Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic continue to set rivalry goals for the world of sports

Spain's Rafael Nadal ended Novak Djokovic's dream of defending his French Open title in the duo's much-awaited quarterfinal encounter on Tuesday night. Avenging last year's semifinal loss to the Serb, Nadal defeated the World No. 1 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) in their 59th career meeting, the most between two male players in the Open Era.

While Djokovic leads the overall head-to-head 30-29, 21-time Grand Slam champion Nadal is ahead in their head-to-head in the Majors with an 11-7 record.

There's quite a lot more to this unbelievable clash of titans than just stats, particularly over the last few months. It's an apparent race to become the greatest player ever that's pushing both of them to put their best foot forward at this stage of their careers.

As soon as Djokovic lifted the Wimbledon trophy last year, three of the most dominant players of the last 20 years were tied for 20 Major titles each.

With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal missing most events in 2021 due to injuries and Djokovic winning the first three Grand Slams of the year, it was thought to be only a matter of time before the Serb overtook his two rivals in the Slam race.

After losing to Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2021 French Open, Nadal didn't play for six months due to a foot injury. He underwent surgery and had a difficult recovery and rehab process, even revealing that retirement had crossed his mind.

In an unlikely comeback even by the Spaniard's standards, Rafael Nadal displayed his fighting spirit as he became the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles with his 2022 Australian Open triumph.

Nadal recorded his best-ever start to a season this year by winning the first 20 matches that he played, including three titles. His previous best was 11 wins in 2014. His dream run was hampered by a rib injury he sustained at Indian Wells, which sidelined him for about a month.

After returning to the tour in Madrid, the Spaniard particpated in the Italian Open and was seen limping as he left the court after losing to Denis Shapovalov in the third round. This was the first time since 2004 (excluding 2020 when only Rome was held) that Nadal had not won a single claycourt title ahead of the French Open.

His injury, failure to win a clay title and lack of matchplay led many to believe Rafael Nadal would falter for a second time in a row at Roland Garros. But the Spaniard proved the world wrong with his quarterfinal win against Djokovic.

On the other hand, Djokovic has seemingly lost momentum after his stellar 2021 season. The Serb was unable to defend his Australian Open title after being deported from the country due to his unvaccinated status.

He was unable to play the Sunshine Double due to the same issue and only played one event on hardcourt (Dubai) before shifting his focus to the clay season.

The Serb struggled with his form and lost to Alejandra Davidovich Fokina in the second round in Monte-Carlo. He won three hard-fought three-set matches to reach the final of the Serbia Open, where he lost to Andrey Rublev in the final.

A run to the last four in Madrid was followed by his first title of the season in Rome, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The Serb didn't drop a set throughout the tournament and replicated the same at the French Open until being stopped by a resurgent Nadal.

Although Nadal won the match, he was severely tested by the Serb, who could have forced a decider by playing a few points differently. The World No. 1 has found his form and rhythm and will fancy his chances of equalling or even moving past Nadal's Slam tally (depending on the outcome of the French Open final come Sunday).

Rafael Nadal leads the Grand Slam race despite having made the fewest Major appearances among Big 3 members

Rafael Nadal prevailed over Djokovic in their 59th career meeting

Nadal leads the Grand Slam race with 21 titles, despite having made fewer appearances than his two rivals. Federer has participated in Majors 81 times while Djokovic has competed in only 67. Nadal, on the other hand, has made 64 appearances at Grand Slams, including the ongoing French Open.

If the Spaniard goes on to win the title in Paris on Sunday, he will open up a two-Slam lead over his nearest rivals.

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Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Schedule