Novak Djokovic made a bold statement before the 2020 French Open final that didn’t sit well with Chris Evert. The then-world No. 1 was talking about his rivalry with Rafael Nadal, and Evert felt compelled to set the record straight about what truly defines the greatest rivalry in tennis history.
Novak Djokovic’s Claims and Chris Evert’s Response
As the 2020 French Open final approached, Djokovic reflected on his rivalry with Nadal. With the two meeting for the 56th time, the Serbian made a striking claim about their head-to-head record.
“I think our head-to-head is the biggest head-to-head ever in the history of the sport,” Djokovic said.
The statement carried significant weight. Djokovic and Nadal had built something remarkable over nearly 15 years of competition. When Evert heard those words, however, she decided to speak up. The 18-time Grand Slam champion wasn’t attacking Djokovic personally or attempting to diminish his rivalry with Nadal. Instead, she identified what she saw as an important oversight.
In her response, Evert explained her position with clarity. She acknowledged the magnitude of the Djokovic-Nadal rivalry without reservation but expressed concern about the precision of the language being used.
“Trust me, I’m not on a vendetta against Novak. I’m horrified that he might even think that. It’s nothing personal against Novak at all. It was just the principle of: if you’re going to say that, say it’s the greatest rivalry in men’s tennis. It’s really simple,” Evert said.
Her point was straightforward: Djokovic wasn’t wrong about his rivalry being extraordinary. He simply needed to add three words — “in men’s tennis” — to be accurate. For Evert, this wasn’t about diminishing the men’s game but about ensuring the women’s game received proper recognition.
The Historic Rivalries that Defined Two Eras in Tennis
Both rivalries stand out as genuinely historic achievements in tennis. Djokovic and Nadal met 60 times, spanning nearly 15 years of competition, with Nadal leading 20-9 on clay and Djokovic leading 20-7 on hard courts.
The Evert-Navratilova rivalry offers a compelling comparison. These two legends met 80 times across 16 years of professional tennis, surpassing the Djokovic-Nadal count by 24 matches. Remarkably, 60 of those were finals, while at Grand Slams specifically, they met 22 times, with Navratilova leading 43-37 overall.
Evert also referenced Steffi Graf’s Golden Slam in 1988, when the German won all four majors and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. No male or female tennis player has matched it since. Despite its historic significance, this accomplishment rarely surfaces in mainstream sports conversations compared with similar men’s achievements.
For Evert, the issue wasn’t bitterness but a desire for the historical record to acknowledge the women’s game fairly and completely.
