It's like watching a war. I love the Federer vs Nadal rivalry, but Djokovic vs Nadal is like two gladiators fighting to the death. Like you know they're going to put it all in every single shot until the other crumbles.
Look at the play from 10:40. That is why I told Matt (Coffee Tennis) that drop shots hardly worked against Nadal, back in the day. He was just too quick. And even today Nadal still does a good job of getting to most drop shots.
It's easily understandable that Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Thiem (which all are great players by the way) struggle so much to beat these dudes. This quality is insane
@@goderer2057 ofcourse. 2007 to 2009 Djokovic played some of his best offensive tennis ever. Had serve, huge forehands and backhands, Had brilliant coverage, amazing footspeed. Complete dream of soon to be a great tennis player.
@@anniechan9922 agreed. Too much of a fighter really. No let up. Always interesting to watch Nadal vs Djokovic matches from 2006 to 2009. They both played like they had everything to prove and whole was theirs to take over. Lovely kids. Miss those times. Djokovic used to tear the ball with his huge forehands and was so quick on the court
Oh my what an absolutely brilliant match that was. Such a hidden gem. A ridiculous level of quality from both beasts. Huge props for bringing out this quality match
Man!!! These two play tennis out of this world, of the level of the Gods, two Gladiators, Two immensely strong Warriors trying their level best to win. Such a treat to watch these Classic Matches, especially on the Clay courts where Djokovic has given a hard time to the king Nadal. Soo Good.!!
@@arslaanpasha3334 It was long, not insane. Both players weren't hitting the of forehands like they were hitting them in this match. It got too defensive.
it‘s a shame hamburg isn‘t masters anymore great crowd, long history and uk, usa and france already have a lot of important tournaments could have taken one off them
Yes that’s right. Its because Hamburg is the very last clay tournament in the season. Most of the players are already preparing for hard court in this week
@@HIMYMTR i think we are going of topic here ... I also dont see a conspiracy ... the other countries are acting just a bit selfish I guess and hamburg didnt fight enough or didnt know the correct people who can support properly
Djokovic having to play the clay like a hard court is unbelievable and it’s necessary to have a chance against Rafa by taking time away. Amazing match.
For me this is a much higher quality match than their Madrid 2009 clash. The latter was obviously more dramatic and it was a record breaking length, but I'd always rather watch this one for its superior tennis level.
the gold medal semi final... ha ha all of Djokovic's titles for just that one match... what a show of excellence on a hard court that is not even of the standard slam-quality by Rafa... for all the talk of one guy being a hard court specialist...it was a joy to see the clay court champ win on the most unlikely hard court... pity he could not defend that gold in london...and worse they did not let him play normally in the 2016 Rio games... just too bad...for rafa he does not have lady luck on his side unlike the rest of the 3 or 4...or 5 now...
he is a special person... of course all champs are special...from bolt to Fed...to Djoko.. but Rafa is a different kind of special... fully invested in his tennis... but gets unlucky more often than lucky...
@Kevin Smith Djokovic has always been a bigger challenge for Nadal on clay than Federer, there is no debate about it... In 2008 at RG for example, the serbian gave a correct fight (6-4 6-2 7-6) against the spaniard. Federer ? A real humiliation (6-1 6-3 6-0) 😆
Lots of tennis fans underestimate the power and excellence of 2008's Novak Djokovic. He was playing outstandingly in this whole year with aggressive forehand, explosive two-handed backhand and brilliant move.
He won AO by defeating tired Federer in straight sets + Roland Garros semi final (only lost to one of the best ever versions of Rafa at RG) + ends Rafa's 32 matches winning streak in Cincinatti + semi final of Olympics (lost to prime Rafa) + semi final of US Open (lost to prime Fed) + Wins the London Masters at the end of the year. He was a beast and I'm assuming without Prime Fedal around he could/would have won 3 slams and olympic games in Beijing that year.
Djoker fans tend to undermine their own idol's achievements in 2008 just to create a bullshit theory that Djoker was held back only due to his physical lackings which isn't exactly the case of course. Fedal were too good for him especially in 2008 n 2009. 2010 was an off year for him I agree but he started hitting his best post Wimbledon '10. Replace Fedal of 2015 with Fedal of 2008 and you'll see Djoker getting to no1 spot that year.
@@truthseekertitan3986 2009 he had shoulder injury and his serve problems startedk icking in. 2011 djokvoic>>>>>>>2008 djokovic any day of the week. Fedal wasnt too good for him. He was keeping up with them and nearly ended world nr2.
Djokovic won a set against Nadal on clay. Back in 2008 it was a worthy achievement. In 2008 Nadal won French Open, Wimbledon and Olympics back to back to back...
It doesn't matter if you have 1 or 2 or 3 breaks,if you are Federer or Djokovic or Murray when Nadal's your opponent and you are playing in clay court.All it matters is the one and only ombillibable Omnipotent Rafael Nadal from Spain.
Jesus Christ, this was a match to the death. It's just staggering how Rafa just refused to lose on clay. Truly mind-boggling determination. Well, he's the Clay God for a reason.
The reason why Novak is the GOAT is because he is all time top 3 on any surface and like 90% of the tournaments! He pushed so hard all his career to get Rafa on clay and it's amazing how Rafa managed to win on almost every big occasion except RG 2021.
@@adithyanaren519Nonsense, Nadal didn’t slow down, Djokovic just became better mentally and physically. From 2011 he changed his diet and became a different beast because he had a gluten intolerance before that which affected his stamina and breathing.
Thats the only reason why djoko defeated nadal Consistenly after 2014...Nadal lost his biggest weapon which is his Legs and speed...otherwise Nadal surely got 22 slams till now...
Who is this "they" that you speak of? I have never heard ANYONE call Djokovic a pusher, especially while being directly compared to Nadal. I happen to agree with you: Nadal plays way too defensively in way too many matches. You don't have to claim Novak is some sort of victim to support your guy.
@@anasreifhielalaoui5138 Exactly bro, but some experts know how to play clay court tennis more than Rafa apparently, or they never played tennis in their lives, which makes It understandable then
You mean the goat with 0 WTF's, less slams than Federer and weeks at number 1 than both Djokovic and Federer, losing head to head to Djokovic, known to take fake MTO's and get lucky rain delays when he is losing and at heart a one surface wonder? Fed is the goat until it gets taken away. Remember that.
Scrapping of Hamburg was a treachery. Miami should have been scrapped as there is already IW, Cincy and Uso. Scrapping Shanghai would have been bad for diversity. Clay is the most used surface in the world and poses less injury risk. 4 masters on clay and 5 on HC would have been perfect. Anyway in the next 5 years Miami shall be scrapped in favour of a clay Rio masters. South America deserves a masters.
I agree with south america deserving a masters 1000 event but I think Miami would've been tough to scrap because of how long Miami has been around for.
There are enough clay court tournaments as is. More grass court tournaments. Let's mix in a little bit more variety. These long grueling can get a bit boring.
@@natoskull2 grass is never the default surface of tennis. Hardly players train on grass. In a country like France there are not grass courts for players to train. They train at British embassy or cross the country to train. What the hell are you talking about?
novak so young and matching rafa shot for shot as early as 2008 yet he has won 1 RG since then and rafa has 9 out of 11 RGs since then. cant fathom why. probably RG court and weather conditions have some part to play.
True he could have won also if he didn't rushed.....he lost to nadal here after starting with a lead like 3-0, 40-15 then again he lost in 2009 montecarlo in 3 sets and Madrid semi the same year... He choked completely....
I mean, does Novak really challenge him? Sure, he can beat him sometimes on clay over the years, but lost every single French Open final they've played. Whereas Rafa actually won 2 of their 3 US Open finals...hard court, so much for Djoker fans calling him "Claydal" lol
@@dariusmalone740 you could say Novak challenges Rafa on clay just as much as Rafa challenges Novak on hard since they both have the same number of victories.
@@sergiosarmiento4371 I don't think Rafa has much chance when they play in Australia and Wimbledon, maybe at US Open. But hell, last time Rafa beat Novak outside Roland Garros was US Open 2013, so he didn't beat Novak outside Roland Garros for 7 years. We can easilly say- Rafa ultimate Roland Garros champion. No one will come close to repeat that, Đoković the "owner" of Australian Open and Roger as the greatest Wimbledon player, 12 finals!
For those who like to say "Djokovic" only became "Djokovic" in 2011. Pure BS. Watch this match. Djokovic was #3 in 2007 and was beating Federer even then. He won his first slam in 2008. He was already reaching peak mode then. Only reason he had losing records to Rafa and Fed was because those guys were also playing peak tennis before 2010. Once 2010 comes, Federer is 30. He can no longer reach peak on command for 5 sets and starts losing at slams. Novak is lucky his two main opponents peaked earlier than him, and one is 6-years older.
Djokovic made a mental click in 2011, that´s clear even for Roger and Rafa. He was coming from an awful 2010, and winning Davis Cup was the key to find his new level,specially in the mental department. He was beating Roger and Rafa before, but it was not the same Novak. You can be really good, but to become a great and consistent player is another step. The same situation happened to Roger in Houston Masters Cup 2003, he already had one Wimbledon, a couple of M1000 and was #3, but he really made a mental click and started his era in that tournament. And I think nobody is lucky when we are talking about the chance to be the best at any discipline. Every player builds his luck, if he can take the chances.
Djokovic was indeed really good in 2008. The main problem was not his tennis level but his lack of confidence in winning close matches against Fedal. Also he feared Rafa on clay because he wasn't yet the physical giant he became after 2011. Still, this is a crazy underated high quality match!
Sorry but Djokofam will never understand nor believe that the main reason Djokovic didn't achieve much before 2011 was mainly for peak Fedal. Most of the time they were too good for him to handle.. doesn't mean he was shite! Sure he went up a notch n became more consistent from 2011 but he was World no. 3 4 consecutive years.
After this sort of gamesmanship by Rafa...djoko's folks had a nerve to feel over-proud about their champion kid... goodness...! and djoko gathered arrogance over the years... just too bad for all of them... rest of the world cattle class against Rafa's royal class that year...
@@mickaellandry9726 AO 2019 he had a rafa that was sending short loopy balls constantly. Its easy to play aggressive when your opponent isnt playing well
Absolutely. Djokovic wasn't much worse at all pre 2011, especially in 07 and 08. He had some serve and confidence issues in 09-10 though. Nadal's level however was insanely much higher in 08 compared to, for instance, 2011.
I was thinking the same thing. Rafa is so much more aggressive now. He attacks with his forehand especially the finishing shot down the line so much more now.
So in 2011 when Nadal was 24 he was old? Also before 2011 he beat him a couple of times also.. when he sorted out his health problems with his breathing and diet he became a machine and started beating Roger and Rafa very often... don't use stupid arguments to discredit his achievments, we al know that he has surapased Rog and Rafa over the years fair and square by hard work and determination... give credit where credit is due.. he is not some avarage player,he has 17gs titles and will surpass Rog and has ALL THE MASTERS and much much more achievments... I hope to see these 3 legends playing for as long as possible🙏🏻
@@KeaneAz He clearly said,'THAT' Nadal,and Nadal had a head to head of 14-4 over Novak in 2009 after beating him in the Madrid Epic Semis, so you are dumb here for not reading it properly
These are only highlights and we don't get to see serve and consistency percentages but just off of his play in this footage I'd say that this Novak would maybe straight set 21 y/o Alcaraz on Clay if the 37 year old Nole has already done that.
5:19 Nadal hits the edge of the line for a break 6:30 Nadal shanks a forehand BADLY but it lands short on the sideline for a winner 9:51 crucial break achieved with lucky forehand smack on the baseline 11:18 forehand smack on the line to win the set 1-0 in the 3rd serving 15-40, just barely hits the line, followed by an unbelievably fortunate broken string from Djokovic, which throws Novak off for the rest of the game. Luckiest SOB the game has ever seen. Also, these babolat racquets seem like such a cheat code. You can basically arm the ball, off balance, no legs, no hips, no nothing, and hit a screaming topspin winner.
Nadal was playing attacking and defensive tennis as well. Today he is just so defensive. This Nadal will be able to defeat 35 year old Nadal where as 35 year old Djokovic and Federer would be able to defeat their prime self.
Djokovic choked so many matches against Nadal in 2008-09 ...not taking any credit from Nadal he was great but Djokovic used to go for winners more back those days than he does now.... he missed an easy smash in that Olympics semi final of 2008 against Nadal and then he choked the queens final in 2008 where he lost 6-7,6-7 and in 2009 Madrid semifinals again he had so many chances but blew away
@@mickaellandry9726 Djoker was as good as 2011 clay season level but Rafa was higher here than 2011 and that made the difference. Try n analyze game a bit rather than fanboying.
Yes, you must be the only one. Have you ever seen Rafa Nadal playstyle? He lets the opponent to attack lots of times and then he uses his forehand to beat the opponent. If you say that match was unlucky you don't know about tennis
Top 10 Nadal v Djokovic ATP Tour matches vid coming soon... which matches should be in that list and where does this one rank?
2011 Miami and 2011 Indian Wells
Please add 2007 ATP Finals Round Robin,2008 Queens Club Final,2009 ATP Finals Round Robin,2013 Canadian Open Semifinals and 2014 Italian Open Final
better ones are in Grand Slam, footage you cannot cover unfortunately....
Madrid 09 is gonna be #1
My choice:
1. Madrid 09
2. Miami 11
3. This match
4. Montreal 13
5. Rome 16
6. Queen 08
7. Monte Carlo 09
8. Miami 07
9. ATP cup 20
10. Rome 14
It's like watching a war. I love the Federer vs Nadal rivalry, but Djokovic vs Nadal is like two gladiators fighting to the death. Like you know they're going to put it all in every single shot until the other crumbles.
Look at the play from 10:40. That is why I told Matt (Coffee Tennis) that drop shots hardly worked against Nadal, back in the day. He was just too quick. And even today Nadal still does a good job of getting to most drop shots.
It's easily understandable that Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Thiem (which all are great players by the way) struggle so much to beat these dudes. This quality is insane
This djokovic could beat todays djokovic.
@@goderer2057 ofcourse. 2007 to 2009 Djokovic played some of his best offensive tennis ever. Had serve, huge forehands and backhands, Had brilliant coverage, amazing footspeed. Complete dream of soon to be a great tennis player.
@@gotimlol5318 Djokovic really should've won this match, but Nadal is too much of a fighter.
@@anniechan9922 agreed. Too much of a fighter really. No let up. Always interesting to watch Nadal vs Djokovic matches from 2006 to 2009. They both played like they had everything to prove and whole was theirs to take over. Lovely kids. Miss those times. Djokovic used to tear the ball with his huge forehands and was so quick on the court
@@gotimlol5318 This. The next gen could never do a point construction like these two had at that age. No wonder Alcaraz is gonna take over them soon.
One of the most aggressive matchs between those two legends .
08 Olympics as well
Oh my what an absolutely brilliant match that was. Such a hidden gem. A ridiculous level of quality from both beasts. Huge props for bringing out this quality match
the last game was insane
That was one of the best matches I've seen Djokovic play against Nadal (prior to 2011) and it still wasn't enough.
Djokovic failed in 10 attempts on clay against Nadal. Needed 11th attempt to win in 2011 Madrid
Man!!! These two play tennis out of this world, of the level of the Gods, two Gladiators, Two immensely strong Warriors trying their level best to win. Such a treat to watch these Classic Matches, especially on the Clay courts where Djokovic has given a hard time to the king Nadal.
Soo Good.!!
The initial days Djokovic though. He used to play with so much freedom and that used to be so exciting to watch 😍👏
That is true, but nowadays Djokovic is playing smart and that brings him titles. Latest example is match between him and Thiem...
Agreed. My favourite version of Djokovic was 2007 to 2009. His most offensive tennis.
I've never seen a better deffense than young Nadals......what a legend!!!!!
Better than their Madrid 2009 semifinal, which was just tentative, shank-y attrition.
This was fast, aggressive attrition, much more fun to watch.
i dont think so did u watch that match. That match was insane
i dont think so did u watch that match. That match was insane
@@arslaanpasha3334
It was long, not insane.
Both players weren't hitting the of forehands like they were hitting them in this match.
It got too defensive.
@@arslaanpasha3334 Hamburg 2008 (this one) is better and more fun to watch, than Madria 2009 semi
Just incredible.
it‘s a shame hamburg isn‘t masters anymore
great crowd, long history and uk, usa and france already have a lot of important tournaments
could have taken one off them
Yes that’s right. Its because Hamburg is the very last clay tournament in the season. Most of the players are already preparing for hard court in this week
should change it to hard- or grass court tournament.
Rothenbaum is a great Stadium also
@Kevin Smith shouldn't have started 2 world wars
@@HIMYMTR i think we are going of topic here ... I also dont see a conspiracy ... the other
countries are acting just a bit selfish I guess and hamburg didnt fight enough or didnt know the correct people who can support properly
it went to Madrid which is like the mecca of tennis.
Djokovic's tennis back to 2008 was so handsome!!! His serve, FH motion.
The fight for each and every point ❤️
They seem to try to fly when they hit a serve. Amazing.
12 años despue's disfrutando de este partido en plena Pandemia 2020 desde Barranquilla/Colombia..😎
@José Eduardo Gomez Vilca No es por e'so como dices...😎
@José Eduardo Gomez Vilca No entendistes porque' eres un BRUTO !...😎
You never know how good you have it while living in the moment. I certainly miss watching matches like this live on tv.
Absolute epic.
I still remember that match very well. Rafa N°2 ranking was at stake at that time, he would have lost it if he lost that match
Djokovic having to play the clay like a hard court is unbelievable and it’s necessary to have a chance against Rafa by taking time away. Amazing match.
For me this is a much higher quality match than their Madrid 2009 clash. The latter was obviously more dramatic and it was a record breaking length, but I'd always rather watch this one for its superior tennis level.
Agree
This is the tournament started the streak that supplanted Nadal to number 1 winning 2 slams and gold medal along the way.
the gold medal semi final... ha ha all of Djokovic's titles for just that one match... what a show of excellence on a hard court that is not even of the standard slam-quality by Rafa...
for all the talk of one guy being a hard court specialist...it was a joy to see the clay court champ win on the most unlikely hard court... pity he could not defend that gold in london...and worse they did not let him play normally in the 2016 Rio games... just too bad...for rafa he does not have lady luck on his side unlike the rest of the 3 or 4...or 5 now...
2008 clay rafa was too good
24:29 So calm at this point. The mentality of Nadal is the best in the world
Can't believe Nadal saved the match only with an ombilliebable forehand...
You bet
Unbelievable u meant?
No it's ombilliebable /s
he is a special person... of course all champs are special...from bolt to Fed...to Djoko.. but Rafa is a different kind of special... fully invested in his tennis... but gets unlucky more often than lucky...
I was two when this match happened and djokovic looks like he’s 10 lol he looks SO young
two ? wow, you missed out on a lot of great matches, I was 14 here, 2008 was an amazing year for tennis
@@HIMYMTR I was 7. Who watched tennis as a kid or even ?
@@HIMYMTR even teen
Ghosts of the past still haunting us today❤❤
Incredible! The Best, Rafael! 🎾🥇🏆
This was not a match. This was a WAR of attrition. It was like a symphony of placid beauty❤❤❤❤
The beautiful and deadly flow of Novak vs the precise teeth clentching grit and grind of Rafa’s topspin and footspeed! What a spectacle!!! 👌
Brilliant! Can we get the same type of video for the final against Federer?
What a match
Oh my God, WHAT A MATCH!
2007 to 2009 Djokovic played his best offensive tennis ever. What a treat
yes
What an ombeleible match! Djokovic is the only player who can consistently make Nadal fight so hard on clay
Thiem can make it .... not only.djoko ;)
But they both 99% taste the defeat 😂
@@nash687 17-7 on clay for Nadal. It's not really embarrassing for Djokovic
@Kevin Smith Djokovic has always been a bigger challenge for Nadal on clay than Federer, there is no debate about it...
In 2008 at RG for example, the serbian gave a correct fight (6-4 6-2 7-6) against the spaniard. Federer ? A real humiliation (6-1 6-3 6-0) 😆
@@ricardojasmins3443 No way. Thiem can beat Rafa only at shitty events/
25:47 I know Novak lost the match in his next shot but I love this play of faked dropshot and after that trying to hit the dropshot in his next shot.
Un pur chef-d'œuvre de tennis.
Hats off to these two guys. One of the most intense matches I have ever seen. Both have won the match😍😍
I miss Raz Ols channel ☹️
What happened to it?
@@tasmayshah5539 ATP keep blocking his video's. Even though he's promoting tennis.
what an amazing match of the 2 goats that was 2 gods playing
Djokovic is not legend at that time
Rafa should have stuck with the sleeveless shirts. It was his trademark and more intimidating to play against
won US open 2019 sleeveless
He's using sleevless from 2018 way too often bro
I BET YOU LIVE IN A BEGGAR COLONY.....YOUR CHOICE IS A CONFIRMATION.
Lots of tennis fans underestimate the power and excellence of 2008's Novak Djokovic. He was playing outstandingly in this whole year with aggressive forehand, explosive two-handed backhand and brilliant move.
He won AO by defeating tired Federer in straight sets + Roland Garros semi final (only lost to one of the best ever versions of Rafa at RG) + ends Rafa's 32 matches winning streak in Cincinatti + semi final of Olympics (lost to prime Rafa) + semi final of US Open (lost to prime Fed) + Wins the London Masters at the end of the year. He was a beast and I'm assuming without Prime Fedal around he could/would have won 3 slams and olympic games in Beijing that year.
@@theobecquet8477 No doubt. He was one of the best players at the moment. At least top 3.
Djoker fans tend to undermine their own idol's achievements in 2008 just to create a bullshit theory that Djoker was held back only due to his physical lackings which isn't exactly the case of course. Fedal were too good for him especially in 2008 n 2009. 2010 was an off year for him I agree but he started hitting his best post Wimbledon '10. Replace Fedal of 2015 with Fedal of 2008 and you'll see Djoker getting to no1 spot that year.
@@truthseekertitan3986 2009 he had shoulder injury and his serve problems startedk icking in.
2011 djokvoic>>>>>>>2008 djokovic any day of the week. Fedal wasnt too good for him. He was keeping up with them and nearly ended world nr2.
2007 to 2009 is my favourite Djokovic version, his best offensive version. Had everything. Huge forehands, backhands, serve, movement. Everything.
THE SCARY PART IS THAT DJOKER PLAYED ONE OF HIS BEST MATCHES ON CLAY.
AGAINST A HEALTHY NADAL THAT'S NEVER ENOUGH.
We talk about 16 years ago. Both with level incredibles. Amazing moves. In this same year, olympic games, semifinal. 2-1 Nadal. Another great match
Djokovic won a set against Nadal on clay. Back in 2008 it was a worthy achievement.
In 2008 Nadal won French Open, Wimbledon and Olympics back to back to back...
Do u hear the sound of racket when they hit the ball 🎾 it is just like meditation for tennis players. Also the young Rafa and Djoker were amazing.
Keshav Ahuja yeah the acoustics are great.
@Shawn haha, you have a good sense of humor bro 👍
Dang Giang more like nonexistent
The ending to this match was unbelievable! Just Wow.
This is exactly what i needed atm
Getting a ball buy Nadal especially on clay is the hardest thing in pro tennis probably..great match from both!
It doesn't matter if you have 1 or 2 or 3 breaks,if you are Federer or Djokovic or Murray when Nadal's your opponent and you are playing in clay court.All it matters is the one and only ombillibable Omnipotent Rafael Nadal from Spain.
Jesus Christ, this was a match to the death. It's just staggering how Rafa just refused to lose on clay. Truly mind-boggling determination. Well, he's the Clay God for a reason.
The balls to do drop shot on match point is crazy.
This forehand of Novak's in his early career was colossal, does so much more damage with every shot.
Yupp. 2008 version of Djokovic was scary. That forehand
@@Aman-nk5uq his stamina and mentality were lacking in 08 though gave up too easily and he had issues with his breathing
Rafa's resilience is staggering.
So calm all the time, so mature and confident
@Shawn what's even more staggering that you have a mouth that has affinity to Djokovic ass
@@truthseekertitan3986 Ha ha, Slipper shot reply,well said
So underrated!!
Japan is midnight but my eyes on match
I missed nadal playing tennis
How Rafa won that first set is beyond me. That is exactly why he's the toughest man to beat in sport on clay!
The intensity.. you can see why they won so many torunaments.. they fight for every points!
Nadal's slice always presents problems for Djokovic.
Nadal on clay. The peak of tennis! Is there anything more beautiful? Don't think so
Yes Prime Federer playing Wimbledon
@@adithyanaren519no
Yes, peak Federer on grass.
The reason why Novak is the GOAT is because he is all time top 3 on any surface and like 90% of the tournaments!
He pushed so hard all his career to get Rafa on clay and it's amazing how Rafa managed to win on almost every big occasion except RG 2021.
battle of the gods
So Novak was cool even before 2011?
Yes Rafa slowed down. Yoga is the reason Djokivic is able to fight aging.
@@adithyanaren519 and nole improved his stamina and mental game
@@adithyanaren519Nonsense, Nadal didn’t slow down, Djokovic just became better mentally and physically. From 2011 he changed his diet and became a different beast because he had a gluten intolerance before that which affected his stamina and breathing.
Rafael Nadal is just to good
And then they say Djokovic is the pusher. All Nadal does every time they play is run and defend.
That works well tho. He won
Thats the only reason why djoko defeated nadal Consistenly after 2014...Nadal lost his biggest weapon which is his Legs and speed...otherwise Nadal surely got 22 slams till now...
Who is this "they" that you speak of? I have never heard ANYONE call Djokovic a pusher, especially while being directly compared to Nadal. I happen to agree with you: Nadal plays way too defensively in way too many matches. You don't have to claim Novak is some sort of victim to support your guy.
That's clay for you mate. point construction is the key !
@@anasreifhielalaoui5138 Exactly bro, but some experts know how to play clay court tennis more than Rafa apparently, or they never played tennis in their lives, which makes It understandable then
Djokovic getting owned by the GOAT. Nothing new.
You mean the goat with 0 WTF's, less slams than Federer and weeks at number 1 than both Djokovic and Federer, losing head to head to Djokovic, known to take fake MTO's and get lucky rain delays when he is losing and at heart a one surface wonder? Fed is the goat until it gets taken away. Remember that.
@@jacobschmidt2709 Less slams than Chokovic ? You high ?
What's ur tennis iq lol, Nadal has lost 14 straight matches to Novak,who owns whom lol,first get ur info right,then comment lol
@Oliver McCall and u r barking dog like many others against Novak,fed fan for sure hahaha
King of Clay and 21 years old Novak, easily match could go to another side. Great match. Nadal too good.
Djikovic played super
Scrapping of Hamburg was a treachery. Miami should have been scrapped as there is already IW, Cincy and Uso. Scrapping Shanghai would have been bad for diversity. Clay is the most used surface in the world and poses less injury risk. 4 masters on clay and 5 on HC would have been perfect. Anyway in the next 5 years Miami shall be scrapped in favour of a clay Rio masters. South America deserves a masters.
I agree with south america deserving a masters 1000 event but I think Miami would've been tough to scrap because of how long Miami has been around for.
@Press and Hold ! Yes! Kinda dumb there isn't even one Masters 1000 on grass, when it's the "by default" surface in tennis...
There are enough clay court tournaments as is. More grass court tournaments. Let's mix in a little bit more variety. These long grueling can get a bit boring.
@@metblvette grass is a secondary surface. Don't compare clay to grass.
@@natoskull2 grass is never the default surface of tennis. Hardly players train on grass. In a country like France there are not grass courts for players to train. They train at British embassy or cross the country to train. What the hell are you talking about?
Djokovic BH's is just out of space.
and so is Nadal’s defensive ability
Rafa's movement on clay is the best the sport has seen. This includes prime Novak on grass, Alcaraz etc.
Djokovic deserve the wins in this match
Lol then why he didn’t win. Looser 😂
novak so young and matching rafa shot for shot as early as 2008 yet he has won 1 RG since then and rafa has 9 out of 11 RGs since then. cant fathom why. probably RG court and weather conditions have some part to play.
h4rder10 because Nadal at RG is the highest level of tennis in history
They're 1 year apart in age lol
so young? nadal is literally 11 months older
u guys dont even get it. i know novak only 1 year younger. novak bloomed much later than rafa.@@johnharris8872
The first match where Novak started to seriously challenge Nadal on clay.
True he could have won also if he didn't rushed.....he lost to nadal here after starting with a lead like 3-0, 40-15 then again he lost in 2009 montecarlo in 3 sets and Madrid semi the same year... He choked completely....
I mean, does Novak really challenge him? Sure, he can beat him sometimes on clay over the years, but lost every single French Open final they've played. Whereas Rafa actually won 2 of their 3 US Open finals...hard court, so much for Djoker fans calling him "Claydal" lol
@@dariusmalone740 you could say Novak challenges Rafa on clay just as much as Rafa challenges Novak on hard since they both have the same number of victories.
@@dariusmalone740 Don't forget the Olympics 2008 final 😂
@@sergiosarmiento4371 I don't think Rafa has much chance when they play in Australia and Wimbledon, maybe at US Open. But hell, last time Rafa beat Novak outside Roland Garros was US Open 2013, so he didn't beat Novak outside Roland Garros for 7 years. We can easilly say- Rafa ultimate Roland Garros champion. No one will come close to repeat that, Đoković the "owner" of Australian Open and Roger as the greatest Wimbledon player, 12 finals!
For those who like to say "Djokovic" only became "Djokovic" in 2011. Pure BS. Watch this match. Djokovic was #3 in 2007 and was beating Federer even then. He won his first slam in 2008. He was already reaching peak mode then. Only reason he had losing records to Rafa and Fed was because those guys were also playing peak tennis before 2010. Once 2010 comes, Federer is 30. He can no longer reach peak on command for 5 sets and starts losing at slams. Novak is lucky his two main opponents peaked earlier than him, and one is 6-years older.
Djokovic made a mental click in 2011, that´s clear even for Roger and Rafa. He was coming from an awful 2010, and winning Davis Cup was the key to find his new level,specially in the mental department. He was beating Roger and Rafa before, but it was not the same Novak. You can be really good, but to become a great and consistent player is another step. The same situation happened to Roger in Houston Masters Cup 2003, he already had one Wimbledon, a couple of M1000 and was #3, but he really made a mental click and started his era in that tournament. And I think nobody is lucky when we are talking about the chance to be the best at any discipline. Every player builds his luck, if he can take the chances.
He also made dietary changes (went gluten-free) which had been hindering him in 5-set matches.
Djokovic was indeed really good in 2008. The main problem was not his tennis level but his lack of confidence in winning close matches against Fedal. Also he feared Rafa on clay because he wasn't yet the physical giant he became after 2011.
Still, this is a crazy underated high quality match!
Lol sad huh?
Sorry but Djokofam will never understand nor believe that the main reason Djokovic didn't achieve much before 2011 was mainly for peak Fedal. Most of the time they were too good for him to handle.. doesn't mean he was shite! Sure he went up a notch n became more consistent from 2011 but he was World no. 3 4 consecutive years.
Tres horas aquí, tres horas al otro día con Federer. Y el tipo como nuevo.
After this sort of gamesmanship by Rafa...djoko's folks had a nerve to feel over-proud about their champion kid... goodness...! and djoko gathered arrogance over the years... just too bad for all of them... rest of the world cattle class against Rafa's royal class that year...
The most aggressive match by Djocovik that I have seen in a while
AO 2019 ?
@@mickaellandry9726 not even close
@@mickaellandry9726 AO 2019 he had a rafa that was sending short loopy balls constantly. Its easy to play aggressive when your opponent isnt playing well
RAFA !!!!!
Nadal v djokovic on clay always seems to cause racquet abuse by djokers
0:28 IQ 999
Also flexibility 999 point
Crazy to think that these 2 r nowhere near this level anymore but r still dominating. Tennis is in great hands...😪
I wouldn't go as far to say nowhere near this level but it's amazing these 2 plus Federer are still at the top 12 years later.
Absolutely. Djokovic wasn't much worse at all pre 2011, especially in 07 and 08. He had some serve and confidence issues in 09-10 though. Nadal's level however was insanely much higher in 08 compared to, for instance, 2011.
I was thinking the same thing. Rafa is so much more aggressive now. He attacks with his forehand especially the finishing shot down the line so much more now.
Nadal is better now on hardcourts than in 2008 and i think djokovic is better overall now
@@SimonJack94 I wouldn't say that, the reason why he didn't beat Djokovic in 2011 was because of his insanely high level that year.
This match shows you what an all around player Novak really is and how good his volley actually can be
Yound Nadal beat any version of Djokovic, anywhere, anytime.
So in 2011 when Nadal was 24 he was old? Also before 2011 he beat him a couple of times also.. when he sorted out his health problems with his breathing and diet he became a machine and started beating Roger and Rafa very often... don't use stupid arguments to discredit his achievments, we al know that he has surapased Rog and Rafa over the years fair and square by hard work and determination... give credit where credit is due.. he is not some avarage player,he has 17gs titles and will surpass Rog and has ALL THE MASTERS and much much more achievments... I hope to see these 3 legends playing for as long as possible🙏🏻
Ask Miami 2007 Nole, he destroyed Rafa. Even in this Hamburg match, Rafa didn't win, more like Nole lost.
Shawn 2012-2013
Stueww 2013 was 3-3, 2012 was 3-1. But 2011 was 0-6 :)))
A young Nadal would have a lack of experience and not be strong enough technically to beat a prime Djokovic. Please be more serious. the 🤦🏿♂️
I was so lucky to have watched this match live
Who watched it live?
me
That Nadal was the closest thing to an unbeatable player we'll ever see.
Are u dumb? Djokovic is beating Nadal in the head2head
@@KeaneAz He clearly said,'THAT' Nadal,and Nadal had a head to head of 14-4 over Novak in 2009 after beating him in the Madrid Epic Semis, so you are dumb here for not reading it properly
These are only highlights and we don't get to see serve and consistency percentages but just off of his play in this footage I'd say that this Novak would maybe straight set 21 y/o Alcaraz on Clay if the 37 year old Nole has already done that.
22:06 WOW😳
5:19 Nadal hits the edge of the line for a break
6:30 Nadal shanks a forehand BADLY but it lands short on the sideline for a winner
9:51 crucial break achieved with lucky forehand smack on the baseline
11:18 forehand smack on the line to win the set
1-0 in the 3rd serving 15-40, just barely hits the line, followed by an unbelievably fortunate broken string from Djokovic, which throws Novak off for the rest of the game.
Luckiest SOB the game has ever seen. Also, these babolat racquets seem like such a cheat code. You can basically arm the ball, off balance, no legs, no hips, no nothing, and hit a screaming topspin winner.
Nadal was playing attacking and defensive tennis as well. Today he is just so defensive. This Nadal will be able to defeat 35 year old Nadal where as 35 year old Djokovic and Federer would be able to defeat their prime self.
Shut up. No way grandpa Federer and Djoker would defeat their prime versions
@@Aman-nk5uq stick to cricket and shitting on the streets, you fool
Clay court tennis difficulty level: easy, normal, hard, very hard, expert, master, grand master, NADAL
Rafa and long shorts on clay = no chance! You can play your best match ever, but still he will find a way!
Djokovic choked so many matches against Nadal in 2008-09 ...not taking any credit from Nadal he was great but Djokovic used to go for winners more back those days than he does now.... he missed an easy smash in that Olympics semi final of 2008 against Nadal and then he choked the queens final in 2008 where he lost 6-7,6-7 and in 2009 Madrid semifinals again he had so many chances but blew away
Adidas Nole was totally aggressive back then. After the back injury in late 2011, he changed into defensive player.
Djokovic couldn't handle peak Fedal before 2011.. he choked coz they made him choke.
Nadal choked the 2012 AO final and 2018 W semis too
@@truthseekertitan3986 ..or because he was not yet in his prime. Try again hater 😉
@@mickaellandry9726 Djoker was as good as 2011 clay season level but Rafa was higher here than 2011 and that made the difference. Try n analyze game a bit rather than fanboying.
Lo qe era Rafa en aquellos años...no parecia humano
Un auténtico monstruo. Sólo así se puede llamar a alguien que gana 9 RG en 10 años (2005-2014)
Rafas forehand was too much for him here
5:23 Nadal fh
Am I the only one who thinks Djokovic played so much better than Nadal, but just got unlucky?
Yes, you must be the only one. Have you ever seen Rafa Nadal playstyle? He lets the opponent to attack lots of times and then he uses his forehand to beat the opponent. If you say that match was unlucky you don't know about tennis
Yes
@@oriolcarol343 He uses huge amount of top spin to be precise, to make It tough for opponent to control the ball
He was beaten by Nadal 2-6 in the final set.. it wasn't close.. but yes it was competative.
So much better????😅 No.... seems like you're confusing being more aggressive with being better overall...
Cuando Rafa ganaba defendiendo