In the 10th meeting between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, the “King of Clay” emerged victorious.
Nadal outlasted world men’s No. 1 Djokovic in four sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4), in a quarterfinal match that lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes.
Nadal got out to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker, but Djokovic worked his way back to a 6-4 deficit. On the decisive point, Nadal worked Djokovic far to his right with a backhand to set up a backhand winner down the left side that sent Nadal to the semifinals. That fourth set originally seemed destined to go to Djokovic. The top seed got off to a 3-0 lead and then held a 5-2 advantage. But the world’s No. 5 player tied the set with three straight wins and forced the tiebreaker two games later
Djokovic claimed the French Open title in 2021, only his second win in the tournament. During that run, he defeated Nadal in the semifinals, ending the King of Clay’s streak of four straight French Open victories.
Nadal will face No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev in the French Open semifinals.
The Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from the 59th meeting between two of the best players in the history of tennis. Follow along for results from the match.
Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Novak Djokovic | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 (4) |
| (5) Rafael Nadal | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 (7) |