Nadal v Djokovic, French Open 2006 – The first chapter of an epic rivalry
Theirs was one of the greatest matchups in tennis, stretching to 60 clashes
RAFAEL Nadal declared that he has left both a sporting and personal legacy after retiring from professional tennis this week at the Davis Cup in the Spanish city of Malaga.
The 38-year-old was beaten in the quarter-finals as the Netherlands defeated Spain 2-1 to reach the tournament’s final four.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, enjoyed a glittering and historic career over the past 23 years.
“I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one,” he told the crowd in a speech at a ceremony to honour his retirement.
“I understand that the love I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.”
Battle for the ages
Of all the competitors he faced on court during his illustrious career, it was his battles against Novak Djokovic that will be remembered by many.
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This was one of the greatest rivalries in tennis, stretching to 60 matches, encompassing Grand Slams, Masters and Davis Cups.
Nadal and Djokovic first met at the French Open in 2006 and they clashed for the final time on the same Roland Garros clay courts at the 2024 Olympics. Djokovic held a slender 31-29 lead in their meetings.
Here’s a look on the pair’s first titanic clash in Paris 18 years ago:
Second seed Nadal was the defending champion having won the first of his record 14 Roland Garros titles, and 22 majors overall, 12 months earlier at the age of 19. Djokovic, the current world No 7, was then a brash 19-year-old ranked at 63.
“I’m going out there to win, not just play,” said Djokovic who had defeated three top-30 players to reach the quarter-finals. Djokovic was hoping the French crowd would get behind him on centre court.
He had even donned a France football team shirt in his pre-match media conference hoping to tap into the national feel-good mood which would see Les Bleus reach the final of the Fifa World Cup in Germany that summer.
Unfortunately, the early afternoon start meant that most of the courtside seats were empty. Not even Nadal and Djokovic could compete with the attractions of lunchtime schmoozing in the nearby VIP restaurants.
Dressed in his white pedal-pushers, Nadal broke first, but Djokovic hit back. Nadal carved out another break for 2-1 and that was enough for the first set 6-4.
Both players exhibited mannerisms and habits which have become commonplace over the best part of two decades.
Commentators were intrigued by the number of times Djokovic bounced the ball between serves – as many as 16 times, in one instance. At the other end, cameras picked out ‘Vamos’ scribbled in pen on the heel of Nadal‘s right shoe.
The champion, shoulder-length hair kept under control by a white bandana, showcased his fussy service action, punctuated by the picking at his shorts and mopping of his brow.
In no time at all, he was a double-break up for 3-0 before Djokovic retrieved one break to trail 2-4.
In between, Djokovic had taken a nasty-looking tumble into the red dirt. He never looked comfortable again.
Nadal pocketed the second set 6-4 and three points into the third set, Djokovic retired with a back injury.
It was Nadal‘s 58th consecutive win on clay.
After the match, the Serb stunned journalists by insisting: “I think I was in control of the match. I was playing pretty well. Everything was depending on my racquet. Even with a sore back, I played equal. I could have won today. He’s not unbeatable.”
Nadal was so baffled by Djokovic’s revisionist summary that when he was asked if he thought the Serb was right to state he had controlled proceedings, he demanded the question be translated into Spanish so he could be sure he understood.
“Oh yes,” said Nadal, tongue firmly in cheek and to howls of laughter. “If he thinks that, it’s OK. I don’t need to answer.”
Many TV pundits were equally perplexed.
“Novak, do you need smelling salts?” asked bemused former player and ESPN commentator Brad Gilbert. “If you want to incite Rafa, the next time you play, he’s going to drop the hammer on you. It was heavyweight against middleweight out there.”
Gilbert was right with that assessment.
Nadal ended up winning all nine of the pair’s first clay-court meetings. It took Djokovic until Madrid in 2011 to achieve his maiden victory on the surface against the Spanish star.
Dominant in Paris
Nadal went on to win the French Open that year for the second time and defended it in 2007 and 2008.
He would sink his teeth into the giant trophy again on 10 more occasions.
Djokovic has lost three Paris finals to Nadal (in 2012, 2014 and 2020) but claimed his first title in 2016, adding the 2021 and 2023 crowns to his haul of 24 Majors.
But Djokovic had the last laugh in Paris, winning a second-round clash at this year’s Olympics en route to the gold medal, a victory that he described as his “greatest triumph”.
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