Djokovic–Federer rivalry
The Djokovic–Federer rivalry is a tennis rivalry between two professional tennis players, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. They have faced each other 50 times with Djokovic leading their matchups 27–23. Djokovic leads 13–6 in all finals and 11–6 in Grand Slam matches. These 17 Grand Slam matches are a record, 5 of which were the finals, plus a record 11 semifinals. To date Djokovic is the only man to have beaten Federer in all four majors, and likewise Federer is the only man to have beaten Djokovic in all four majors. Both players are considered to be among the greatest of all time. From 2006 to 2010 Federer held the lead in their rivalry, at one point 13-6, but by the end of the 2015 season, they were tied at 22-22. Since then Djokovic has been in control of the rivalry.
Their matches have showcased an unpredictable display of shot-making. In most other rivalries the type of playing surface has had a profound effect on the outcome of matches, but in this rivalry, the type of surface in most cases has not given any considerable advantage to one player over the other. In theory, Federer would gain a marginally small advantage on faster surfaces, as Djokovic's retrieval ability is diminished somewhat, but so far their match results have been relatively even across hard, clay, and grass courts respectively. As such, they have contested many acclaimed matches over the years, the most prominent being the 2019 Wimbledon final, the longest final in Wimbledon's history. The 2010 US Open, 2011 US Open, 2011 French Open, and 2018 Paris Masters semifinals along with the 2014 Wimbledon and 2015 Wimbledon finals are other notable matches they have contested.
History
Australian Open
Djokovic and Federer have played five times at the Australian Open, with Djokovic winning four times and Federer winning once. The first time they met at a major was in the fourth round of the 2007 Australian Open, where Federer won in straight sets. Federer went on to win without losing a set in the tournament to claim his tenth Grand Slam title. The next year, they met in a rematch at the 2008 Australian Open semifinals, where Djokovic won in straight sets to reach his second Grand Slam final. It was the first time in nearly four years that someone defeated Federer in straight sets at a Grand Slam. Djokovic proceeded to win his first career major over Tsonga in the final.Three years later they met again in the semifinals of the 2011 Australian Open. The match was highly competitive, lasting for three hours despite being a straight sets match. Djokovic took the first set in a tight tiebreaker. In the second set, Federer held a substantial lead before Djokovic made a comeback, winning five games in a row to claim the set. Djokovic won after closing out the match in the third set. Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in the final to win his second Australian Open title. Djokovic and Federer met once again in the semifinals of the 2016 Australian Open. Djokovic easily won the first two sets but Federer rallied to win the third. Djokovic, however, broke Federer in the eighth game of the fourth set and then held to win the match and move on to the final. Djokovic again went on to defeat Murray in the final to win the tournament.
Djokovic defeated Federer in straight sets in their most recent meeting in the semifinals of the 2020 Australian Open. In each of their five meetings, the winner of the match went on to win the tournament.
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French Open
The pair have had two meetings at Roland Garros thus far, with both occurring at the semifinal stage. The first was at the 2011 French Open. Djokovic entered the tournament with a 43-match winning streak and was the sensation of the season. In the match, Federer won the opening set in a tiebreak and then claimed the second set to gain a substantial lead. Djokovic took the third set and was serving for the fourth set, but Federer came back to win it in a tiebreak closing out the match in four sets. The win ended Djokovic's winning streak as well as his 41–0 start to the 2011 season. As a result, Federer advanced to his fifth French Open final where he lost to Nadal, for the fourth time in the final and fifth time overall).Federer's win also saved John McEnroe's record of 42 consecutive match wins to start the 1984 season. The victory further elevated Federer's head-to-head record against Djokovic to 14–9 and 3–1 on clay.
In a rematch the next year, Federer and Djokovic met in the French Open semifinal in 2012 which saw Djokovic prevail in straight sets and even up their clay record at 3–3. With the win, Djokovic advanced to his first French Open final, where, like Federer the previous year, he lost to Rafael Nadal in four sets.
Wimbledon
Djokovic and Federer have met four times in the Wimbledon Championships with Djokovic having 3 victories, all in finals, and Federer 1, in a semifinal. Their first meeting was in the semifinal of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, with Federer winning in four sets to advance to his eighth Wimbledon. With the win, Federer also became the first player to defeat Djokovic at all four of the Majors. Federer then won the final over Andy Murray to win his seventh Wimbledon title, reclaiming the world number 1 ranking from Djokovic, which enabled Federer to subsequently break Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks of being ranked as the world number 1.Their next meeting was in the final of the Championships in 2014, which was their second meeting in a Major final. At 3 hours and 56 minutes the match was also their longest encounter until that time. It was a close contest, with Federer winning the first set in a tiebreaker and Djokovic winning the next two, one in a tiebreaker. Federer saved a championship point in the fourth set before he came back to win the set 7-5 to force a fifth set. Djokovic took the fifth set 6-4 to win his second Wimbledon title. With the win, Djokovic prevented Federer from winning a record eight Wimbledon title, as at the time Federer and Peter Sampras jointly held the record of seven titles. Djokovic further became the first man to defeat Federer in all four of the Grand Slams.
The two met again in the 2015 Wimbledon Gentleman's Singles final with Djokovic defeating Federer once again, this time in 4 sets, two of which went to tiebreakers.
The 2019 final was their third encounter on Centre Court for the final of the Championships and their fourth match overall in this tournament. Most analysts felt Federer outplayed Djokovic for most of the match but due to Djokovic winning points at critical moments, namely during the first, third and fifth set tiebreakers, Djokovic was able to win the five-set match. In those three tiebreaks, Djokovic did not make any unforced errors whereas Federer made 11, some while aiming to hit winners. In the 2-hour-and-2-minute fifth set Djokovic broke Federer's serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead but Federer broke back the next game. Federer later broke Djokovic to take an 8-7 lead and with two aces held a 40-15 lead in the next game and was within one point of becoming, at 37 and 11 months, the oldest man to win a Grand Slam. However, Djokovic saved the two championship points, eventually taking the set 13-12 in the first fifth-set tiebreak in a Wimbledon final or any round of Wimbledon. At 4 hours and 57 minutes, the match was their longest encounter in any tournament and the longest Wimbledon gentlemen's singles final in history. The match has been described as containing "insanely gripping drama" and being both mesmerizing and "mesmerizingly strange" with Djokovic referring to his win as "unreal".
US Open
The two players have played six times at the US Open with the series tied at 3–3. Djokovic played Federer in his first Major final at the 2007 US Open. Djokovic began strongly in the final and broke Federer in the eleventh game of the first set. With Djokovic serving for the set, Federer saved five set points to come back and claim the first set in a tiebreak. Djokovic quickly gained a break lead in the second set, but was unable to serve it out as Federer came back again, saving two set points to force the set to a tiebreak which he claimed as well. In the third set, Federer was able to stay ahead on serve. He closed out the match in the tenth game by breaking Djokovic's serve to win the contest in straight sets.The two subsequently played each other for five consecutive years at the US Open. After the first meeting that took place in the final, the next four meetings all occurred in the semifinals. The next year in 2008, Federer again defeated Djokovic in a four-set semifinal on his way to winning the US Open for the fifth straight time. The 2009 semifinal was of particular consequence as Federer won the match in straight sets, hitting his between-the-legs shot tweener to set up match point. It was Federer's 40th straight win at the venue as he advanced to his sixth straight US Open final.
Their next two meetings at the tournament in 2010 and 2011 were five-set matches. Both were won by Djokovic and on both occasions he saved two match points. In the fifth set of the 2010 semifinal, Federer led 5–4 and had two match points on Djokovic's serve but couldn't convert them. Djokovic held, broke Federer's serve, and then held again to win the match 7–5. Djokovic was in disbelief that he'd won, putting an end to Federer's run of six straight US Open finals. "To be honest, I was just closing my eyes and hitting forehands as fast as I can on match point. If it goes in, it goes in. If it goes out, just another loss to Federer in the US Open," Djokovic stated. "It was just a couple of points that decided the match. I managed to come back. I was very lucky."
In the 2011 semifinal, Federer started the match strongly as he took the opening set in a tiebreak and won the second set comfortably. Djokovic won the next set, and claimed the fourth set as well to come back and force the match into a deciding fifth set. Federer recovered to gain a 5–3 lead and had two match points on his own serve. Djokovic saved the first match point with a return winner and went on to win four games in a row to win the match once again by the same score of 7–5 in the fifth. "Sure, it's disappointing, but I have only myself to blame," said Federer. "I set it all up perfect, but I couldn't finish it. It was a tough year in terms of some tough losses at some crucial stages of the season but look, it's not the first time it's happened." Both years, Djokovic went on to play Rafael Nadal in the final, losing to him in 2010 before defeating him in 2011 to win his first US Open title.
The two then played in the 2015 US Open Final. Djokovic exemplified his development into the world's best player with a thrilling 6–4 5–7 6–4 6–4 victory.
Comparison of Grand Slam titles
Federer has won a record 20 grand slam titles, while Djokovic has won 17 grand slams titles. They share the all-time record of 11 hard court grand slam titles.| Tournament | Djokovic | Federer |
 Australian Open | 8 | 6 |
 French Open | 1 | 1 |
 Wimbledon Championships | 5 | 8 |
 US Open | 3 | 5 |
| Total Count | 17 | 20 |
- Bold indicates record holder in Open Era
Masters 1000
Federer and Djokovic have met four times in the Cincinnati finals. The first final in 2009 saw Federer win 6–1, 7–5. Their second encounter in 2012 saw Federer dominate the first set 6–0 and take a tightly contested second set 7–6. Their third match came in the 2015 final with Federer once again prevailing in straight sets, 7–6, 6–3. In 2018, Djokovic won Cincinnati for the first time, defeating Federer in the finals 6-4, 6-4. With the victory, Djokovic became the first player in history to win all 9 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic has defeated Federer once in the Montreal final. Djokovic has also beaten Federer three times in Rome, a tournament that Federer has never won. In addition to Montreal and Rome, Federer has never won Monte Carlo but has defeated Djokovic there in 2006, 2008, and 2014.
Federer and Djokovic met in the semifinals of Miami in 2009. Federer won the opening set but lost the second set. Federer fell behind 0–2 in the third set and then proceeded to smash his racquet after netting another forehand. It was the first time in seven years that Federer had destroyed a racquet. The crowd got behind Federer but Djokovic went on to win and advance to the final where he lost to Andy Murray. After Miami, Federer spoke about his recent drop of form, "It was unfortunate but thank God the hard court season is over. I don't care any more. I'm moving over to clay, a new chapter." Federer again lost to Djokovic in three sets in Rome but recovered his form in Madrid and went on to win the French Open. Later in the year when the hard court season began again, they met in their first Cincinnati final where Federer defeated Djokovic in straight sets to win Cincinnati for a third time.
In 2010, Federer beat Djokovic in the Toronto semifinals in their longest Masters 1000 encounter to date, but went on to lose the final to Andy Murray. Later in the year, Federer beat Djokovic again in the Shanghai semifinals but lost the final to Andy Murray in similar fashion, missing his chance to win his first title in Shanghai. In 2011, Djokovic and Federer met in the semis of Indian Wells where Djokovic won in three sets and went on to win the title over Rafael Nadal. In 2012, Djokovic beat Federer in the Rome semifinals but lost the final to Nadal. They met again in the Cincinnati final where Federer beat Djokovic in straight sets. Federer won Cincinnati for the fifth time and it was the first bagel set in the rivalry which saw Djokovic's record in Cincinnati finals fall to 0–4.
They next met again in the Paris Bercy semifinals in 2013 where Djokovic beat Federer en route to winning the title over David Ferrer. In 2014, Djokovic defeated Federer again in an Indian Wells rematch, this time in the final in a third set tiebreak. Federer was down a break in the third set and made a comeback, but Djokovic hung on to win it in a tiebreaker. Later in the year Federer played a flawless match against Djokovic in the Shanghai semifinals and beat him in straight sets. Federer's win put an end to Djokovic's 28-match streak of winning matches played in China that began at the China Open in 2012 and lasted for just over two years. This time, Federer went on to win his first title in Shanghai as he defeated Gilles Simon in the final. In the 2015 Italian Open final, Djokovic beat Federer in straight sets, achieving his 4th Italian Open title and going one ahead of Federer with his 24th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown. Federer would get back at Djokovic in the 2015 Cincinnati Masters final, beating him in straight sets to win his 7th Cincinnati title.
In 2018 they met again in the final at Cincinnati, with Djokovic prevailing in straight sets, in doing so becoming the first player to win all Masters 1000 tournaments. Later that year, they played in the semi-finals of Paris Bercy, with Djokovic prevailing in an epic three-set match lasting 3 hours and 2 minutes decided with a 7-3 third-set tiebreak.
Comparison of Masters 1000 titles
Novak Djokovic has won 34 Masters 1000 titles and Roger Federer has won 28, although Djokovic has always placed a higher priority on participating in most, if not all, of the nine of the Masters 1000s events each year. Only in 2017 when he missed five Masters 1000s due to injuries has he not missed none or only one of the nine. By contrast, since 2012, Federer has missed 3 or more events, usually due to personal scheduling choices, every year except 2014 and 2015 when he missed only one and two, respectively. From 2016 to 2018, he missed seven, five and five events, respectively, including sitting out the spring European clay court season the latter two years. The players sit one-two on the list of players who have won the most Masters 1000 titles on hard courts in the Open Era with Djokovic at 25 and Federer at 22.| Tournament | Djokovic | Federer |
| Indian Wells Masters | 5 | 5 |
| Miami Open | 6 | 4 |
| Monte-Carlo Masters | 2 | 0 |
| Madrid Open/German Open | 3 | 6 |
| Italian Open | 4 | 0 |
| Canadian Open | 4 | 2 |
| Cincinnati Masters | 1 | 7 |
| Shanghai Masters/Madrid Open | 4 | 3 |
| Paris Masters | 5 | 1 |
| Total Count | 34 | 28 |
- Bold indicates record holder
Federer's Madrid titles; one came on hard court in 2006, one came on red clay in 2009, and the most recent one came on blue clay in 2012. Djokovic's Madrid titles came on red clay in 2011 and 2016.
Hamburg was downgraded to ATP World Tour 500 series in 2009 and is no longer a Masters 1000. Federer had won Hamburg four times prior, while Djokovic had never won Hamburg.
ATP Finals
The pair have met four times so far at the ATP Finals. Federer defeated Djokovic soundly in the 2010 semifinals on the way to winning his fifth title at the Year-End Championships. In 2012, Federer and Djokovic were drawn into opposite groups again where Djokovic went 3–0 and Federer went 2–1. After winning their semifinal matches, they met in the final where Djokovic beat Federer in straight sets to go 5–0 and win the tournament for the second time in his career.Since the Tennis Masters Cup in 2007, Federer and Djokovic have usually been drawn into opposing groups at every Year-End Championships. The 2013 edition saw the pair drawn to play each other in the same group for the first time in their careers. Djokovic defeated Federer in the round-robin before going on to win over Rafael Nadal in the final for his third ATP World Tour Finals title.
In 2014, Federer and Djokovic both went 3–0 in their respective groups. They were scheduled to meet in the final but Federer was forced to withdraw due to a back injury after he had won a grueling semifinal against Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic won his fourth title at the ATP World Tour Finals with a walkover. It was the first time in the history of the Year-End Championships that no final match was contested.
Federer defeated Djokovic in the 2015 round robin stage, ending Djokovic's 23-win streak. However, Djokovic defeated Federer in the final 6–3 6–4 to capture his fourth consecutive ATP World Tour Finals crown.
In 2019 again they met in the round robin format where Roger Federer beat Djokovic in the straight sets 6-4, 6-3. With this win Roger Federer entered the semi finals of ATP World Tour Finals and Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the tournament.
| Tour Finals | Djokovic | Federer |
| Number of titles | 5 | 6 |
| Consecutive titles | 4 | 2 |
| Number of finals | 7 | 10 |
| Head-to-head | 3 | 3 |
| Win % | 72.0% | 77.6% |
- Bold indicates outright record holder
Analysis
Hard court
The two have most commonly met on hard courts, with 38 of their 50 matches taking place on the surface, and Djokovic leading 20–18. Djokovic leads 7–4 in hard court grand slam matches. They have twice met in hard court grand slam finals with Federer winning the 2007 US Open final and Djokovic winning the 2015 US Open final. They met in four straight US Open semifinals from 2008 to 2011, which is a record. They have also met in four semifinals in Australia, in 2008, 2011, 2016, and 2020.Hard court is widely considered to be Djokovic's best surface with Djokovic himself stating that it is his most preferred surface. Their first seven Grand Slam meetings took place on hard court in either the Australian Open or the US Open, before finally meeting at the French Open in 2011. Both players, along with Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl, are the only four men in tennis history to have winning percentages above 82% on hard court.
Up to 2014, Djokovic and Federer were tied with Andre Agassi for the most Australian Open titles at four each, which was an Open Era record. Djokovic broke the record at the 2015 Australian Open after winning the title for a fifth time. As of 2020, Djokovic holds the record for the most Australian Open titles having won that tournament eight times. Djokovic is undefeated in Australian Open finals with a 8–0 record while Federer has a 6–1 record. At the US Open from 2004 to 2013, either Federer or Djokovic appeared in the final match. In US Open finals, Federer has a 5–2 record while Djokovic has a 3–5 record. Their finals appearance streak ended at the 2014 US Open when Federer lost to Marin Cilic and Djokovic lost to Kei Nishikori in the semifinals. The two quickly recovered by reaching the final in 2015.
Hard court surfaces vary widely in terms of court speed and even at particular events the speed of the courts can be different year to year based on the construction of the court surface. Federer has been more dominant on hard courts which have usually been fast, such as Dubai, Basel, Cincinnati and Shanghai where he leads 9–3. Djokovic has had most success on gritty, medium-fast hard courts such as the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami where he has a 8–1 advantage. The Australian Open surface was constructed to be sped up in 2017 compared to previous years as was the case with the Paris Master's in 2016. At the US Open, generally considered to be a medium-fast speed court , their rivalry is even at 3 wins each. The Paris Master's and London O2 Arena court speeds were considered medium-slow/medium but played medium-fast in the faster Shanghai venue where the ATP Finals was played from 2005 to 2008 and from 2010 until 2015. Djokovic held a 4–2 advantage at those events during that time span.
In their most recent meeting on a hard court, in the semifinals of the 2020 Australian Open in Melbourne, Djokovic defeated Federer in straight sets.
Early history at the Australian Open and US Open
In their first meeting at a major, Federer defeated Djokovic in the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2007 on his way to winning the tournament. In the North American hard court season, Djokovic and Federer met again in the Montreal final. Federer was serving for the first set but Djokovic saved six set points to come back and claim the set in a tiebreak. Federer responded by quickly winning the second set to draw level. The third set went to another tiebreak which Djokovic won to claim the match. It was Djokovic's first career win over Federer and it in turn prevented Federer from ever winning in Montreal. Djokovic reflected after the win, "To win two tiebreaks against the world No. 1, probably the strongest player mentally on the tour, it's another achievement, it's another success so I'm really, really happy."As of the end of the 2019 calendar year, Federer has not won the Canadian Open when it was held in Montreal. Federer's loss in Montreal was also his first career loss in a US Open series final, but he responded by winning Cincinnati the next week. Djokovic's win in Montreal solidified his number three ranking and allowed him to enter the US Open as the third seed. At the 2007 US Open, the strong play of both men continued as they met for a rematch in the final. Djokovic advanced to the first major final of his career where Federer defeated Djokovic in a memorable encounter. This time, it was Federer who would come back to win the first set in a tiebreak. Federer saved a total of seven set points in both the first and second sets to go on and win the match in straight sets. The win saw Federer claim his fourth consecutive US Open title.
Five months later they met in the semifinals of the 2008 Australian Open, where Djokovic defeated Federer in straight sets and went on to win the first major of his career when he beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final. Federer's loss at the time caused widespread shock and uproar, and Federer referred to having 'created a monster' due to the expectations from the media at the time that Federer must win everything. Federer commented after the loss, "I've created a monster, so I know I need to always win every tournament. But semis is still pretty good. Winning every other week, you know, lose a set and people say I'm playing bad." The loss ended Federer's streak of ten straight appearances in Grand Slam finals which began at Wimbledon in 2005. It was also Federer's first straight sets loss in any Grand Slam since Gustavo Kuerten beat him in the third round of the 2004 French Open. Later it was found that Federer was suffering from mononucleosis at that time, and after knowing about it, Federer himself was surprised by the fact that he had made it to semis.
Clay court
On clay courts, they are tied with a head-to-head record of 4–4 with six of their eight meetings taking place in semifinals. Due to the dominance of Rafael Nadal on clay, it has been rare for Federer and Djokovic to encounter each other on the surface and they have only once faced each other in a clay final, at the 2015 ATP Internazionali BNL d'Italia finals, where Djokovic beat Federer in straight sets. When they have met on clay, it's often been an unpredictable encounter. They've split their two French Open semifinals with Federer winning in 2011 and Djokovic winning the rematch in 2012. In addition, Federer has beaten Djokovic three times in Monte Carlo, and Djokovic has beaten Federer three times in Rome.Of the three surfaces, clay is considered to be the least successful surface for both Federer and Djokovic, despite the fact that both players are highly proficient on clay as all-court players. Over the years, Federer and Djokovic have more often than not advanced deep into the important clay tournaments only to lose to Rafael Nadal. Federer has a 2-14 record against Nadal on clay while Djokovic has gone 7-17 against Nadal on clay. From 2005 to 2009, Federer was considered to be Nadal's only formidable opponent on clay. Nadal went undefeated on clay in 2010. Since 2011, Djokovic has since become the main adversary for Nadal on the dirt. To date, Federer has beaten Nadal twice on clay and has 11 clay titles, while Djokovic has beaten Nadal seven times on clay and has 13 clay titles.
History at the French Open
During Rafael Nadal's ten-year run at the French Open from 2005 to 2014, Federer and Djokovic were a combined 0–11 against the Spaniard at Roland Garros. Federer lost to Nadal in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011 winning four sets in the process, while Djokovic as well lost to Nadal in 2006, 2007, and 2008 without winning a single set.From 2005 to 2008, Federer was Nadal's only considerable test at Roland Garros, as he was the only man at the time even capable of winning sets against Nadal on clay. Federer lost three close finals to Nadal on clay in 2006, winning a set in Monte Carlo, another two sets in Rome, and a fourth set at the French Open. Federer lost his first French Open final to Nadal while Djokovic had also lost to Nadal earlier on in the quarterfinals.
Federer beat Nadal in the Hamburg final in 2007, putting an end to Nadal's unprecedented 81-match winning streak on clay. At the French Open, Nadal defeated Djokovic and Federer back-to-back in the semifinals and final to win his third straight title at Roland Garros. In 2008, Federer played a solid match against Nadal at Monte Carlo before Djokovic emerged as a force on clay as well. He pushed Nadal to three sets in the Hamburg semifinals and won his first clay set against Nadal. Federer then lost the Hamburg title to Nadal in a close rematch. The progress against Nadal was short-lived. At Roland Garros, Djokovic and Federer both soundly lost to Nadal for the third straight year which saw Nadal steamroll to his fourth French Open win without losing a set in the tournament.
Djokovic won his second clay set against Nadal at Monte Carlo in 2009 and then pushed him even further to three match points in their epic semifinal in Madrid. Although Djokovic lost that semifinal to Nadal, Federer defeated Nadal in the Madrid final for his second win over Nadal on clay which saw Nadal lose a clay final for just the second time in his career. In 2010, Djokovic and Nadal never met on clay. Federer lost the Madrid title to Nadal in a rematch. At the French Open, both Federer and Djokovic lost in the quarterfinals and thus neither man advanced to face Rafael Nadal that year. It was the only year that Nadal won Roland Garros without facing Djokovic or Federer. Djokovic later entered his prime and gained confidence upon winning the Davis Cup at the end of the year.
In early 2011, Djokovic became the primary challenge for Nadal after beating him in Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. As the clay season began, Djokovic's winning streak continued as he beat Nadal for the first time on clay in Madrid, ending Nadal's second streak of 37 straight wins on clay. As such, Djokovic became the second man in tennis history after Roger Federer to ever defeat Rafael Nadal in a clay final. Djokovic beat Nadal again a week later in Rome. Djokovic was a legitimate contender going into the 2011 French Open and was perceived by many tennis analysts as capable of dethroning Nadal. Djokovic and Federer met in the semifinals, where Federer's win put an end to Djokovic's best opportunity to win the French Open. Djokovic had been on a 43-match winning streak, including four straight wins over Rafael Nadal up to that point. Federer's win also prevented Djokovic from winning the Calendar Grand Slam.
Roger Federer won the French Open in 2009 and completed the Career Grand Slam. Djokovic won his first French Open set against Rafael Nadal in 2012 and won another two sets in 2013. At the 2014 French Open, Djokovic equaled Federer's record of four sets won against Nadal at Roland Garros. The 2013 French Open semifinal is considered to be Djokovic's most devastating career loss, losing 9–7 in the fifth despite being up a break in the final set. From 2005 to 2014, Federer's final in 2011 and Djokovic's semifinal in 2013 were the best efforts that each man had been able to give in their attempts to beat Nadal at Roland Garros.
The 2015 season saw a sharp decline from Rafael Nadal who was struggling with his form even during the clay season. The Spaniard entered the 2015 French Open without having won a Masters 1000 on clay for the first time in his career. Federer and Djokovic had met in the final of the Italian Open prior to Roland Garros, with Djokovic winning in straight sets. Djokovic then entered the French Open undefeated on clay for the season after winning back-to-back titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. At Roland Garros, Djokovic was drawn to meet Nadal in the quarterfinals where he was considered the favorite to win. Djokovic finally defeated Nadal by winning in straight sets on his way to the final. It was only Nadal's second ever loss at Roland Garros. Federer was defeated soundly in the quarterfinals by Stan Wawrinka who proceeded to reach the final as well. Djokovic's victory over Nadal would end up for naught as he lost the final to Wawrinka in four sets. Djokovic managed to win the French Open the next year by beating Andy Murray in four sets.
Grass court
History at Wimbledon
On grass courts Djokovic leads 3–1; with all four matches coming at Wimbledon: once in the semifinals in 2012, which Federer won in four sets; and again in the finals of 2014, 2015, and 2019, which Djokovic won in five, four, and five sets respectively. The 2019 final was the first men's singles match ever in which a tiebreak was played at 12 all in the final set, following a rule change that year. Federer's first major title came at Wimbledon where he is naturally comfortable playing on the grass. Federer went on to reach seven consecutive Wimbledon finals, from 2003 to 2009 inclusive. Federer appeared in five more finals. In total he has won eight of his twelve finals. Federer is one of the most successful grass court players ever and many tennis analysts consider grass to be his best surface.Federer has 19 titles on grass with ten at Halle, eight at Wimbledon and one at Stuttgart. Djokovic has six grass titles thus far, five at Wimbledon and one at Eastbourne. Federer has often played his warm-up tournament in Halle which precedes Wimbledon. Djokovic's quest to win Roland Garros was his main priority for several years, often leaving him too exhausted to partake in a warm-up tournament on grass. He has instead preferred to rest before Wimbledon.
Both Federer and Djokovic enjoy playing on faster surfaces such as grass, but Djokovic's movement struggled on grass courts early on in his career. On the other hand, Federer's movement on grass was considered to be unparalleled during his prime years. Grass was Djokovic's least successful surface from 2005 to 2010. Since then, Djokovic's movement on grass has immensely improved, a key factor that has enabled him to win Wimbledon five times. He won in 2011 over Rafael Nadal, 2014, 2015, and 2019 over Federer, and in 2018 against Kevin Anderson.
Head-to-head tallies
- All matches: Djokovic, 27–23
- All finals: Djokovic, 13–6
- * Grand Slam matches: Djokovic, 11–6
- *ATP Tour Finals matches: Tied, 3–3
- * ATP Tour Masters 1000 matches: Djokovic, 11–9
- * ATP Tour 500 matches: Federer, 4–2
- * Davis Cup matches: Federer, 1–0
- * Best of three set matches: Tied, 16–16
- * Best of five set matches: Djokovic, 11–7
- * Matches lasting five sets: Djokovic, 4–0
- * Winning the match after losing 1st set: Djokovic, 7–1
- * Grand Slam finals: Djokovic, 4–1
- * ATP Tour Finals finals: Djokovic, 2–0
- * ATP Tour Masters 1000 finals: Djokovic, 5–3
- * ATP Tour 500 finals: Tied, 2–2
- All sets: Federer, 74–73
- * Deciding sets: Djokovic, 14–5
- Tiebreak sets: Djokovic, 16–12
- * Deciding Tiebreaks: Djokovic, 4–0
Results on each court surface
- Clay courts: Tied, 4–4
- Hard courts: Djokovic, 20–18
- * Outdoor: Djokovic, 14–13
- * Indoor: Djokovic, 6–5
- Grass courts: Djokovic, 3–1
Grand Slam matches
- In bold: Matches that happened in the final.
Completed set tallies
| Djokovic | Set score | Federer |
| 1 | 13–12 | 0 |
| 15 | 7–6 | 12 |
| 7 | 7–5 | 15 |
| 15 | 6–4 | 13 |
| 22 | 6–3 | 20 |
| 11 | 6–2 | 7 |
| 2 | 6–1 | 5 |
| 0 | 6–0 | 1 |
| 73 | Total sets | 73 |
| 747 | Total games | 755 |
List of all matches
ATP, Davis Cup, and Grand Slam tournament main draw results included.Djokovic–Federer: 50
| No. | Year | Tournament | Series | Surface | Round | Winner | Score | Length | Sets | Djokovic | Federer |
| 1. | 2006 |  Monte-Carlo Masters | Masters | Clay | Last 64 | Federer | 6–3, 2–6, 6–3 | 1:49 | 3/3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2. | 2006 |  Davis Cup | Davis Cup | Hard | WG Play-offs | Federer | 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 | 1:58 | 3/5 | 0 | 2 |
| 3. | 2007 | Australian Open | Major | Hard | Last 16 | Federer | 6–2, 7–5, 6–3 | 1:50 | 3/5 | 0 | 3 |
| 4. | 2007 |  Dubai Championships | 500 | Hard | Quarterfinals | Federer | 6–3, 6–7, 6–3 | 2:03 | 3/3 | 0 | 4 |
| 5. | 2007 |  Canadian Open | Masters | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 7–6, 2–6, 7–6 | 2:13 | 3/3 | 1 | 4 |
| 6. | 2007 | US Open | Major | Hard | Final | Federer | 7–6, 7–6, 6–4 | 2:24 | 3/5 | 1 | 5 |
| 7. | 2008 | Australian Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 7–5, 6–3, 7–6 | 2:26 | 3/5 | 2 | 5 |
| 8. | 2008 | Monte-Carlo Masters | Masters | Clay | Semifinals | Federer | 6–3, 3–2 RET | 1:12 | 2/3 | 2 | 6 |
| 9. | 2008 | US Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Federer | 6–3, 5–7, 7–5, 6–2 | 2:44 | 4/5 | 2 | 7 |
| 10. | 2009 | Miami Open | Masters | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 | 1:46 | 3/3 | 3 | 7 |
| 11. | 2009 |  Italian Open | Masters | Clay | Semifinals | Djokovic | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 | 2:11 | 3/3 | 4 | 7 |
| 12. | 2009 | Cincinnati Masters | Masters | Hard | Final | Federer | 6–1, 7–5 | 2:07 | 2/3 | 4 | 8 |
| 13. | 2009 | US Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Federer | 7–6, 7–5, 7–5 | 2:34 | 3/5 | 4 | 9 |
| 14. | 2009 | Swiss Indoors | 500 | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 | 2:11 | 3/3 | 5 | 9 |
| 15. | 2010 | Canadian Open | Masters | Hard | Semifinals | Federer | 6–1, 3–6, 7–5 | 2:22 | 3/3 | 5 | 10 |
| 16. | 2010 | US Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 5–7, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5 | 3:44 | 5/5 | 6 | 10 |
| 17. | 2010 |  Shanghai Masters | Masters | Hard | Semifinals | Federer | 7–5, 6–4 | 1:42 | 2/3 | 6 | 11 |
| 18. | 2010 | Swiss Indoors | 500 | Hard | Final | Federer | 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 | 1:55 | 3/3 | 6 | 12 |
| 19. | 2010 | ATP World Tour Finals | Tour Finals | Hard | Semifinals | Federer | 6–1, 6–4 | 1:21 | 2/3 | 6 | 13 |
| 20. | 2011 | Australian Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 7–6, 7–5, 6–4 | 3:00 | 3/5 | 7 | 13 |
| 21. | 2011 | Dubai Championships | 500 | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 6–3, 6–3 | 1:12 | 2/3 | 8 | 13 |
| 22. | 2011 | Indian Wells Masters | Masters | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 | 2:07 | 3/3 | 9 | 13 |
| 23. | 2011 | French Open | Major | Clay | Semifinals | Federer | 7–6, 6–3, 3–6, 7–6 | 3:39 | 4/5 | 9 | 14 |
| 24. | 2011 | US Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 6–7, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 | 3:51 | 5/5 | 10 | 14 |
| 25. | 2012 | Italian Open | Masters | Clay | Semifinals | Djokovic | 6–2, 7–6 | 1:39 | 2/3 | 11 | 14 |
| 26. | 2012 | French Open | Major | Clay | Semifinals | Djokovic | 6–4, 7–5, 6–3 | 2:05 | 3/5 | 12 | 14 |
| 27. | 2012 | Wimbledon | Major | Grass | Semifinals | Federer | 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3 | 2:19 | 4/5 | 12 | 15 |
| 28. | 2012 | Cincinnati Masters | Masters | Hard | Final | Federer | 6–0, 7–6 | 1:20 | 2/3 | 12 | 16 |
| 29. | 2012 | ATP World Tour Finals | Tour Finals | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 7–6, 7–5 | 2:14 | 2/3 | 13 | 16 |
| 30. | 2013 | Paris Masters | Masters | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 | 2:00 | 3/3 | 14 | 16 |
| 31. | 2013 | ATP World Tour Finals | Tour Finals | Hard | Round Robin | Djokovic | 6–4, 6–7, 6–2 | 2:22 | 3/3 | 15 | 16 |
| 32. | 2014 | Dubai Championships | 500 | Hard | Semifinals | Federer | 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 | 1:45 | 3/3 | 15 | 17 |
| 33. | 2014 | Indian Wells Masters | Masters | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 3–6, 6–3, 7–6 | 2:12 | 3/3 | 16 | 17 |
| 34. | 2014 | Monte-Carlo Masters | Masters | Clay | Semifinals | Federer | 7–5, 6–2 | 1:15 | 2/3 | 16 | 18 |
| 35. | 2014 | Wimbledon | Major | Grass | Final | Djokovic | 6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 5–7, 6–4 | 3:56 | 5/5 | 17 | 18 |
| 36. | 2014 | Shanghai Masters | Masters | Hard | Semifinals | Federer | 6–4, 6–4 | 1:35 | 2/3 | 17 | 19 |
| — | 2014 | ATP World Tour Finals | Tour Finals | Hard | Final | Walkover | N/A | N/A | 17 | 19 | |
| 37. | 2015 | Dubai Championships | 500 | Hard | Final | Federer | 6–3, 7–5 | 1:24 | 2/3 | 17 | 20 |
| 38. | 2015 | Indian Wells Masters | Masters | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 6–3, 6–7, 6–2 | 2:17 | 3/3 | 18 | 20 |
| 39. | 2015 | Italian Open | Masters | Clay | Final | Djokovic | 6–4, 6–3 | 1:15 | 2/3 | 19 | 20 |
| 40. | 2015 | Wimbledon | Major | Grass | Final | Djokovic | 7–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–3 | 2:55 | 4/5 | 20 | 20 |
| 41. | 2015 | Cincinnati Masters | Masters | Hard | Final | Federer | 7–6, 6–3 | 1:30 | 2/3 | 20 | 21 |
| 42. | 2015 | US Open | Major | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 | 3:20 | 4/5 | 21 | 21 |
| 43. | 2015 | ATP World Tour Finals | Tour Finals | Hard | Round Robin | Federer | 7–5, 6–2 | 1:17 | 2/3 | 21 | 22 |
| 44. | 2015 | ATP World Tour Finals | Tour Finals | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 6–3, 6–4 | 1:20 | 2/3 | 22 | 22 |
| 45. | 2016 | Australian Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 | 2:19 | 4/5 | 23 | 22 |
| 46. | 2018 | Cincinnati Masters | Masters | Hard | Final | Djokovic | 6–4, 6–4 | 1:24 | 2/3 | 24 | 22 |
| 47. | 2018 | Paris Masters | Masters | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 7–6, 5–7, 7–6 | 3:02 | 3/3 | 25 | 22 |
| 48. | 2019 | Wimbledon | Major | Grass | Final | Djokovic | 7–6, 1–6, 7–6, 4–6, 13–12 | 4:57 | 5/5 | 26 | 22 |
| 49. | 2019 | ATP Finals | Tour Finals | Hard | Round Robin | Federer | 6–4, 6–3 | 1:13 | 2/3 | 26 | 23 |
| 50. | 2020 | Australian Open | Major | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 7–6, 6–4, 6–3 | 2:19 | 3/5 | 27 | 23 |
Significant achievements
- Most Grand Slam tournament meetings – 17
- Most Open Era Grand Slam semifinal meetings – 11
- Most Open Era Grand Slam Hard Court matches played – 11
- Most Open Era hard court meetings – 35
- Most meetings at the US Open – 6, from 2007–2011, 2015.
- Most consecutive Open Era meetings at one Grand Slam – 5 from 2007–2011
- Only two players to win at least 60 matches at each Grand Slam tournament.
- Only two players to reach at least 10 quarterfinals at each Grand Slam tournament.
- Only two players to achieve the Indian Wells/Miami Masters double at least three times – Djokovic, Federer
- Only two players to win both Indian Wells and Miami Masters between them for 4 consecutive seasons.
- Only two players to achieve the "Sunshine Triple" at least twice. Djokovic has achieved this feat a record three times, Federer twice.
- Only two players to collectively win at least one of the four Grand Slams for 18 consecutive years.
- First and second in matches played at Grand Slam tournaments. Federer - 421, Djokovic 330
- First and second in match wins at Grand Slam tournaments. Federer - 362, Djokovic 287
- First and second in win percentage on hard courts. Djokovic - 84.2%, Federer - 83.5%
- First and second in number of hard court Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic – 25, Federer – 22
- Joint first most major titles on hard courts with 11. Federer – Australian Open and US Open, Djokovic – Australian Open and US Open.
- First and second in number of Australian Open Grand Slam titles in the Open Era. Djokovic - 8, Federer - 6
- First and joint second number of ATP Tour Finals titles, Federer – 6, Djokovic is tied with Sampras and Lendl – 5.
- First and second in number of hard-court titles overall. Federer – 71, Djokovic – 58
- First and second in number of consecutive grand slam semi-finals. Federer – 23, Djokovic – 14
- First and second in number of consecutive grand slam quarter-finals. Federer – 36, Djokovic – 28
Exhibitions
| No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Round | Winner | Score | Djokovic | Federer |
| 1. | 2011 | Abu Dhabi | Hard | Semifinals | Djokovic | 6–2, 6–1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2. | 2014 |  New Delhi | Hard | Round Robin | Federer | 6–5 | 1 | 1 |
Performance timeline comparison
Grand Slam tournaments
- Bold = players met during this tournament
By year
2005–2010
2011–2016
2017–Present
By age (end of season)
18–22
23–27
28–32
33–37
38–42
ATP Rankings
Year-end ranking timeline
ATP Year-end ranking timeline by age
Career evolution
Federer and Djokovic were born about six years apart. Federer's birthday is 8 August 1981, while Djokovic's is 22 May 1987. A different viewpoint of their career evolution is offered by taking the season they entered with an age of 17 as starting point. For instance, in 2004 Federer started the season being 22 years old. At the end of that season, he accumulated a total of four Grand Slam titles and 22 singles titles, with a year-end ranking of 1. By comparison, Djokovic finished the 2010 season also aged 23 years old, having won a total of 1 grand slam title and 18 total singles titles, with a year end ranking of 3.-
= active record Federer–Djokovic Grand Slam era (2003–present)
Combined singles performance timeline (best result)
1 Held as Hamburg Masters until 2008, Madrid Masters 2009–present.2 Held as Stuttgart Masters until 2001, Madrid Masters from 2002 to 2008, and Shanghai Masters 2009–present.
Federer–Djokovic ATP world No. 1 era
Updated Monday 3 February 2020.| Player | Start date | End date | Weeks | Total |
| | 237 | 237 | ||
 ' | 46 | 46 | ||
| Roger Federer | 48 | 285 | ||
| Rafael Nadal | 56 | 102 | ||
 Novak Djokovic | 53 | 53 | ||
| Roger Federer | 17 | 302 | ||
| Novak Djokovic | 48 | 101 | ||
| Rafael Nadal | 39 | 141 | ||
| Novak Djokovic | 122 | 223 | ||
 Andy Murray | 41 | 41 | ||
| Rafael Nadal | 26 | 167 | ||
| Roger Federer | 6 | 308 | ||
| Rafael Nadal | 6 | 173 | ||
| Roger Federer | 1 | 309 | ||
| Rafael Nadal | 4 | 177 | ||
| Roger Federer | 1 | 310 | ||
| Rafael Nadal | 19 | 196 | ||
| Novak Djokovic | 52 | 275 | ||
| Rafael Nadal | 13 | 209 | ||
| Novak Djokovic | Present | 1 | 276''' |