A Grand Slam devoid of 'Fedal': Roger Federer's retirement means that only one major has never witnessed his rivalry with Rafael Nadal

The iconic rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal produced many matches at the Grand Slam level that will be remembered for ages. Right from their 2008 Wimbledon final to their 2017 Australian Open final, the legendary men's tennis duo were at the heart of some of the greatest moments in tennis history.

However, there is one Grand Slam tournament that has never seen a match between the two players, and with Federer set to retire from the sport next week, the 'Fedal' rivalry will never kickstart at that particular Major.

Federer and Nadal never faced each other at the US Open in their head-to-head record of 40 matches on the ATP tour and at the Grand Slam level. The Swiss player won five US Open titles, all in consecutive years from 2004-08, while the Spaniard has won four US Open titles so far -- in 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2019.

While they both played and won those titles in the peak years of their rivalry, interestingly, they never faced each other at the New York Major.

Their first-ever contest was at the Miami Open in 2004, where Nadal won 6-3, 6-3. They faced each other for the first time at a Grand Slam at the 2005 French Open, where Nadal again won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Their 40th and final match was in the semifinals of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, where Federer emerged victorious, 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. They played 6 five-set matches against each other, with both players winning three matches each.

The Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry at the other Grand Slams

Day Eleven: The Championships - Wimbledon 2019

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played against each other four times at the Australian Open, with Nadal winning three of their four matches. Their first match at the Melbourne Major, which Nadal won 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2, and their final match there, which Federer won 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, are regarded among the greatest Grand Slam matches of all time.

At the French Open, they faced each other six times and Nadal won all six of those matches. They never played a five-setter at Roland Garros. 14-time French Open champion Nadal won four of their matches in Paris in four sets and won the other two matches in straight sets.

The duo played four other Grand Slam matches at Wimbledon. The Swiss player won the 2006 Wimbledon final in four sets and the 2007 final in five sets, while Nadal clinched the 2008 Wimbledon final against his great rival with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 win. The 2008 final is regarded by many as the greatest match ever in men's tennis history. The Swiss great then won their 2019 Wimbledon meeting in four sets.

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