Greatest Rivalries in Tennis History: A look-back on the most compelling rivalries in the sport

Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal

We think this seems like an obvious starting point. One of the most storied rivalries in men’s tennis history, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are two of the finest champions and athletes of their generation.

This fearsome duo contested 60 matches on the ATP Tour, and many of them were gladiatorial slug-fests. Remember the Australian Open final in 2012? That was the longest match in the Grand Slam tournament’s history, spanning over five hours, well five hours and 53 minutes to be precise.

Both excelled across surfaces with Nadal the undisputed clay king (14 French Open titles) and countless other Masters wins on the red dirt. Djokovic, in the meantime, shone on hard, and he’s still chasing an unprecedented 25 Grand Slam titles which would take him clear on his own ahead of Margaret Court.

Djokovic is also one of the highest-paid tennis players, and his 2024 earnings took him to $37.4 million, with Carlos Alcaraz top of the pile.

Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are two of the game’s most loved players. Fiercest of competitors on the court, they were good friends off it. They have also contested a few exhibition matches together, and at the Rod Laver Cup in 2022, there was that memorable shot of Federer crying on camera after his retirement was confirmed shortly before the team tournament between Europe and the Rest of the World at London’s 02 Arena.

These two contested 40 matches over their long and distinguished careers. Federer dominated the exchanges in the early years as Nadal was finding on his feet on the Tour.

Perhaps one of our most cherished memories of this rivalry was the 2008 Wimbledon final. Due to rain delays, this match lasted seven hours, but it was an epic. It proved to be the last of three successive Wimbledon finals between two players, and Nadal dethroned Federer after the Swiss maestro won five on the trot from 2003-2007. It was also sweet revenge for the Spaniard, who lost in the final in 2006 and 2007.

Federer has enjoyed travelling the world following his retirement in 2022, and he has business interests too. Nadal, meanwhile, only walked away from the game at the end of 2024, so it will be fascinating to see what he does.

John McEnroe vs Bjorn Borg

The late 1970s and early 1980s were characterised by one of the most compelling rivalries involving John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.

They were polar opposites; McEnroe was the hot-headed and volatile American, while Borg was the ice-cold Swede who always seemed to have things under control. Although they only played 14 matches, they usually came up against each other in semi-finals or the final.

McEnroe won the last three finals they faced in a row including the 1981 Wimbledon and US Open finals. The sudden retirement of Borg at the age of 26 in 1983 will have left many fans reeling, but Borg himself didn’t seem to mind too much when he packed it in.

Chris Evert vs Martina Navratilova

These two featured in a BBC tennis documentary called “Gods of Tennis”, and that seems appropriate.

Navratilova shaded the rivalry 43-37, and the left-hander was formidable on hard and grass, while Evert dominated on clay 11-3. Indeed, this rivalry spanned two decades (1970s and 1980s), so it had longevity.

They faced each other in 14 Grand Slam finals with seven of them coming at Wimbledon. Both wound up with over 300 career singles titles between them, but Navratilova was also a force of nature in doubles. During her career, she won a total of 59 Grand Slam titles (18 singles and 41 doubles) reflecting her enormous impact on the sport.