3 interesting Masters 1000 facts about Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the three most successful players in the history of the ATP Masters 1000 series, which came into being exactly three decades ago.

Among 69 different players to have lifted a title in the tournament category, Nadal (35), Djokovic (34) and Federer (28) have the most. The trio are also the only ones to play 50 Masters 1000 finals; Federer was the first to do so at 2019 Miami, Nadal followed suit at 2019 Rome, and Djokovic completed the 50 Masters final trifecta at 2019 Paris-Bercy.

Incidentally, each player won their respective 50th Masters 1000 final. Federer in the process became the oldest player to win a title in the tournament category, while Nadal became the first to win a Masters 1000 title in 14 different seasons.

Among other prominent records possessed by the trio, who have each reached the final of all 9 Masters 1000 tournaments, Djokovic is the only one to ever win all nine at least once, completing the 'Career Golden Masters' with a win over seven-time champion Federer at the 2018 Cincinnati Open.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Nadal (384), Federer (381) and Djokovic (355) are the three all-time match-win leaders at Masters 1000 tournaments too.

On that note, let us have a look at three interesting Masters 1000 facts regarding men's tennis' most famous trifecta.

#1 Federer is the only player to play a Masters 1000 tournament in 3 different decades

Federer in 1999

Federer is the only player to play a Masters 1000 match in all three decades since the tournament category came into being in 1990.

At the 1999 Miami Masters, the then 17-year-old Swiss was thwarted on his Masters 1000 debut by Kenneth Carlsen in straight sets. In his only other Masters 1000 match in the 90s decade, Federer lost in straight sets to American Vincent Spadea - in the opening round at the 1999 Monte Carlo Masters.

The defeat to Spadea came in the midst of the worst losing streak of his career, where Federer lost nine consecutive matches.

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#2 Federer, Nadal and Djokovic lost their respective first Masters 1000 final

Djokovic (right) fell to Nadal in his first Masters 1000 final at 2007 Indian Wells

Federer fell to Andre Agassi in his first Masters 1000 final at 2002 Miami, delaying his wait for a maiden Masters triumph.

Nadal also endured defeat in his first final in the tournament category, going down to Federer after taking a two-set lead in the 2005 final of the same tournament.

Like his Big-3 peers Federer and Nadal, Djokovic also lost on his Masters 1000 final debut, coming out second-best to Nadal in the 2007 Indian Wells final.

#3 Nadal and Djokovic are the only players to lose their first 5 finals at a single Masters 1000 tournament

Nadal lost to Federer in the 2017 Miami final

Djokovic's loss to Federer in the 2015 Cincinnati Masters final made him the first player to lose his first five finals at a Masters 1000 tournament. The Serb lost previous finals at the tournament in 2008-09 and 2011-12.

Nadal followed suit by losing his fifth consecutive final at Miami, going down to Federer in straight sets in the 2017 edition of the tournament. Previously, the Spaniard had also come up second-best in Miami finals in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014.

This makes the duo of Djokovic and Nadal the only players in Masters 1000 history to lose their first five finals at a single tournament.

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