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Updated June 10th, 2021 at 09:04 IST

Novak Djokovic pumped up to face his 'biggest rival' Rafael Nadal in French Open semifinal

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic has shared his excitement ahead of his high-voltage clash against Rafael Nadal in the French Open 2021 semi-final on Friday

Reported by: Karthik Nair
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal
Image Courtesy: AP | Image:self
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Top-seeded Novak Djokovic is all set to lock horns with the defending champion as well as 13-time winner Rafael Nadal in the French Open 2021 semi-final at Stade Roland Garros on Friday.

While Novak Djokovic fought off No. 10 Matteo Berrettini in a four-set encounter during their quarter-final clash, the title-holder Rafael Nadal simply outclassed Diego Schwartzman in four sets to consolidate a semis berth. After their respective last eight fixtures, the two icons of lawn tennis hardly have any time to recover and Novak Djokovic has made it clear that he will need to play out of his skin in order to rewrite history and also end Rafa's title reign.

Novak Djokovic pumped up to face Rafael Nadal

"Each time we face each other, there's that extra tension, expectations, and the vibes are different. Walking on court. That is why our rivalry has been historic I think for this sport and I have been privileged to play him so many times", said Novak Djokovic while addressing the media after his Q/F win.

"Rivalries with him and Roger have made me a stronger player and allowed me to understand how I need to improve my game and get to the level where they were actually when I started playing professional tennis. So yeah, I will probably pick Rafa as the biggest rival I have ever had in my career and the anticipation for a match against him anywhere, on any surface, on any occasion is always different from any other", he added.

This will be the 58th meeting between Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal. The current world number one and the reigning French Open champion will be facing each other for the ninth time at the French Open and fourth time in a semi-final match at Roland Garros. 

In fact, this contest is a repeat of last year's French Open 2020 where the Spaniard had got the better of his Serbian rival to win a record 13th title in Paris and now, Rafael Nadal will once again need to go a step ahead of the Serb in order to defend his title in Sunday's tournament decider and win the competition for the 14th time in his illustrious clay-court career.

Novak Djokovic Vs Rafael Nadal head-to-head records

As of now, their current head to head currently stands at 29-28 in favour of the Serbian. While Novak Djokovic leads with a massive 20-7 margin on hard courts, Nadal has a distinct advantage over Djokovic on his surface of choice, clay, having won 19 of their 26 meetings on the surface.  The duo stands at an equal 2-2 scoreline on Grass Courts. 

In what is regarded as the 'Final Before the Final', the challenger Novak Djokovic will be hoping to win his 18th Grand Slam while the reigning champion would be hoping to register a record 21 Grand Slam title wins.

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Published June 10th, 2021 at 09:04 IST

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