On this day: How Novak Djokovic reset his rivalries against Rafael Nadal and began new era of tennis dominance

Novak Djokovic now leads the head-to-head against both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Today might feel like another reminder of time’s inevitability, a second straight season without a Grand Slam for the Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic, in a phase where age and physical limitations seem to challenge the aura he once was draped in.

But there was a time, the peak Novak Djokovic era, when everything shifted and the greatness wasn’t slipping away but surging forward. And on this day, just ten years ago, something extraordinary happened.

Ten years back, at the 2015 ATP Finals in London, Djokovic began a feat that would quietly shape the arc of his dominance. On November 21, 2015, he walked into the semifinal against Rafael Nadal and sealed a 6–3, 6–3 win.

That victory did more than take him into the final, it pulled him level with Nadal in their head-to-head for the first time in eight long years, levelling the rivalry at 23–23.

On this day, 10 years ago Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of 2015 ATP Finals and evened the H2H (23-23)The next day he did the same to Federer (22-22).In January 2016 he beat both by winning first 2 sets emphatically 61 62 to take the lead and never look back pic.twitter.com/DPXU1Wb407

— asud (@asud683385) November 21, 2025

Just a day later i.e, November 22, 2015, Djokovic stepped on court against the swiss legend Roger Federer in the final. Up against a man who had won 17 Grand Slams by then, the Serbian pulled off a 6–3, 6–4 win and tied their head-to-head as well, deadlocking it at 22–22.

In the span of twenty-four hours, Djokovic had achieved something unprecedented: he had erased deficits against both of his greatest rivals on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Also Read: Novak Djokovic poised to surpass Federer & Nadal in another record when latest ATP rankings release

Even then, the true turning point arrived two months later in Melbourne. In the 2016 Australian Open semifinal, Novak Dokovic made one of the most explosive starts ever seen against Federer by anyone, taking the first two sets 6–1, 6–2 with near-flawless play.

Though Federer pushed the match into a fourth set, Djokovic closed it out with authority winning the match with final scorline of 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3.

#OnThisDay in 2015: @DjokerNole won the #NittoATPFinals for the fourth consecutive year, beating @rogerfederer 6-3 6-4 in the final 😮 pic.twitter.com/ViJt4TKQcM

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 22, 2018

With that win, he claimed the head-to-head lead over Federer for the first time in his career, moving ahead 23–22. It was a lead he would never surrender.

As of November 21, 2025, Djokovic leads both major rivalries, 31–29 against Nadal and 27–23 against Federer.

Their achievements, too, tell the story of three tennis legends who lifted each other to unimaginable heights. Djokovic leads the Grand Slam race with twenty-four majors, ahead of Nadal’s twenty-two and Federer’s twenty.

Djokovic’s seven ATP Finals titles remain a record, surpassing even Federer’s six. In Masters 1000 events, he has forged ahead with forty titles, the most ever recorded.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both retired from professional tennis in 2022 and 2024, respectively, whereas Novak Djokovic is still an active, hunting for the 25th Grand Slam title.

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