"It was the closest I got to beating him on clay at that point" - Novak Djokovic reminisces on epic Madrid 2009 battle with Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic recently reminisced about his epic battle with Rafael Nadal at the Caja Magica in Madrid in 2009.

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the tournament, the clash between the two players was voted by fans as the best match in Madrid Masters' history. At four hours and three minutes, it remains the longest match in ATP Masters 1000 history.

Djokovic came incredibly close to beating the legendary left-hander for the first time in nine meetings on the red dirt. However, Nadal dug deep, saving three match points in an enthralling final-set tie-break before winning 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(9).

Reminiscing about the great "battle", Djokovic said that the clash gave him belief that he could beat Nadal on clay.

"It was an incredible match, had some match points. We were rallying in one of those match points, and he hit an incredible inside-in forehand winner on the line. It always is a great battle with Rafa, particularly playing him here in his home, in his home country Spain, on his favourite surface clay. It was the closest I got to beating him on clay at that point."

Djokovic notched up his first win over Nadal on clay two years later. The Serb beat Nadal in straight sets in the 2011 Madrid final before repeating the feat a week later in the Italian capital.

"I think I had my first win on clay against him in 2011. But that match (2009 Madrid) was extraordinary. We played something like three tiebreaks. I don't exactly remember the scoreline, but every set was close. And then I started to believe that I could win against him on clay. Till that point, he was dominating our matchups."

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How has Novak Djokovic fared against Rafael Nadal on clay?

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadla at 2021 Roland Garros in a match for the ages.

Like most players, Novak Djokovic doesn't have a winning record against Rafael Nadal on clay, winning only eight of their 27 encounters. However, two of those wins have come at Roland Garros, making Djokovic the only player to have beaten the 13-time champion on multiple occasions in Paris.

After handing Nadal his only straight-sets defeat at the tournament in the 2015 quarterfinals, Djokovic recovered from a set down to beat the Spaniard in the semifinals last year in one of the best matches in tournament history. The Serb would go on to become the first player in the Open Era to win the double career Grand Slam.

Djokovic's six other wins over Nadal on clay have come in Madrid (2011 F), Rome (2011 F, 2014 F, 2016 QF) and Monte-Carlo (2013 F, 2015 SF).