The sport of tennis has been marked by charismatic rivalries, which have added to the narrative of the sport. Let’s take a look at some of these tremendous head-to-head battles across both the men’s and women’s disciplines.
Chris Evert vs Martina Navratilova
The Chris Evert-Martina Navratilova rivalry is the most prolific head-to-heads in all of tennis, in terms of the number of times these two legends faced each other during the 1970s and 1980s. The two of them met 80 times in their professional careers, with Navratilova leading 43-37. Of their 80 matches, 60 were title matches, in which Navratilova held the upper hand, winning 36 of them. She also had the upper hand over Evert in Grand Slam, having a 14-8 head-to-head over her long-time rival at the biggest stage in tennis.
Discussing their rivalry, Navratilova once stated that it was challenging to maintain cordial relations with Evert off the court, and the rivalry also led to the breakup of their doubles team. She said, “In the beginning, I was beating her; I was practicing with her; we were playing doubles together. Then she started beating me, and I broke up the doubles, because I felt like I was getting too close. We went our own ways. When she was coached by Nancy Lieberman, and Nancy was teaching her to hate her opponent, we weren’t getting along then,”.
Steffi Graf vs Monica Seles
A rivalry that lasted only 15 matches, but which was a pivotal one in women’s tennis in the 1990s, was the one between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. The German finished the rivalry with a 10-5 lead, but Seles was among the select few who could challenge the German’s dominance on the Tour. The rivalry was interrupted when Seles was attacked mid-match by a spectator, which took the Serbian-born player out of action. She did come back on the Tour, but lost four of her five matches against Graf since then. What always stood out was the ability of Seles to give her best against Graf in big matches, as three of her five wins against the German came in Grand Slam finals.
Seles once recounted an awkward conversation with Graf from 1991, which highlighted their underlying rivalry. As stated by Seles, “Me and Steffi don’t sit down much, we just say hi, how are you, and I ask her — I say congratulations for Wimbledon, she says congratulations for the French, and afterwards, you know, but you know, the thing that — we don’t hate each other, I mean, we have respect but we are not… I am not going to ask her about her personal life, and she’s not going to ask about mine.”
Justine Henin vs Kim Clijsters
In the early 2000s, two Belgian players, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, were forces to be reckoned with in women’s tennis. The two compatriots faced off 25 times, with Clijsters finishing with a 13-12 head-to-head record against Henin. The rivalry remained close throughout, as Clijsters led 7-4 one time, which was the biggest lead for either player in the rivalry. However, Henin had the upper hand over Clijsters at Grand Slams, winning against her at three Grand Slam finals.
Talking about their rivalry, Clijsters stated that she had forged a strong emotional bond with Henin off the court, but that did not stop her from being mad when she lost a Grand Slam final against her compatriot. She said, “There’s connections that you built with somebody that goes so much further beyond tennis, that you know, even when I lost the Grand Slam final against her, of course, I was disappointed. And I was more mad at myself that I wasn’t able to compete at a at a high level at that moment.”
Serena Williams vs Venus Williams
One of the era-defining rivalries in women’s tennis was the one between Serena and Venus Williams. In a rivalry going across 31 matches, it was the younger Williams who held a 19-12 head-to-head record. However, it was the older sister who started strong, winning five of their first six matches. Serena Williams fought back to square it up at 5-5, and the rivalry stayed close till 10-10. However, in the latter phase, it was the younger sibling who took over, winning 9 of their last 11 meetings. Together, the sisters contested nine Major finals, seven of which were won by Serena Williams.
Speaking about their rivalry on a joint podcast, Serena Williams openly admitted her conflicted emotions whenever she went up against her sister in a match, saying, “I want you to win, but at the same time, I want me to win. So it becomes a moment where you have to become super selfish, for lack of a better word, and have to really fight.”
Björn Borg vs John McEnroe
A rivalry that lasted for 14 matches, but was significant in men’s tennis, was the one between Björn Borg and John McEnroe. The rivalry ended with an even 7-7 split, with the duo contesting four Major finals, three of which were won by the American. One of the most significant matches in the rivalry was the 1981 Wimbledon final, where Borg was the five-time defending champion and had beaten McEnroe in the 1980 final. However, on this occasion, it was the American player who came up trumps, ending the Swede’s reign at Wimbledon.
Such was the passion in the rivalry that McEnroe could not find the correct motivation on the court after Borg had retired from the sport in 1981 at the age of 25. Speaking about it, he stated that “It affected me greatly for the better part of two years, I didn’t perform as well as I’d have liked to. I was mentally just waiting for him to come back and push me”.
John McEnroe vs Jimmy Connors
In a rivalry that included two generations of American tennis, the head-to-head between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe played a major role in men’s tennis from the late 1970s till the early 1990s. In a rivalry of 34 matches, it was McEnroe who finished with a 20-14 lead. However, it was Connors who had won seven of their first ten matches, and held a lead of 12-9, after which McEnroe won 10 consecutive matches against his compatriot. The two contested in two Major finals, with Connors winning the 1982 Wimbledon, and McEnroe winning the Wimbledon title in 1984.
Speaking about their mindsets, Connors once remarked, ” I think we both have the same attitudes… He’s aggressive, I’m aggressive. We both stick up for our rights. But I stick up for my rights in a different way. If I feel like I’m in the right, I’ll step up. I want some respect, not sloughing off. But there are certain limits.”
Boris Becker vs Stefan Edberg
In a rivalry spanning 35 matches, Boris Becker had a dominant 25-10 head-to-head record against Stefan Edberg. Despite having such a dominant record, the Swede had a 3-1 record against the German in Grand Slams, which included three consecutive Wimbledon finals from 1988-1990, two of which were won by Edberg.
Speaking about their rivalry, Edberg admitted that it was not just a clash of contrasting styles on the tennis court but also a clash of contrasting characters. He stated, “We were different characters. I was reserved and introverted. Boris was the exact opposite: irascible and emotional…We both played at the same time very good in Wimbledon. We inspired each other to a high level of performances. Without him I would have developed differently — and he probably also without me.”
Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi
Another marquee rivalry in American men’s tennis was the one between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in the 1990s, with the rivalry ending 20-14 in favor of Sampras. The rivalry stayed close till 8-8, but Sampras took over in the second half, winning 12 of the next 18 matches against his compatriot. The duo contested in five Major finals, four of which were won by Sampras, with the only win for Agassi coming at the 1995 Australian Open final.
Speaking about the rivalry, Agassi openly admitted that there were times when he had a feeling of envy and resentment towards Sampars. Speaking about it, he said, You are not guaranteed a rivalry. And Pete was that. “When I look back, I look at him like a mirror in my life. There are times I looked at him and I envied him. There are times when I looked at him and I was resentful of him. There were times I looked at him and it made me realise what I wasn’t.”
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal
The Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry lasted over a decade of competitive tennis, encompassing 60 matches. The Serb finished with a 31-29 head-to-head record against the Spaniard, despite the latter having a 14-6 record in the first 20 matches against the Serb. The duo contested in nine Major finals, with Nadal edging out the Serb 5-4. The 2012 Australian Open final between the two remains the longest Major final in the history of men’s tennis.
Despite being closer to each other in age, Novak Djokovic openly admitted that the intense rivalry with Nadal would make any chances of friendship impossible. “Nadal is only a year older than me. We are both Geminis. At first, we even went to dinner together twice. But even with him, friendship is impossible”.
Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic
In a rivalry of 50 matches, Novak Djokovic has a 27-23 head-to-head record against Roger Federer. Like his rivalry with Nadal, Djokovic started slow against Federer, winning 7 of their first 20 matches. However, in the latter half of his career, it was the Serb who proved to be dominant. He won four out of five Major finals against Federer, including three at Wimbledon, which was considered Federer’s best surface.
The relationship between Federer and Djokovic was testy in the early years, as the Swiss once commented on the Serb’s tendency “to give up” back in 2009. He said, “He’s retired before. He’s not the guy who has never given up in his career. He gave up against me last year because of a sore throat. Those kinds of things make you wonder a little bit, you know. That’s not normal.”
Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal
One of the most stylistically attractive rivalries in modern men’s tennis, the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal has gone a long way in shaping men’s tennis in the current era. The two played 40 times, with the Spaniard finishing with a 24-16 lead. He always had the Swiss player’s number, having a 20-10 lead in the first 30 matches. Federer established some form of dominance over the Spaniard in the latter stages of his career, winning six of their last seven meetings. The two played nine Major finals, six of which were won by Nadal, including the 2008 Wimbledon final, which is considered one of the best matches ever played.
Back in 2010, Nadal stated that comparisons with Federer were “stupid” as he, the Spaniard, considered that the Swiss had superior accomplishments at the time. ”
“I think I am more than happy that with my titles, for sure… I think is talk about if I am better or worse than Roger is stupid, because the titles say he’s much better than me, so that’s the truth at that moment. I think will be the truth all my life.” said Nadal.