Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played each other a total of 40 times on the ATP Tour with Rafa leading their H2H 24-16 and 6-3 in grand slam finals.
The last time Federer and Nadal played each other was in the semifinals of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships with Roger winning the match in 4 sets (7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4).
As the Federer vs Nadal rivalry will probably go down as one of the best rivalries in tennis history, I thought it would be good to have a look at the stats from their 40 match rivalry.
Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal H2H Stats
Head to Head at the Grand Slams
Nadal and Federer played each other a total of 14 times in grand slam tournaments with Rafa leading their grand slam H2H 10-4, and 6-3 in finals.
Of the 14 matches they played, nine of the matches were in a final with the remaining five matches being a semi-final.
In total, they played each other four times at the Australian Open (2009, 2012, 2014, and 2017), six times at the French Open (2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2019), and four times at the Wimbledon Championships (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2019).
Despite playing each other 14 times in grand slam tournaments, they never met each other at the US Open In New York.
| Year | Grand Slam | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Wimbledon | Semi-Final (or “SF”) | R.F | 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2019 | French Open | SF | R.N | 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2017 | Australian Open | Final (or “F”) | R.F | 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2014 | Australian Open | SF | R.N | 7-6, 6-3,6-3 |
| 2012 | Australian Open | SF | R.N | 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2011 | French Open | F | R.N | 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 |
| 2009 | Australian Open | F | R.N | 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 2008 | Wimbledon | F | R.N | 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 |
| 2008 | French Open | F | R.N | 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 |
| 2007 | Wimbledon | F | R.F | 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 |
| 2007 | French Open | F | R.N | 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2006 | Wimbledon | F | R.F | 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 2006 | French Open | F | R.N | 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2005 | French Open | SF | R.N | 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
Head to Head by Surface
Out of the 40 times, they played each other, four of the matches have been played on grass, 16 have been played on clay, and 20 have been played on a hard court.
Head to Head on Grass
Rafa and Roger played each other four times on grass (all at Wimbledon) with Roger leading the H2H on grass 3-1.
The one match where Rafa beat Roger on grass was in the 2008 Wimbledon final which is widely regarded as one of the best tennis matches of all time.
| Year | Tournament | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Wimbledon | SF | R.F | 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2008 | Wimbledon | F | R.N | 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 |
| 2007 | Wimbledon | F | R.F | 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 |
| 2006 | Wimbledon | F | R.F | 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 |
Head to Head on Clay
Rafa the “King of Clay” dominated Roger on clay with Roger only winning two out of the 16 matches they played on clay.
| Year | Tournament | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Roland Garros | SF | R.N | 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2013 | Rome | F | R.N | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2011 | Roland Garros | F | R.N | 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 |
| 2011 | Madrid | SF | R.N | 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2010 | Madrid | F | R.N | 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2009 | Madrid | F | R.F | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2008 | Roland Garros | F | R.N | 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 |
| 2008 | Hamburg | F | R.N | 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 2008 | Monte Carlo Masters | F | R.N | 7-5, 7-5 |
| 2007 | Roland Garros | F | R.N | 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2007 | Hamburg | F | R.F | 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 |
| 2007 | Monte Carlo Masters | F | R.N | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2006 | Roland Garros | F | R.N | 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2006 | Rome | F | R.N | 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 |
| 2006 | Monte Carlo Masters | F | R.N | 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2006 | Roland Garros | SF | R.N | 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
Head to Head on Hard Courts
They played each other a total of 20 times on hard courts (indoor and outdoor) with Roger leading their hard court H2H 12-8.
The 20 matches do not include a walkover Roger received when Rafa pulled out of the 2019 ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells.
| Year | Tournament | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Shanghai Masters | F | R.F | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2017 | Miami | F | R.F | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2017 | Indian Wells | Round of 16 | R.F | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2017 | Australian Open | F | R.F | 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2015 | Basel | F | R.F | 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 |
| 2014 | Australian Open | SF | R.N | 7-6, 6-3,6-3 |
| 2013 | ATP Finals | SF | R.N | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2013 | Cincinnati | Quarter-Final | R.N | 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2013 | Indian Wells | Quarter-Final | R.N | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2012 | Indian Wells | SF | R.F | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2012 | Australian Open | SF | R.N | 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2011 | ATP Finals | Group Stage | R.F | 6-3, 6-0 |
| 2011 | Miami | SF | R.N | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2010 | ATP Finals | F | R.F | 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 2009 | Australian Open | F | R.N | 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 2007 | Tennis Masters Cup | SF | R.F | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 2006 | Tennis Masters Cup | SF | R.F | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2006 | Dubai | F | R.N | 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2005 | Miami | F | R.F | 2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1 |
| 2004 | Miami | Round of 32 | R.N | 6-3, 6-3 |
Below is a short video summarising their H2H stats:
Matches played per year
Rafa and Roger first played each other in 2004 and in total they played each other a total of 40 times on the main ATP tour.
Their last match was in 2019 in the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships.
They have also faced each other in a number of exhibition tournaments e.g the Match for Africa matches held in 2010 and 2020 but these have not been included in the stats below.
| Year | Matches | R.Federer | R.Nadal | H2H |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-1 |
| 2005 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1-2 |
| 2006 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3-6 |
| 2007 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6-8 |
| 2008 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6-12 |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7-13 |
| 2010 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8-14 |
| 2011 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9-17 |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10-18 |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 10-22 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10-23 |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11-23 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11-23 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 15-23 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15-23 |
| 2019 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 16-24 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16-24 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16-24 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16-24 |
Below are match highlights from probably their most famous match at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Nadal beat Federer at Wimbledon?
Rafa beat Roger in the 2008 Wimbledon Final in five sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7).
How many times did Federer beat Nadal at Wimbledon?
Roger beat Rafa at Wimbledon in the 2006 and 2007 finals, and in 2019 semifinals).
When did Nadal and Federer first play each other?
Their first match was in a round of 32 match at the Miami Open tennis tournament in 2004, with Rafa winning the match in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.
Have Nadal and Federer ever played each other in the US Open?
No, The US Open is the only grand slam where Roger and Rafa have not played each other.
Who has won more Grand Slam titles?
Rafa has won 22 grand slam titles which is two more than Roger won.
Who has won more Masters 1000 titles?
Rafa has won 36 Masters 1000 titles while Roger has won a total of 28.
Who has won more ATP career titles?
Is Nadal or Federer the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)?
There is no easy answer to this question. You have to wait until Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have all finished their playing careers then you can make a better judgment on who really was the GOAT.
Did Federer and Nadal ever play doubles together?
Yes, they played doubles together for the Europe team in the 2017 and 2022 Laver Cups. Roger and Rafa beat Sam Querrey and Jack Sock 6-4, 1-6, 10-5 in the doubles match on day 2 of the event, with Team Europe going on to win the 2017 Laver Cup 15-9. They also paired up for the 2022 Laver Cup in London where they lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in the doubles on day 1 of the event.
Is Federer or Nadal taller?
Roger and Rafa are the exact same height (1.85m/6ft 1in).