Novak Djokovic has beaten Rafael Nadal four times this year but will he be able to win it counts this afternoon at Wimbledon.
Meeting for the fifth time this year, first-time Wimbledon finalist Novak Djokovic looks to extend his winning streak against defending champion Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s final at The Championships. The Serbian, who will overtake Nadal as the new World No. 1 on Monday, whether he wins or loses Sunday, has defeated the 10-time major champion in four Masters 1000 finals this year.
[1] Rafael Nadal vs. [2] Novak Djokovic
Nadal is favoured in the experience department, having played in 12 Grand Slam finals, and boasting an impressive 10-2 record. His two losses occurred at the All England Club, losing to six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in 2006 and 2007. Djokovic on the other hand, is appearing in his fifth major final, but has reached three of those in the past four Grand Slam events, winning his second Australian Open title and finishing runner-up to Nadal at last year’s US Open. Djokovic, who is 47-1 on the season, is 2-2 in major finals.
Their statistics through six matches at this year’s Championships are strikingly similar, so predicting a winner is a virtual toss-up, according to the tale of the tape. On serve, the two have mirrored each other's success. Nadal has won 79 per cent of his first serve points, and Djokovic has won 78 per cent. On second serve points won, Djokovic has claimed 60 per cent of his points, while the Spaniard has won 59 per cent. Adding to the parallel, both have been broken eight times, with the Serb facing 22 break points and Nadal having 21 against his serve.
Known for his cutting-edge forehand, Nadal has racked up 113 forehand winners, 51 more than the Serbian. Though Djokovic has 45 fewer total winners than the Mallorcan, he has been more successful on the baseline, winning 57 per cent of those points, compared to 53 per cent won by Nadal.
Djokovic has imposed himself more on return, winning 31 per cent of his return games played, 5 per cent higher than Nadal. The Serb has also created more break point opportunities, seeing 68 chances, 13 more than Nadal, and breaking serve 30 times, while Nadal has broken his opponents 27 times. The left-hander has the slight edge in converting breaks of serve at 49 per cent, compared to a 44 per cent success rate by Djokovic.
