There have been some memorable rivalries in tennis, and the one between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal stands out. Between them, they have won 46 Grand Slams so far, with Djokovic leading the race with 24 titles. The two players have dominated the sport, and others have failed to challenge them in any way. One such player is Daniil Medvedev, whose coach blames Nadal and Djokovic for making things more difficult for the Russian.
Nadal and Djokovic both represent the best of tennis in terms of quality and entertainment. However, others were barely able to put up any resistance against them. Medvedev’s coach, Gilles Cervera, certainly thinks that Daniil would have won many more titles had it not been for them.
“Of course, I would like him to win more. The only thing I can say is the fact that he played all his finals against Nadal and Djokovic,” he said (via the Daily Express).
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal blamed in awkward excuse to defend Medvedev achievementshttps://t.co/FKrUEk0Bx5 pic.twitter.com/EOml0aKzhN
— Express Sport (@DExpress_Sport) December 8, 2023
Cervera, however, is excited to see Daniil play against some of the younger players, like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. He is certain his charge can do better against them. Gilles is also hopeful that Medvedev will be able to bounce back after this year’s US Open loss.
Daniil still has a lot to be proud of, as he made it to five major finals. He defeated Novak Djokovic to win his one and only title, the US Open, in 2021. Daniil has also won 20 titles across various tours and became world number one, even if it was a short stint.
Daniil Medvedev vs. Novak Djokovic in Grand Slam finals
The Russian player has made it to five Grand Slam finals in his career so far. They have all been on hard courts, with three appearances at the US Open, followed by two at the Australian Open.
The first time Medvedev faced Djokovic in a major final was at the Australian Open in 2021. Djokovic routed Daniil at the Rod Lever Arena, and he won the match 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets. It was a special victory for Novak since it marked his ninth title in Melbourne.
They locked horns once again at the US Open finals the same year. Medvedev ended Djokovic’s hopes of winning a calendar slam as he defeated the Serb 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to claim his first major title.
Djokovic and Medvedev clashed again at the US Open finals this year. Novak avenged 2021’s loss as he defeated Daniil 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 at Flushing Meadows to win his 24th title.
Daniil Medvedev vs. Rafael Nadal in Grand Slam finals
The first time Daniil made it to a Grand Slam final was at the US Open in 2019, where he faced off against Nadal. Both players went toe-to-toe, but in the end, the Spanish matador prevailed.
The match was enthralling, as it went on for five sets and Daniil fought valiantly. However, Nadal put his years of expertise and experience into thwarting Medvedev to win his fourth US Open title.
US OPEN 2019. Nadal beats Medvedev in 5 sets when Medvedev was having a spectacular hard court season.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2022. Nadal beats Medvedev in 5 sets (from 2 sets down) after 6 months off even when Medvedev is the favourite and just won US Open. pic.twitter.com/7080oDh6fl
— Vishal 🕉 (@VBG_10) January 30, 2022
They met in the Australian Open final the following year. Nadal staged the most impressive comeback of all time, as he went on to clinch the title after being down two sets. It was his second Australian Open title and one that will go down as one of the best matches in history.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have proven that anything is achievable with enough determination. With Nadal in the twilight of his career, Daniil Medvedev has the perfect opportunity to add a few more titles to his name.