Novak Djokovic was helplessly watching Rafael Nadal claim big titles earlier this year, and he must be delighted to have earned the chance to knock out his arch-rival in the quarterfinal of his favorite tournament. With the Serbian not allowed to compete due to his vaccination status, there was literally no one to stop the Spaniard on hard surfaces a few months ago as he kept on winning (20-0) until his body eventually gave up in the championship match at Indian Wells.
Facing Rafael Nadal on Parisian clay is without a doubt the most challenging task in all of sport, but at this moment, he probably wouldn't be looking forward to this contest, despite his incredible record in this venue. He lacks fitness and confidence right now and also played a tough five-setter against Felix Auger Aliassime in the round of 16, while his rival spent just over two hours to beat Diego Schwartzman in his round of 16 match.
Moreover, the world #5 did not get his wish fulfilled by the tournament as he wanted to play this big match during the day, but instead, it is scheduled in the night session. "Rafa is a 13-time tournament winner, so if he makes a request, you should listen to him. But it's about business, and we understand it," said Carlos Moya (Rafael Nadal's coach) after the schedule was announced.
The pair played at night in the semifinal of the French Open 12 months ago, and the former world #1 suffered a disappointing defeat in four sets after a solid start to the match. "I don't like to play on clay at night because the humidity, conditions can be very heavy," he said, after winning his round of 16 match against Felix Auger Aliassime.
Novak Djokovic has reached the quarterfinal at the French
Open without dropping a set, and in fact, he hasn't
conceded a set since the start of the Rome Masters, which
is quite impressive considering where he was a few weeks
ago. The Serbian was lacking match-time and was completely short of confidence and fitness, and he even got outplayed in deciding sets by the likes of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Andrey Rublev and beaten in straight sets by Jiri Vesely. Four of his nine defeats (including retirements) in the quarterfinal of slams have come here at the French Open, and one against Rafael Nadal in 2006 when he made only his
second appearance in the tournament and was forced to
retire after falling behind by two sets.
Rafael Nadal's perfect record in this edition of the French Open ended in the round of 16 against Felix Auger Aliassime, who won the first set and later forced a decider by winning the fourth set. This was only the third time a match involving the Spaniard has gone the distance in Paris. He needed deciding sets against John Isner in 2011 and Novak Djokovic in 2013, and he managed to win his following match in straight sets as well as the title on both occasions.
He played a grueling five-setter with a Canadian opponent, Denis Shapovalov, at the Australian Open earlier this year, and it did not stop him from going all the way there. That said, the 35-year-old didn't have to face Novak Djokovic in Melbourne.
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