My last comparison proved to be successful, so I'm continuing this series with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. It seems that these two are the ones to choose between in the GOAT debate, so I thought it would be interesting to compare. As you know, I'm a Rafa fan, but I am blown away by Roger, and what he has achieved. Many critics say his tennis is an art, and I agree. And Rafa, well, what else is there to say?
At the moment you'll see that Federer has achieved more in terms of weeks at number 1, grand slam titles and ATP titles, but you have to remember that the men are 5 years apart. Also, when Roger was at his prime, Rafa wasn't there. It is harder for Roger to be successful when Rafa is there, than it is for Rafa when Roger is there. (Hope that makes sense??)
Grand Slam Titles
Rafa: 14
Roger: 17
Interestingly, if Rafa wins at least 1 grand slam title per year, in 3 years time he will equal Roger's record (he would be 31, two years less than Roger.)
Rafa won his first slam at the French Open in 2005.
Roger won his first slam at Wimbledon in 2003.
Two years apart in first slams, Rafa was younger.
Roger won the next 6 slam finals after his first Wimbledon victory, beating the likes of Hewitt and Roddick. Let's be honest, they're no Rafa or Novak. The person who stopped this grand slam final winning streak was (yes, you guessed it), Rafa.
Rafa's next slam final was again, the French Open which he won against Federer.
In Wimbledon 2006 and 2007 though, Roger beat him. After the crushing Wimbledon defeats in 06 and 07, Rafa beat Roger in the next 3 slam finals, Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the Australian Open.
Basically, to summarise, Roger and Rafa were virtually the only people who could beat each other. This started to change around 2010. (That's where Novak came along.)
ATP Titles
Rafa: 64
Roger: 79
On Clay
Rafa: 45
Roger: 10
On Grass
Rafa: 3
Roger: 14
On Hard
Rafa: 16
Roger: 53
First ATP Title
Rafa: Orange Prokom Open, August, 2004
Roger: Milan Indoor, February, 2001
The Rankings
Rafa first turned number 1 in 2008, beating Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Final before a Rogers Cup Title. He was only 21 years old.
Roger first turned number 1 in 2004, after his 1st Australian Open title. He remained there for 4 years, before Rafa took his place for the first time.
Weeks at No.1
Rafa: 141
Roger: 302 (the most ever)
Masters 1000
Rafa has won 27 masters, runner up to 13 of them.
Roger has won 21 masters, runner up to 15 of them.
Rafa has the highest amount of masters finals appearances (40). Federer is next.
Rafa has the highest amount of masters semi final appearances too. (55) Federer is also next.
As far as masters are concerned, Rafa takes it, hands down.
Olympics
Rafa: Gold in 2008.
Roger: Bronze in 2000, Silver in 2012.
ATP Finals
Rafa: Final (2010, 2013)
Roger: Winner (2010, 2011.) (Previously, the finals were the year end championships, he has won them 4 times.)
Davis Cup
Rafa: Win (2004, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Roger: No Swiss wins.
Win/Loss Record
Rafa: 702-137
Roger: 963- 223
Winning Streak
Rafa: 81 on Clay. From April 2005 to May 2007. Ended by Roger Federer.
Roger: 65 on Grass. From 2003 to 2008. Ended by Rafael Nadal.
Winning Percentage
Rafa has a winning percentage against every active player in the top 30.
Rafa leads Roger 23-10.
Rafa has a winning percentage over Roger: 69.7%
I find these statistics fascinating, I hope you enjoyed them too. It's easy to see that Roger and Rafa are the two best players in the last decade. (Obviously in my opinion.)
The greatest of all time debate is one that is hard to conclude, and I would honestly say they're quite equal in my eyes at the moment. What's so interesting is that because the two are 5 years apart, the records are almost similar, but Rafa is much younger. What will he have achieved by the time he's Roger's age? If injury doesn't prevent him, he could be onto something here…
Also, as Roger was at his 'prime' earlier, he played very different players. The game is a lot more physical now, and maybe it's harder to succeed. The rivalry is very interesting, especially in the early days. I can't wait to see it unfold further.
Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it!
@rafanadaladdict
Great post.
ReplyDeleteIMO Federer wins the prize as the most graceful player ever to pick up a racquet.
Re: GOAT - the jury is still out. If Rafa finishes his career with fewer than 17 Slams, the argument will probably never be resolved, in part because the players Roger has faced in Slam finals have not always been of the same caliber as the players Rafa has faced. Andrew Prochnow has a fascinating piece on that subject.
That's correct. As I stated, the game is a lot tougher now, then apposed to when Federer won the bulk of his slam titles. Even if Rafa ends up with less than 17 titles, I would still pick him just slightly over Roger.
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