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Statistics Battle: The Debate for Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal

By Brandon Daniels

ROME, ITALY - MAY 19: Rafael Nadal of Spain shakes hands at the net after his three set victory against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the men's final during day eight of the International BNL d'Italia at Foro Italico on May 19, 2019 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - MAY 19: Rafael Nadal of Spain shakes hands at the net after his three set victory against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the men's final during day eight of the International BNL d'Italia at Foro Italico on May 19, 2019 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 29: Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy after defeating Milos Raonic of Canada in their Men’s Singles Final match of the 2020 Western & Southern Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 29, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 29: Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy after defeating Milos Raonic of Canada in their Men’s Singles Final match of the 2020 Western & Southern Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 29, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Category 2: Masters 1000 Events

Djokovic: 36 Titles (26 hard-court titles, 10 clay)

Nadal: 35 Titles (25 clay titles, 10 hard)

The second major category in this statistical debate is how the two stack up against each other in Masters 1000 titles. The pair rank first and second in total titles won in the Open Era and have dominated on their respective surfaces.

The case for Djokovic: Double Golden Masters.

While Djokovic hasn’t gotten to the 10-title mark as Nadal has, his Double Golden Masters is unprecedented. As the only player in tennis history to have won every Masters title twice, it gives him an extreme leg-up on Nadal in this category. Where he also shines on his “secondary surface”.

Djokovic has won 10 clay-court titles in Masters event; Nadal has the same amount on hard. Where the current World #1 outshines his rival is when looking at the Masters setup as a whole. There are three clay Masters in comparison to 6 on hard courts. Djokovic’s ability to still achieve 10 titles on clay despite only having three opportunities per year to do it speaks to his all-around abilities in comparison to Nadal.

The case against Djokovic: None, really.

There isn’t anything to say when trying to counter-argue his success in Masters events. He’s easily the greatest player when it comes to these events. The Double Golden Masters cannot be topped by any other stat except that one alone by Nadal. If that actually happens, there will be a definite argument to be made, but until now, there’s no denying that Djokovic is the clear winner here.

The case for Nadal: Similar to his 13 titles in Paris, Nadal has captured an outstanding 25 Masters titles on clay in just three events. This includes 11 in Monte Carlo and 9 in Rome. No player has accomplished this feat and it truly speaks to Nadal’s game on clay.

The case against Nadal: While his clay stats are out-of-this-world, he simply doesn’t have the all-around stats to back up his 25 clay titles. Without wins at both the Paris Masters and the Miami Open, he’s nowhere in the realm of what Djokovic has been able to accomplish despite being almost equal in titles won.

The Verdict: Djokovic

He’s the best Masters player ever, zero question. A Double Golden Masters and a record 36 titles, there no one close.

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