Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry

It was one of the greatest rivalries in tennis, stretching to 59 matches, encompassing Grand Slams, Masters, Olympics and Davis Cups.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic met for the first time in 2006 in the French Open quarterfinals. Nadal won that day but Djokovic boasted the overall edge of 31 wins to 29.

AFP Sport looks back on the pair's first career meeting in Paris:

PRE-MATCH

– Second seed Nadal was the defending champion having won the first of his 14 Roland Garros titles, and 22 majors overall, 12 months earlier at the age of 19.

Djokovic, also a future world No 1, was then a brash 19-year-old ranked at 63.

"I'm going out there to win, not just play," said Djokovic who had defeated three top 30 players to reach the quarterfinals.

THE MATCH

– Djokovic was hoping the French crowd would get behind him on Court Philippe Chatrier. He had even donned a France football team shirt in his pre-match media conference to tap into the national feelgood mood which would see Les Bleus reach the final of the World Cup in Germany that summer.

Unfortunately, the early afternoon start meant that most of the courtside seats were empty. Not even Nadal and Djokovic could compete with the attractions of lunchtime schmoozing in the nearby VIP restaurants.

Dressed in his white pedal-pushers, Nadal broke first, but Djokovic hit back. Nadal carved out another break for 2-1 and that was enough for the first set 6-4.

Both players exhibited mannerisms and habits which would become common-place over the next 16 years.

Commentators were intrigued by the number of times Djokovic bounced the ball between serves – "14, 15, 16".

At the other end, cameras picked out 'Vamos' scribbled in pen on the heel of Nadal's right shoe.

The champion, his shoulder-length hair, kept under control by a white bandana, displayed his fussy service action, punctuated by the picking at his shorts and mopping his brow.

In no time, he was a double-break up for 3-0 before Djokovic retrieved one break to trail 2-4.

Djokovic had taken a nasty-looking tumble into the red dust. He never looked comfortable again.

Nadal pocketed the second set 6-4 and three points into the third set, Djokovic retired with a back injury. It was Nadal's 58th consecutive win on clay.

POST-MATCH

– The Serb stunned his news conference by insisting "I think I was in control of the match".

"I was playing pretty well. Everything was depending on my racquet. Even with a sore back, I think I played equal.

"I think I could have won today. He's not unbeatable."

Nadal was so baffled by Djokovic's revisionism that when he was asked if he thought the Serb was right, he demanded the question be translated into his native Spanish so he could be sure he understood.

"Oh yes," said Nadal, tongue firmly in cheek and to howls of laughter. "If he thinks that, it's OK. I don't need to answer."

TV pundits were equally perplexed.

"Novak, do you need smelling salts?" asked bemused former player and ESPN commentator Brad Gilbert.

"If you want to incite Rafa, the next time you play, he's going to drop the hammer on you. It was heavyweight against middleweight out there."

Gilbert was right. Nadal won all nine of the pair's first clay-court meetings. It took Djokovic until Madrid in 2011 to achieve his maiden victory on the surface against the Spanish star.

Nadal went on to win Roland Garros that year and defended it in 2007 and 2008. He was sinking his teeth into the Coupe des Mousquetaires again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Djokovic lost three Paris finals to Nadal – in 2012, 2014 and 2020. But he was champion twice, in 2016 and 2021.

He is one of only two men to have beaten Nadal at the tournament – in the 2015 quarterfinals and 2021 semis.