Rafael Nadal’s impressive head-to-head record on the ATP Tour highlights his dominance over some of the sport’s finest players. He’s remarkably bested Roger Federer 24 times out of 40 encounters, leads against Andy Murray by 17 to 7, and holds a slight edge of 2-1 against the budding star Carlos Alcaraz.
Let’s take a closer look at the extensive list of Nadal’s head-to-head battles throughout his storied career.
One of Nadal’s most notable achievements is his head-to-head against fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. They’ve clashed 32 times, with Nadal emerging victorious in 26 of those matchups. But perhaps even more striking is his clean sweep against Richard Gasquet, whom he has beaten all 18 times they’ve met.
To illustrate Nadal’s dominance against select opponents, consider these stats: he’s won 19 out of 22 matches against Stan Wawrinka and boasts a 20-4 record against Tomas Berdych. Other players like Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro have also felt the full brunt of Nadal’s prowess more than a dozen times each, with 17-3 and 15-1 records, respectively.
However, not every opponent has bowed to Nadal’s excellence. Novak Djokovic, for instance, tilts the record 31-29 in his favor, making him one of the few with more wins. Lesser-known players like Dominik Hrbaty (1-3), Alex Corretja, and Dustin Brown also have the upper hand against Nadal, albeit with fewer encounters.
It’s interesting to note that Djokovic, Federer, and Murray have handed Nadal the most losses. Djokovic, in particular, has managed to defeat Nadal 30 times, a stat that underscores the intense rivalry between these two legends.
There are, in fact, a select group of 13 players who can boast of a winning head-to-head record over Nadal. This includes names like Borna Coric and Hubert Hurkacz, among others, who’ve managed to get the better of the Spanish maestro on the rare occasions they’ve faced him.
Throughout an awe-inspiring career, Nadal has gone up against 325 different players, maintaining a winning record against an incredible 302 of them. That’s a testament to his consistency and skill over the years, displaying why he’s regarded as one of the greatest to ever step onto a tennis court.
These head-to-head stats not only highlight Nadal’s prowess against a wide range of competitors but also capture the essence of his remarkable journey in professional tennis. Each match, each victory, and even those few defeats contribute to the legend of Rafael Nadal, a beacon of excellence in the sport.
