Long bound for the history books, Roger Federer’s epic rivalries with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal can now be viewed in their totality as the Swiss pens the final pages of his storied ATP Tour career.

A triumvirate internationally known as the Big Three, the sporting legends have dominated tennis’ biggest stages, taking the game to an unprecedented level. The three most decorated players of all time have forged their careers in parallel, with 63 Grand Slam titles between them to date.

On his road to greatness, Federer lifted his game in the presence of his two greatest rivals. He faced Nadal, five years his junior, 40 times. He met Djokovic, six years younger, on 50 occasions.

ATPTour.com takes a look back at some key moments in Federer’s two biggest rivalries on tour.

Federer vs Nadal Rivalry

H2H: 24-16 Nadal
Grand Slam encounters: 10-4 Nadal
Grand Slam Finals: 6-3 Nadal
Nitto ATP Finals encounters: 4-1 Federer
ATP Masters 1000 encounters: 12-7 Nadal
ATP Masters 1000 finals: 7-5 Nadal
Encounters in finals: 14-10 Nadal

Some rivalries transcend their sport and it is impossible to contemplate modern tennis without Roger Federer’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal. At a time when he was the dominant force and undisputed No. 1, Federer found himself faced with a new rival with the breakthrough of Nadal, who had been ready since adolescence to leave an indelible mark on the circuit. In total, the two players met 40 times, taking tennis to new levels of excellence and popularity.

The impulsiveness of the Spaniard always provided the perfect foil to the natural talent of the Swiss, a clash of styles that produced an enticing spectacle. The speed of Nadal, a player as physically strong as he is tactically adept, contrasted with the magic hands of Federer, who was able to put the ball anywhere on the court.

Nadal never feared the great Federer, whom he beat in an unforgettable first match. On the courts of Miami in the 2004 season, before turning 20, Rafa emerged as a tactical conundrum for Roger. With a looping left-handed forehand straight to Federer’s backhand above his shoulder, the Spaniard was ready to break down the Tour’s dominant force. The Swiss, who was forced to improve his backhand wing to compete with Nadal, responded by winning the 2005 Miami final in five sets on the same stage. He got the win, but he also knew that he had found a special nemesis.

Nadal was ready to challenge Federer’s supremacy, and signs of a big rivalry came quickly. Before Federer could extend his mastery to clay, the Spaniard made sure he stamped his authority. Although the Swiss was the man to bring an end to Nadal’s 81 consecutive wins on the red dirt – the longest streak on one surface in the Open Era – Nadal was always fiercely dominant during this stretch of the season. He would take out Federer in three consecutive Roland Garros finals between 2006-08.

“If one of us didn’t exist, the other would have been more successful,” Nadal admitted. “But it’s also true that the rivalry has benefitted our international reach, because it has made the game more attractive to people. When a player wins all the time, it may be good for the player, but it’s not necessarily good for the sport. At the end of the day, what’s good for the sport must be good for both of us.”

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Having already contested two consecutive finals at Wimbledon, Nadal and Federer crossed swords once again on the London lawns for the third consecutive season in 2008. In one of the greatest matches in the sport’s history, Nadal overcame the Swiss, the champion of the grass Grand Slam for the past five years. The Spaniard’s five-set triumph confirmed that their rivalry would extend far beyond the confines of clay. A race against time had begun, it was history in the making.

By the time history repeated itself at the 2009 Australian Open, Nadal’s first major trophy on hard courts, their rivalry was in full flow. “God, this is killing me,” admitted a beaten Roger during the trophy ceremony.

When the world seemed resigned that Grand Slam finals between these two greats were a thing of the past – their last having come at Roland Garros in 2011, Nadal and Federer found themselves in the decider at the 2017 Australian Open. There, with the weight of history on his shoulders, the Swiss produced a five-set win for the ages thanks to a stinging backhand and new racquet, chosen in part to defend against the Spaniard’s forehand that had tormented the Swiss for so many years. Unexpectedly, Federer had another major, after a five-year drought, and another epic chapter against his most iconic rival.

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With impeccable professionalism, Federer resisted the passing of the years despite a dazzling career already under his belt, winning the last four finals he played against Nadal on Tour. Far from resigning himself to a changing of the guard, the Swiss’ competitiveness extended this once-in-a-lifetime rivalry.

Their last two meetings could not have been more fitting. A win for Nadal at Roland Garros and one for Federer at Wimbledon, the stages where these two legends had built the foundations of their respective legacies brought their joint masterpiece to a close.

“I’ve always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and a champion,” said Federer. “My rival for many years, I think we have forced each other to be better players. I’ve seen many hardworking and inspiring players, but in my opinion you were the most influential of all. You helped me become the player I am today.”

Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic

H2H: 27-23 Djokovic
Grand Slam encounters: 11-6 Djokovic
Grand Slam finals: 4-1 Djokovic
Nitto ATP Finals encounters: 3-3
ATP Masters 1000 encounters: 11-9 Djokovic
ATP Masters 1000 finals: 5-3 Djokovic
Encounters in finals: 13-6 Djokovic

In another epic rivalry that brought equal measure of delight and heartbreak, Federer battled Djokovic more times than any other player on Tour, with a total of 50 astonishingly intense clashes in their ATP Head2Head series. 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.

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. 1, the Serbian channelled the experience into one of the most intense assaults the sport has seen.

From that moment on, they occupied a leading role in the fight to be the best on tour, only crossing paths when the biggest prizes were at stake. The following 46 clashes that made up their rivalry included only semi-finals, finals and the Nitto ATP Finals, with Djokovic claiming a 27-23 edge overall.

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Their two semi-finals at the US Open, where the two players pushed one another to their limits in 2010 and 2011 and the stunning survival skills of Djokovic were in full effect, will live on long in the memories of tennis lovers. In both five-set matches, at one of Roger’s happiest hunting grounds, where he had claimed five consecutive titles (2004-2008), Novak dug his heels in, saving match points under the floodlights of New York.

The 2011 season was an especially intense one for both players. In one of the most astonishing seasons of all time, Djokovic extended his winning streak to 43 matches, a historic run that ended in the semi-finals of the French Open. There, with an opportunity to underline his authority, Federer came out on top of one of their most epic encounters, lifting a finger to the sky once victory was his, a reminder that the No. 1 spot was perhaps not the exclusive property of the Serb.

In a rivalry that travelled around the world, London played a vital role. Djokovic claimed the Nitto ATP Finals trophy against Roger in 2012, 2014 and 2015, a sign of both players’ ability to stand out on indoor courts, and the two would become the great modern dominant forces of the tournament that caps off the season. Roger’s final win there, in the group stage in 2019, underlined his ability to square off against the strongest players even as he approached his 40s.

England’s capital is also home to the lawns of Wimbledon, where they have produced some unforgettable battles at the most traditional event on the Tour. When Federer won their epic five-set semi-final in 2012 before reclaiming the No. 1 spot, Djokovic’s response was resounding. The Serbian is the only player who has beaten the Swiss in three Wimbledon finals (2014, 2015, 2019), conquering the wonderland that Roger had made his own.

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The last of those clashes, during which he saved two match points on the return, and which reached 12-12 in the deciding set, was one of the pinnacles of their rivalry. With a ninth Wimbledon trophy within his grasp, the defeat was arguably the toughest moment in the Swiss player’s career.

The greatest stages have provided the backdrop for their history together on court. A total of 20 ties at ATP Masters 1000 events, in which they have faced each other at every one of the category’s events bar Madrid, took their rivalry to every corner of the globe. They played finals in Indian Wells, Shanghai, Canada, Rome and Cincinnati (four times).

“We’ve played some incredible matches,” acknowledged Federer. “Whenever I go on court against him, the match is brutal. It’s exciting because it goes beyond the match, it transcends the sport.

“Novak plays perfectly on every surface. He always brings an extremely high level, to beat him you have to play your best. He moves wonderfully and I have great coordination so we are a good match for one another.

“Rivalries are important in sport. I think they help make it more popular. You always need someone with whom you can have a good rivalry. Fortunately, I was able to have one with Djokovic. We brought the best out in one another.”

Roger Federer’s tremendous influence on the game of tennis will last long after he plays his final match, his legacy forever linked with the sport. But to some, the Swiss’ greatest impact has stemmed from his charity work.

Federer has dedicated his time and resources to many charitable causes throughout his career. He formalised his efforts in 2003 with the creation of the Roger Federer Foundation, with a focus on supporting educational projects in his native Switzerland and southern Africa, the latter near to his heart due to his South African mother.

Nearly 2 million children have benefitted from the foundation’s programmes, with $70.5 million spent towards initiatives at 9,300 primary schools and preschools. By providing physical and financial assistance, the organisation aims to provide a strong educational foundation for underprivileged children and their families — a foundation which can serve as a springboard to a better life.

“I think once we intervene and we help the people, it’s that once we leave, they are sustainable by themselves,” Federer said in 2017, as the foundation approached 1 million children reached. “It could be in any field. It’s just that we have empowered them, we have made them stronger. We gave them advice, tips, helped them financially. But mostly, they helped themselves. And because of our help, now it is sustainable.”

Looking back on one particular trip during which he cooked maize with children and their families at a school, Federer recalled the excitement in the air as the participants learned such a practical skill. 

“I love empowerment, just in general. Making somebody a stronger person and then that person being able to do it on their own is a wonderful thing,” Federer said. “A little push can really do wonders and we’re going to keep doing that for years to come.”

Federer visits Malawi in 2015. Photo Credit: Roger Federer Foundation

In 2019, the foundation pivoted from its educational mission to provide critical assistance to thousands who were displaced by Cyclone Idai. All of the foundation’s six model preschools in Malawi were converted into evacuation centers, with assistance also provided to vulnerable populations in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Federer’s foundation donated $1 million to provide meals for young children and their families in Africa — feeding 64,000 disadvantaged people. Federer and his wife, Mirka, personally donated more than $1 million to vulnerable families in Switzerland.

“Now more than ever we must come together to help families in need,” the Swiss said on Twitter.

Federer has been absent from ATP Tour competition since Wimbledon 2021, but his charitable work never stopped.

While the Swiss missed out on that summer’s Tokyo Olympics with injury, he raised $4.7 million in a two-phased auction to raise funds for his foundation, auctioning off personal memorabilia including gear he wore and used in winning his 20 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.

More recently, in May 2022, Federer visited Malawi to meet children, caregivers, teachers, and parents involved with the School Readiness Programme, an initiative launched in 2020 by his foundation in partnership with local organisations. The programme is currently working with 900 community-based childcare centres, helping them collaborate with local stakeholders to push for improved access to formal early education for children living in poverty in the nation of nearly 20 million people.

“Wonderful to see that we are having a real impact on the ground with the @rogerfederer.foundation,” Federer wrote on Instagram. “Access to quality early education is crucial as it is the foundation of all learning. I am so happy I made my way to Malawi.”

Federer was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2006 after supporting the organisation when the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami struck in 2004. He also received the ATP’s Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in 2006 and 2013.

In 2010, he organised the first of six “Match for Africa” exhibitions, which saw him compete against the likes of Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka — and three times alongside American businessman Bill Gates in doubles action. He also organised the Hit for Haiti in 2010 in response to the earthquake in Haiti that year, and was part of the Rally for Relief at the 2020 Australian Open following the devastating bushfires in the nation.

The Swiss legend’s attitude towards philanthropy is best described by a quote he provided on the foundation’s website: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”

The stars of the 2022 Laver Cup dressed up on Wednesday evening to take part in the events official group photo, gathering by the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London before play begins Friday at The O2.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray were among the players who boarded a boat on the River Thames before posing by the UK landmarks ahead of the tournament.

Federer and Murray shared a joke before travelling to the Tower of London.

The event, which sees Team Europe face Team World in a combination of singles and doubles matches, was founded by Federer in 2017 and named after Rod Laver. The Australian, who won 11 major titles joined the teams for the shoot, pictured below on the boat as it passed The O2.

Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic, Murray, Federer and alternate Matteo Berrettini will represent Team Europe at The O2, with captain Bjorn Borg leading the side.

Captain John McEnroe will be aiming to guide Team World to its first victory against Team Europe. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Alex de Minaur, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock and alternate Tommy Paul make up his squad.

Before the serious business commences in London on Friday, the players and captains shared jokes and played games as they took in the London scenery.

Borg, Captain of Team Europe, Enqvist, Vice-Captain of Team Europe and Ruud of Team Europe took a selfie by the River Thames.

Djokovic and McEnroe cracked a joke before departing for the Tower of London.

Sock, De Minaur, Schwartzman and Murray played a game of cornhole to pass the time.

Murray and McEnroe caught up ahead of the start of the Laver Cup.

Tiafoe and De Minaur struck a pose in front of Tower Bridge.

Photo Credits: Julian Finney/Cameron Smith/Getty Images for Laver Cup

Dominic Thiem is showing signs of a resurgence as he continues his comeback from a right wrist injury. The Austrian won a battle of former Top 10 players against Richard Gasquet on Wednesday at the Moselle Open.

Former World No. 3 Thiem clawed past the former World No. 7 6-3, 7-6(3) to reach the second round in Metz. After advancing to the final of an ATP Challenger Tour event last week in Rennes, the 29-year-old has now won five of his past six matches at all levels.

“It was a very difficult challenge as always when you play against Richard. Also lately [he’s] played well,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “He came here in good shape, so it’s a very good sign for me, I’m very happy about it.

“After five tough matches in Rennes, to pick it up here with slightly different conditions [has been good], so I’m very happy with my first match back here.”

The No. 182 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings converted four of the eight break points he earned. He also rallied from a break down in the second set to triumph after one hour and 47 minutes and set a second-round showdown against second seed Hubert Hurkacz.

Sebastian Korda also advanced on Wednesday in Metz, courtesy of a 6-3, 7-6(6) victory against #NextGenATP Italian and No. 3 seed Lorenzo Musetti. Korda, a finalist at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals last year (l. to Carlos Alcaraz), took the opening set without facing a break point and then recovered from a 0-2 hole in the second.

From 4/5 in the tie-break, Korda won four of the final five points to become the first man to advance to the quarter-finals in the singles draw. He will face either Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego of French wild card Gilles Simon next.

After a season of hard knocks, Stan Wawrinka is building momentum at the Moselle Open in Metz.

The former World No. 3 prevailed 7-6(1), 6-2 against Joao Sousa on Wednesday in the first round at the indoor hard-court event, backing up his two qualifying wins that earned him a main-draw spot in north-eastern France. Wawrinka has struggled to find his best level since returning to Tour in April after missing 13 months due to a foot injury, but the 16-time tour-level titlist gave frequent reminders of his ability with a series of trademark clean backhand winners to overpower World No. 55 Sousa.

“It’s always difficult to play against him. We played a few times in the past, always a tough match, but I’m really, really happy,” said Wawrinka after securing his fourth tour-level main-draw win of 2022. “It’s the first time I won three matches in the same tournament for more than two years, so it’s great.

“I’m getting confidence from winning a few matches, so I’m feeling a bit more relaxed, the way I’m moving. I think the level was good from me and I’m happy with the win.”

Wawrinka also produced a high-class serving performance against Sousa, saving all three break points he faced in the 95-minute encounter and winning 83 per cent (29/35) of points behind his first serve. He will hope to find that rhythm again in his fourth ATP Head2Head meeting against top seed Medvedev. Wawrinka has won only one of the pair’s previous meetings but it was the most recent, at the 2020 Australian Open.

“It’s the biggest test,” said Wawrinka of his match against Medvedev. “He’s [near] the top of the rankings, always a tough opponent to play… It’s going to be really difficult, but I’m happy to test myself against him tomorrow.”

Roger Federer revealed that he was proud and grateful for his legendary career on Wednesday at the Laver Cup in London, where he reflected on his record-breaking accomplishments ahead of his final tour-level event.

The 41-year-old announced his retirement last week after 25 years on Tour, a decision that left him feeling bittersweet.

“You always want to play forever. I love being out on court, I love playing against the guys and I love travelling. I never really felt like it was that hard for me to do, of winning, learn from losing, it was all perfect,” Federer said in his press conference. “I love my career from every angle. That’s the bitter part [of retiring]. The sweet part was that I know everybody has to do it at one point. Everybody has to leave the game. It’s been a great, great journey. For that, I’m really grateful.”

In a historic career, the Swiss star spent a record 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings from 2 February 2004 to 17 August 2008, while he lifted 103 tour-level titles, including 20 Grand Slam crowns.

“I’m definitely very proud and very happy where I sit,” Federer said when analysing his place in the history books. “One of my big moments of course was winning my 15th Slam at Wimbledon when Pete [Sampras] was sitting there. Anything after that was a bonus. That was the record and then of course it was other records along the way… I’m very happy that I was able to win another five Slams from 15 on. For me it was incredible. Then I [won] over 100 titles and all that stuff has been fantastic.”

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Having made his tour-level debut in Gstaad in 1998, Federer has been a dominant force in the sport for over two decades. Alongside the numbers, the 28-time ATP Masters 1000 champion admitted he was proud of his longevity at the top of the game.

“I was famous for being quite erratic at the beginning of my career. If you remember, I was famous for being not so consistent. To then become one of the most consistent players ever is quite a shock to me, as well,” Federer said. “That has been a great accomplishment for me personally. People can judge if they think that’s the case too, but for me, that is something I have really enjoyed and that I have been able to stay at the top for so long and compete for any tournament I would enter and really go out there and say, ‘I hope I can win the tournament’, for 15-plus years.

“I think looking back that has a special meaning to me because I always looked to the Michael Schumachers, Tiger Woods, all the other guys that stayed for so long at the top that I didn’t understand how they did it. Next thing you know, you’re part of that group, and it’s been a great feeling.”

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Federer last competed on Tour at Wimbledon in 2021, where he advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to Hubert Hurkacz in what was his final singles match. The 28-time ATP Masters 1000 champion admitted that he was aiming to compete again next season, but his knee injury proved too challenging to recover from.

“There was a certain process that started at the beginning of the summer where you try to go to the next level in training and I could feel it was getting difficult,” Federer said. “So at that point I knew any hiccup, any setback, for that matter, was going to be the one potentially…I think tennis is a tough sport to bounce back into, because you have to be able to play long matches, five matches in a row every week, different continents, different surfaces.

“Mentally you need to know you have to be able to get all the way back there, and it’s hard. Then maybe the hardest part after that one point, of course you’re sad in the very moment when you realise, okay, ‘This is the end’. I sort of ignored it for a little bit almost, because I went on vacation and just said, ‘Okay, this is it’. This moment came shortly after I was at Wimbledon where I still truly actually believed there was going to be a chance for me to come back the next year. At what capacity, I didn’t know, but I thought it might be possible.”

Federer will compete for Team Europe against Team World in doubles on Friday in what will be his final tour-level match. Having faced long-time rival Rafael Nadal 40 times, the Swiss star admitted ending his career alongside the Spaniard on court would be fitting if they do decide to join forces for the clash.

“It could be quite a unique situation if it were to happen,” Federer said when asked about teaming with Nadal. “For as long as we battled together to having always this respect for one another, the families, our coaching teams, we always got along really well. For us as well to go through a career that we both have had and to come out on the other side and being able to have a nice relationship I think is maybe a great message as well to not just tennis but sports and maybe even beyond. For that reason I think it would be great. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I think it could be obviously a special moment.”

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With the Laver Cup taking place at the O2 in London, it gives Federer a final chance to play in a city where he has tasted so much success. The 41-year-old lifted a record eight Wimbledon trophies in the UK capital, while he triumphed at the Nitto ATP Finals twice when the event was held in London.

The 20-time major champion is excited by the prospect of ending his career in London and is grateful to have the opportunity to retire at an event surrounded by other stars.

“I’m happy to do it here in London. This city has been special to me,” Federer said. “Maybe the most special place with Wimbledon down the road and here at the O2. I just thought it was very fitting. I have always enjoyed the crowds here as well.

“Having Bjorn Borg on the bench with me for my final game resonated also in a big way with me. Having all the other guys around just felt like I was not going to be lonely announcing my retirement.”

Team Europe will be looking to capture a fifth consecutive title against Team World in the three-day event, held from Friday through Sunday.

Playing at the San Diego Open the second time, hometown favourite Brandon Nakashima won an all-American #NextGenATP battle on Tuesday night at the Barnes Tennis Center.

Nakashima earned a 7-5, 7-6(5) win against 19-year-old wild card Zachary Svajda, his good friend who hails from the nearby town of La Jolla. Nakashima saved three set points at 4-5 in the second set and failed to serve out the match at 6-5, but battled back from 3/5 in the tie-break to escape in straight sets.

“It was a very tough match, right from the beginning,” said the 21-year-old American, who surrendered a break advantage three times in the one-hour, 54-minute contest. “Zach is so talented out there, striking the ball really well. We’re good friends off the court. We practise a lot together here in San Diego, so I knew it was going to be a tough match here today.”

The World No. 69 was victorious in his first competitive match since a US Open third-round loss to Jannik Sinner, in which he won the opening set before bowing out in four. After breaking into the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rakings in July, Nakashima could rise as high as No. 44 by claiming his first ATP Tour title this week.

He reached the second round in his San Diego debut one year ago, claiming a comeback, three-set win against Fabio Fognini before defeat against Andrey Rublev at the ATP 250.

The American is seeking to improve upon his seventh-place position in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan. He reached the semi-finals in the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals before a five-set loss to countryman Sebastian Korda.

Americans Denis Kudla and Mitchell Krueger also advanced in straight sets on Tuesday. Kudla defeated Spanish wild card Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3 to open the evening session while Krueger downed countryman and fellow qualifier Christopher Eubanks 6-4, 6-4 to start the day’s play.

Japan’s Taro Daniel denied the United States a clean sweep of Tuesday’s four singles matches with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against qualifier Emilio Nava.

In doubles action, Marc-Andrea Huesler and Hunter Reese notched a 6-4, 6-4 win against Jonathan Eysseric and Artem Sitak on the stadium court, while the Brazilian team of Marcelo Demoliner and Marcelo Melo beat Max Schnur and John-Patrick Smith 6-3, 6-1 in the Grandstand.