 1, and extended the record to 302. He entered the French Open as the favourite, but was defeated in a massive upset by Robin Sderling in the fourth round. [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. Milos Raonic beat Rafael Nadal twice, both times on hardcourt. In 2016, the World No. Djokovic won the title and his 20th major against Matteo Berrettini, thereby equaling both Federer and Nadal's all-time tally. At the Davis Cup, Nadal helped Spain to win the title in five editions, Djokovic and Federer helped Serbia (2010) and Switzerland (2014) win their first title in the competition, and Murray helped Great Britain win the title in 2015. Still, the Australian still generally got the job done against them. No one else took the world number one spot from them. 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. [96] Towards the end of the year, Murray managed to return to form, winning three titles in Shenzhen, Vienna and Valencia, allowing him to return to the top ten in the rankings[97] and qualify for the Tour Finals, but he bowed out at the group stages following a defeat by Federer, in which he won just a single game. 1 for a record 378 weeks, Federer for 310 weeks, Nadal for 209 weeks, and Murray for 41 weeks. At 19, Carlos Alcaraz beat Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev May 9, 20224:59 PM ET Bill Chappell Twitter Enlarge this image Carlos Alcaraz hits a return to Novak Djokovic on his way to a semifinal. Lets be realistic; every player had to face at least one of them in their journey before winning a major trophy. Following Djokovic's early exit from the Australian Open, he underwent surgery for the wrist injury that had been causing him issues for the previous year. [26] Murray, who was kept out of the French Open and Wimbledon by injury,[27][28] ended 2007 ranked 11th.[29]. Interestingly, the 37-year-old is only a Wimbledon title away from completing the career slam. [151][152] Many former top professionals have also spoken about the topic, including Bjrn Borg, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanievi. [44] Nadal was defeated by Juan Martn del Potro in the semifinals,[45] and del Potro beat Federer in the final to claim the title. Nadal lost the bronze medal match to Kei Nishikori but won gold in the men's doubles event. If not for his severe knee injury, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would have enjoyed a completely different career. He beat Nadal for the second time a couple of years later at the Brisbane Open. [112] Murray and Federer shared the two North American hard-court Masters titles, at Montreal and Cincinnati respectively, with Djokovic being the losing finalist on both occasions. [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. It's very difficult for me to win a Grand Slam because there are the top four. He has beaten Federer in all three Wimbledon finals they've played, and has only lost to him at . Nadal only dropped one set en route to his fifth US Open final, where he met Daniil Medvedev. [48], The 2011 season was dominated by Novak Djokovic. Federer was unable to compete due to a persistent knee injury while Nadal returned to compete, after a lengthy six-month injury hiatus and a positive COVID-19 result. Match after match I was playing better., MANORCO PVT LTD 2022 | All Rights Reserved. He won titles in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris. 1 for a record seven years, with Federer and Nadal at five each, and Murray at one. His first win against the Spaniard came in the 2015 Indian Wells Open. 1 and No. Novak has beaten Roddick, Nadal and Federer (they were ranked #1, #2, and #3 in the world at the time) at the Canadian Open bac. [40] With the win, he equaled Pete Sampras' all-time record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles and completed the Career Grand Slam, having lost to Nadal at each of the previous four editions of the French Open. A victory at the Swiss Indoors in Basel and one at the 2016 Cincinnati Open proved that Borna Coric was not intimidated by the Spaniard. Djokovic and Murray both finished with their lowest year-end rankings since 2006, at No. Nadal was the clear world No. At the 2016 French Open, Murray reached his first Paris final to complete his set of Grand Slam singles finals, but Djokovic beat him in the final to become the third Big Four member after Federer and Nadal to complete a Career Grand Slam, and the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. Let us never forget he was a serious player in his prime. At the French Open, Federer withdrew after his third round victory in order not to jeopardize his recovery from a knee injury, while Nadal's bid at winning a record 21st major ended when he lost to Djokovic in an epic semifinal encounter. Djokovic is the only player to have beaten Federer at all the majors and the Swiss is the only one to have done likewise to Novak. Thats amazing for me. The 35-year-old tennis player has recently broken Steff Graf's all-time record for spending the most number of weeks as world number one. Head to head records for players in men's professional tennis. Head-to-head, greatest matches, stats: here is our guide - ahead of their next clash in the 2022 Roland-Garros quarter-final Rafael Nadal et Novak Djokovic lors d'une exhibition Milan en 2016 Paul Bonnaud May 29, 2022 Share this story Over the past two decades, men's tennis has had Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and also Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal successfully defended his title over Djokovic in a straight-sets final. Qatar World Cup voted as the best of the 21st Century, Erling Haaland becomes the quickest to 20 Premier League goals, 12 football transfers that were a disastrous flop, WPL Schedule 2023: Match Timings, Teams List, Live Telecast, Schedule, Match Venue, and Live Telecast in India, The Greatest performances in Womens World Cup, Top 11 highest individual scores in womens T20Is, Ranking all the teams from the Womens Premier League, Revisiting the Best Matches of Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Nadal also won in Madrid, while Djokovic fell to Alexander Zverev in the Rome final. 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). After defeating Djokovic in an ATP 500 event, he became the first player outside of the "Big 4," that being Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, to defeat the Serbian superstar at a . He was dominant on clay, suffering only one loss on the surface (to Federer at the 2007 Hamburg Masters final) between his breakthrough and the end of 2007. At this time they are better than the other players. You look back, a further back, 20 years, and you have the Connors and the Lendls. It's very interesting at the top right now, and the depth I think has never been greater than right now. Nevertheless, he trails their head-to-head 4-2. Lopez, a former world No 12, is retiring from . In the Wimbledon final, Murray beat Raonic in straight sets to win his second Wimbledon title, and third major title overall. Nadal returned to Wimbledon for the first time in three years; however he incurred an abdominal injury during the tournament. Maria Sharapova on how to build strong brand: Be smart with people you align with, ATP Dubai: In-form Daniil Medvedev wins third title in three weeks, Rafael Nadal doesn't know when he'll be back, but we do: at the Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev felt 'confident' he could beat Rafael Nadal before horror injury, Andrey Rublev: You need to have perfect day against Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic. 3,[31] holding the ranking for the entirety of 2008. Federer, however, won the title without dropping a set by beating Marin ili in the final. ^ Two walkovers (2014 ATP Finals final and 2019 Indian Wells semifinal) are not included in the table. [46] They comprised six of the eight Grand Slam finalists and won a combined 16 tournaments (compared to six for the other four competitors at the 2010 ATP Finals). [2][3] The trio have dominated men's singles tennis for nearly two decades, collectively winning 64 major singles tournaments; Nadal and Djokovic with 22 titles, and Federer with 20. However, Murray did lead Great Britain to Davis Cup victory in 2015, winning all eight singles rubbers and becoming the final member of the quartet to win the Davis Cup. This time, however, he will be sitting in the stands, cheering on his fellow players and enjoying . Djokovic defeated Federer in five sets to claim his second Wimbledon title,[93] a result that left Djokovic, Nadal and Federer occupying the top three places in the rankings. 1s in singles . ", "Is the Dominance of the Big Three Good for Tennis? The former World No. Mardy Fish, a two-time finalist at the Western and Southern Open, got the better of Rafael Nadal at Cincinnati in 2011. Had he been playing in another era, he may well have dominated tennis for a while. Here, we take a look at nine players who have triumphed against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal but have never managed to get the better of Novak Djokovic. The Austrian ended up shocking the top seed with a victory in three sets. Check here, Be the first one to comment on this story. But then again we don't play doubles. It was the Swiss firstmajortitle and with this win, he became the first man outside theBig Fourto win a major sinceJuan Martn del Potrowon the2009 US Open. The hat-trick of wins began at the Lyon Open in 2003 and continued in the final of the Auckland Open in 2004. Also Check Out :-Barcelona Open 2022 Schedule, What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? He established an 81-match winning streak on clay during this time. They won 11 consecutive majors between them, meeting in each French Open and Wimbledon final from 2006 to 2008. Means a lot to me.. Representing their countries, the Big Four have played vital roles in leading their countries to victory at the Davis Cup, ATP Cup, and the Olympics.