In an interview with Spanish newspaper AS on 28/12, Nadal revealed his primary tactic against Federer: exploiting the Swiss player's backhand. Utilizing high-bouncing, topspin shots, Nadal consistently dominated Federer on clay courts and remained competitive on other surfaces.

"I would direct the ball to Federer's backhand until he stood still, waiting for the next shot," Nadal explained. "Then I would switch to attacking his forehand. This repetitive approach mentally exhausted Federer. I also had to make a significant mental effort to sustain those long rallies. Ultimately, that was the most viable option when playing Federer."

Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer (from left) as teammates at the 2021 Laver Cup. Photo: ATP.

Nadal faced Federer 40 times over two decades, winning 24 matches, including a 14-10 record in finals. In Grand Slams alone, they met in 9 finals, with Nadal winning 6. This includes their 2008 Wimbledon final, widely regarded as one of the greatest matches in history, where Nadal triumphed in five sets, ending Federer's dominance on the London grass courts.

In contrast to his matches against Federer, Nadal found himself more perplexed when devising a plan to neutralize Djokovic. He stated, "Djokovic is truly unpredictable, especially on hard courts in the later stages of his career. Gaining an advantage in two or three shots is impossible. I need my physical and mental condition to be perfect. I tried to serve stronger, but it didn't yield results."

Nadal noted he found it easier to play Djokovic on clay and grass, where the Serbian player's error margin tends to be larger. While Nadal trails Nole 29-31 in their overall head-to-head record, he holds a 15-13 advantage in Grand Slams. The strengths of both players are evident in their court-specific records: the Spanish player dominates on clay with a 20-8 record, while Djokovic leads 20-7 on hard courts, with a 2-2 split on grass.

Nadal, who is retiring at the end of 2024, concluded his career with 22 Grand Slam titles, two more than Federer. Meanwhile, Djokovic is still competing at an elite level and is aiming for his 25th major at the Australian Open next month.

Vy Anh