French Open 2019: 5 things you must know about Federer-Nadal rivalry

Nadal Also Leads the Way In Majors With a 9-3 Head To Head Record

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam where Federer has a better head to head record against Nadal.

Okay, so to make things simpler, we need to break their head to head Grand Slam record into three parts. The Australian Open, the French Open and the Wimbledon. Rather surprisingly, with eight US Open titles between the two, the two have never faced each other at the event despite both being present at the event on no less than eleven occasions.

While Rafa is the clear winner at Roland Garros (French Open) with a 5-0 record, Federer leads the way at Wimbledon, with a 2-1 record. Federer just opened his head to head account against Nadal at the Australian Open, with his first ever victory against his long time rival in the year's first grand slam in 2017.

While initially it looked like Federer would beat Rafa in most of the majors other than the French Open, Nadal changed this perception by beating Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon Final - his first victory over Roger in any major other than the French Open. Six months later, he did it again - beating Federer in their first ever Australian Open encounter - that too in the final.

These two victories included, Nadal beat Federer in five consecutive Grand Slam encounters between the two. It began to appear as if Nadal has a psychological hold over Federer, before the latter changed all of that by finally defeating Nadal in a Grand Slam match after ten years at the 2017 Australian Open.

Although Federer has never defeated Nadal at the French Open, Nadal has beaten Federer at least once in all the Grand Slams where they both have faced each other atleast once.