Rafael Nadal says he doubted whether he could win 2020 French Open
Rafael Nadal says he had doubts over when he could win the French Open this year and that he needed to play “amazing” tennis to do so in his victory over Novak Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal says he had doubts over when he could win the French Open this year and that he needed to play “amazing” tennis to do so in his victory over Novak Djokovic.
At last year’s St. Petersburg Open, Daniil Medvedev ended a 15-year title drought for Russian players at the event by lifting his first trophy on home soil.
The World No. 5 returns to the ATP 500 this year seeking to successfully defend an ATP Tour crown for the first time in his career. As the top seed and defending champion, the Moscow native is placing some pressure on his shoulders as he attempts to snap a three-match losing streak.
“Naturally, [as defending champion] there is some pressure, of course… If I show good tennis, I will have a good result,” said Medvedev. “I can play tennis, and if something doesn’t go well, then you can lose, so it’s a pressure on myself that you can feel during the match.”
Medvedev is joined in St. Petersburg by a stellar field of ATP Tour stars. The 32-man draw features five members of the Top 20 with each of the eight seeds present in the Top 30 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.
“Judging by the draw, the lineup is very strong… I [have] got a difficult draw, but sometimes it’s better to start a tournament with tough opponents,” said Medvedev. “I will have to show my best game at the tournament from the get-go. In any case, I always have a philosophical attitude towards the draw. I can’t change its results, so I am just preparing for my next opponent. I hope to show a good [level of] tennis.”
Medvedev will open his title bid against former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet. The Frenchman is making his return to St. Petersburg 11 years after losing in the first round to Marat Safin on his tournament debut.
Seven-time tour-level titlist Medvedev will be attempting to claim his first win against Gasquet in his second ATP Head2Head contest against the 34-year-old. Gasquet won their only previous encounter 6-0, 6-3 at the 2018 Open Sud de France in Montpellier.
“I will try to train as much as possible to prepare for the tournament… It seems to me that two or three days are enough to be ready to play the tournament when you are switching from clay to hard, so I feel that I am ready. [We] will see during the matches but I think I’ll be 100 per cent ready.”
Roger Federer hails his “greatest rival” after Rafael Nadal equals his record of 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles in devastating fashion.
Rafael Nadal produces one of his finest French Open displays to stun Novak Djokovic and equal Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam men’s titles.
Rafael Nadal sensationally won a historic 13th Roland Garros crown under a closed roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday, which also marked his 100th match win at the clay-court major championship.
The Spaniard superstar won a tactical masterclass against World No. 1 and 2016 titlist Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to capture a record-equalling 20th major single trophy, to drawing level with all-time leader Roger Federer.
Nadal combatted Djokovic’s ploy to drop shot and force the Spaniard into the net, with groundstroke depth and a willingness to strike forehand winners on the run to keep the World No. 1 behind the baseline. Through two sets, Nadal had committed just eight unforced errors to put Djokovic under extreme pressure in their 56th ATP Head2Head meeting.
Djokovic first-serve winning percentage improved significantly in a high-quality third set, from as low as 30 per cent in the first set, and he became a different player when he broke Nadal for the first time at 2-3. Djokovic started to mix up his tactics and, on occasion, serve and volleyed, but struck his fourth double fault at 5-5, 30/40, to hand Nadal’s a golden chance for his historic victory in Paris. Nadal finished with an ace, his third of the encounter.
Nadal’s victory in their ninth Grand Slam championship final was his first over Djokovic since May 2019 in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final in Rome. The 34-year-old, who improves to a 22-4 record on the 2020 season, is now just one match win away from becoming the fourth player to record 1,000 career victories — and joining Jimmy Connors (1,274), Federer (1,242) and Ivan Lendl (1,068).
Djokovic, who had been attempting to clinch his 18th major crown, is now 37-2 on the season, which includes four titles at the Australian Open (d. Thiem), the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (d. Tsitsipas), the Western & Southern Open held in New York (d. Raonic) and Rome (d. Schwartzman).
FIRST SET
Djokovic’s slice and drop shot was a real weapon, initially, and he led 40/15 in the opening game, but Nadal played close to the lines and worked his way back to break, courtesy of a backhand wide down the line. Nadal settled, appearing to consistently target Djokovic’s backhand to open up the court. The Spaniard’s early sharpness reaped dividends with a second service break for a 3-0 advantage, when Djokovic hit a crosscourt backhand into the net at 30/40.
In a huge fourth game, Nadal dug deep to save three break points through sheer variation of his groundstrokes, forcing Djokovic each time to run the width of the court. Djokovic led 40/15 in his next service game, but Nadal won four straight points and took a 5-0 lead, with a powerful backhand winner on his third break point.
Interestingly, both times Nadal hit a drop shot in the first set, Djokovic re-dropped and won the point. Djokovic, who set the tone with four drop shots in the first game, hit three of his 11 drop shots in the net. In total, Djokovic seven of 11 points in which he hit a drop shot, while Nadal was 0-2 in first set.
SECOND SET
There was no let up for Djokovic, who won 30 per cent of his first-serve points in the first set and came under extreme pressure in the first game of the second set. He managed to save three break points and it appeared a big psychological hold, but Nadal was ruthless on the run in Djokovic’s next service game at 1-1. A sensational backhand slice winner from inside the service box across Djokovic, who hit a drop shot, gave Nadal a third break point.
Nadal broke when Djokovic struck a backhand into the net and soon took a double-break advantage, with a 4-1 lead after a routine forehand from Djokovic bounced off the net and wide. In the sixth game of the second set, Djokovic’s seventh service game, he did not face a break point for the first time. But Nadal wasn’t to be denied, closing out the 47-minute set on his third set point.
Through two sets, 18 of the 21 drop shots in the match have come off the backhand wing. Nadal has hit three drop shots, and lost all three points. Djokovic won four of seven drop shots in the second set.
THIRD SET
Djokovic’s first serve percentage improved, up to 51 per cent in the third set, but mistakes continued to cost the Serbian, who was broken to love at 2-2 after two consecutive forehands errors. Minutes later, Djokovic converted his second break point with a backhand approach winner behind Nadal, for his first service break of the match. The World No. 1 sparked into life, appearing quicker up the court and laterally to wide groundstrokes. On occasion, Djokovic serve and volleyed, but Nadal remained calm and took care of his own serves. Just as the set appeared to be heading to a tie-break, Djokovic struck his fourth double fault to hand Nadal an opportunity to serve for a historic victory.
When Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal step onto Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday, they will be contesting one of the most important matches in their storied ATP Head2Head rivalry.
The top two players in the FedEx ATP Rankings have battled for the biggest titles on the grandest stages in the sport since their first meeting at this event in 2006, but their eighth clash on the Parisian terre battue (Nadal leads 6-1) and their 56th ATP Head2Head encounter (Djokovic leads 29-26) has added importance. Both men are chasing Grand Slam history.
Here’s how to watch from 3pm CEST/9am EDT
On one side of the net, Djokovic is aiming to become the first man in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slam titles on multiple occasions. A win would also see him move just one major title away from Nadal and two behind record holder and 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.
“I’ve played [Rafa] more than I [have] played any other player in my professional career,” said Djokovic. “Our head-to-head is the biggest head-to-head ever in the history of the sport. The amount of matches we played is almost 60 matches… He’s definitely my greatest rival.”
For the first time, Nadal is one win away from equalling Federer’s Grand Slam titles record. The 19-time major titlist will be aiming to add a record-extending 13th Roland Garros crown to his collection and become the first player to win 100 matches at Roland Garros (99-2).
”To play against Novak, I need to play my best. Without playing my best tennis, [the] situation is very difficult,” said Nadal. “I know this is a court that I have been playing well [on] for such a long time, so that helps. But at the same time, he has an amazing record here too, being in the final rounds almost every single time.”
Grand Slam Titles Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | Titles |
| 1 | Roger Federer | 20 |
| 2 | Rafael Nadal | 19 |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic | 17 |
| 4 | Pete Sampras | 14 |
| 5 | Roy Emerson | 12 |
In the early stages of their rivalry, Nadal owned a clear edge. The Mallorcan dominated the centre of the court with his forehand and used his greater experience to claim 14 victories from his opening 18 clashes against Djokovic.
In recent times, Djokovic has mirrored that record. The Serbian has won 14 of their 18 most recent contests by imposing his brand of tennis on Nadal. Djokovic has improved his serve, which has helped push Nadal behind the baseline and into defensive positions. The World No. 1 has also used his backhand to great effect, taking Nadal’s heavily spun forehand in his stride and firing the ball crosscourt and down the line with high levels of consistency.
”[He] is one of the toughest opponents possible. But I am here to keep trying my best,” said Nadal. “I like to play in this scenario. I know I have to make a step forward. I think I did one [on Friday]. But for Sunday [it] is not enough. I need to make another one. That’s what I’m looking for. I [am] going to work hard to try to make that happen.”
Conditions have often played a key part in the outcome of Djokovic and Nadal’s matches. Djokovic has dominated his rival on hard courts, winning all of their past nine meetings on the surface in straight sets.
But Nadal owns the crucial advantage on clay. The 12-time champion holds a 17-7 record against his rival on the dirt, including wins in their past three meetings on the surface at ATP Masters 1000 events in Rome and Madrid.
Due to the tournament’s position in the calendar this year, the cold conditions in Paris could influence the pair’s record-equalling ninth major final. Djokovic and Nadal both own four victories against each other in Grand Slam championship matches.
“We all know that the conditions and the circumstances are obviously different from what we are used to. It’s going to be interesting to see how his game and my game match up, how it all plays out on Sunday,” said Djokovic.
“Depending on what the temperature is as well. That affects a lot the court, whether it’s heavy, not bouncing much, slippery, windy. All these things can affect I think both of us mentally and our games.”
En route to the quarter-finals, Djokovic claimed four straight-sets victories and spent just seven hours and 32 minutes on court. In his past two matches against Pablo Carreno Busta and Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2016 champion needed a combined seven hours and four minutes to reach his fifth Roland Garros final (1-3).
Despite struggling with neck and shoulder issues against Carreno Busta, Djokovic expressed confidence on Friday that he would have no issues recovering in time for his third Roland Garros final against Nadal (Nadal leads 2-0).
“I’m not feeling exhausted physically so much after tonight’s match, obviously [the match lasted] almost four hours,” said Djokovic on Friday. “It was a great battle. But I feel fine. I think a day and a half will be plenty of time for me to recover. I’m really looking forward to a great battle with Rafa.”
Nadal’s path to the final has been more straightforward. For the sixth time, the second seed has made it to the final in Paris without dropping a set. But Nadal has still been tested during the event. In the third set of his semi-final clash against Diego Schwartzman, the 34-year-old twice surrendered a break advantage and was forced to save three break points serving at 5-5.
“Going through these moments playing that aggressive with the forehand, knowing that you can have success like this, makes me feel positive and makes me feel confident. That helps, of course, for the future,” said Nadal.
As one of only two men to have defeated Nadal at Roland Garros, alongside Sweden’s Robin Soderling, Djokovic will use his straight-sets win against Nadal in the 2015 quarter-finals for inspiration. With a 37-1 record this year, the top seed is in peak form. The question is, can he rise to the occasion and overcome one of the biggest challenges in sport for the second time?
“I’m in the last match of the tournament, playing against the biggest rival, the biggest obstacle and challenge that you can have. This is what it comes down to,” said Djokovic.
“I’ve been there. I’ve done it. I understand what needs to be done and how I need to prepare myself. I’m looking forward to it.”
Not only do Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic play for the French Open title on Sunday – they also jockey for position in the race to be the man with the most Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will meet for a record 56th time in their ATP Head2Head series on Sunday in the Roland Garros final. History is on the line for both, as Djokovic is trying to become the first man in the Open Era to complete two Career Grand Slams, and Nadal is attempting to tie Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 major titles.
Before the highly anticipated clash, ATPTour.com looks at stats you need to know about how the legends have performed at Roland Garros this year, their historic rivalry and more.
Djokovic & Nadal: Stats At 2020 Roland Garros
Second seed Nadal has been opportunistic this year on the Parisian terre battue, converting 38 of his 48 break points (79.2%). Entering the match, the Spaniard’s career break point conversion rate was 45 per cent.
| Novak Djokovic | Stat | Rafael Nadal |
| 74.8% | 1st-Serve Winning % | 71.1% |
| 52.8% | 2nd-Serve Winning % | 63.4% |
| 248 | Winners | 181 |
| 183 | Unforced Errors | 135 |
| 53.2% | Break Points Won | 79.2% |
| 79.6% | Break Points Saved | 74.1% |
Djokovic and Nadal both reached the quarter-finals without losing a set. Nadal continued his clean run with two more straight-sets victories to make his 13th final, but Djokovic needed four sets against Pablo Carreno Busta in the last eight and five sets against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals.
| Novak Djokovic | Stat | Rafael Nadal |
| 18 | Sets Won | 18 |
| 3 | Sets Lost | 0 |
| 121 | Games Won | 110 |
| 59 | Games Lost | 46 |
| 67.2% | Games Won % | 70.5% |
Inside The Djokovic-Nadal Rivalry: Five Fast Facts
– The winner of the first set has won their past 13 matches. The player who has earned the first set is 48-7 overall.
– One of the seven times a player has come from a set down in their rivalry came in the 2014 Roland Garros final, which Nadal won in four sets.
– Nadal (99-2) and Djokovic (74-14) are No. 1 and No. 2 in Roland Garros wins, respectively.
– This is Djokovic and Nadal’s first Roland Garros clash since 2015, won by Djokovic in straight sets. Nadal won their other six battles at this tournament.
– Djokovic has won 10 of their past 13 meetings, with nine of those victories coming in straight sets.
Djokovic vs. Nadal: Records
| Novak Djokovic | Matches | Rafael Nadal |
| 29 | ATP Head2Head Series | 26 |
| 6 | Grand Slams | 9 |
| 4 | Grand Slam Finals | 4 |
| 15 | Tour-Level Finals | 11 |
| 7 | Clay | 17 |
| 1 | Roland Garros | 6 |
Sunday’s final will have historic repercussions. Nadal could tie Federer’s all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles with a victory. The Spaniard has never been tied with the Swiss on this leaderboard.
Grand Slam Titles (all-time) Depending On Sunday’s Result
| With Nadal Win | With Djokovic Win |
| T1) Rafael Nadal – 20 | 1) Roger Federer – 20 |
| T1) Roger Federer – 20 | 2) Rafael Nadal – 19 |
| 3) Novak Djokovic – 17 | 3) Novak Djokovic – 18 |
| 4) Pete Sampras -14 | 4) Pete Sampras – 14 |
| 5) Roy Emerson -12 | 5) Roy Emerson – 12 |
Djokovic and Nadal will be playing each other in a record-tying ninth Grand Slam final (tied 4-4). The only other rivals to do that are Nadal and Roger Federer.
Most Grand Slam Singles Finals (Open Era)
| Players | Slam Finals | H2H Record |
| Djokovic vs. Nadal | 9* | 4-4 |
| Federer vs. Nadal | 9 | Nadal 6-3 |
| Djokovic vs. Murray | 7 | Djokovic 5-2 |
| Agassi vs. Sampras | 5 | Sampras 4-1 |
| Djokovic vs. Federer | 5 | Djokovic 4-1 |
| Lendl vs. Wilander | 5 | Wilander 3-2 |
*includes Sunday’s final
This will be the pair’s third Roland Garros championship clash. Nadal triumphed in 2012 and 2014, emerging victorious in four sets on each occasion.
Most RG Singles Finals (Open Era)
| Players | RG Finals | H2H Record |
| Federer vs. Nadal | 4 | Nadal 4-0 |
| Djokovic vs. Nadal | 3* | Nadal 2-0 |
| Borg vs. Vilas | 2 | Bord 2-0 |
| Laver vs. Rosewall | 2 | Tied 1-1 |
| Lendl vs. Wilander | 2 | Tied 1-1 |
| Nadal vs. Thiem | 2 | Nadal 2-0 |
*includes Sunday’s final
Djokovic and Nadal have met a record 55 times, and their battle in Paris will be a record 27th tour-level final meeting between two rivals.
Most Tour-Level Singles Finals (Open Era)
| Players | Slam Finals | H2H Record |
| Djokovic vs. Nadal | 27* | Djokovic 15-11 |
| Federer vs. Nadal | 24 | Nadal 14-11 |
| Djokovic vs. Federer | 20 | Djokovic 14-6 |
| Djokovic vs. Murray | 19 | Djokovic 11-8 |
| Lendl vs. McEnroe | 17 | McEnroe 10-7 |
*includes Sunday’s final
Nobody has beaten Nadal at majors more than Djokovic and vice versa. The Serbian is pursuing his seventh Slam victory against the lefty, and the Spaniard is trying for his 10th major win against the World No. 1.
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