It’s not just one of the deepest rivalries among active players, it’s one of the deepest rivalries in the Open Era. And on Friday afternoon, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will walk onto Centre Court and battle it out for a spot in the Wimbledon final—the 52nd match of their head-to-head series.
Both players were tested in their quarterfinals on Wednesday—first Djokovic was pushed to four sets by Kei Nishikori, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, then Nadal was pushed to the absolute limit to make it past Juan Martin del Potro, surviving the Argentine after four hours and 47 minutes, 7-5, 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Those victories propelled Nadal and Djokovic into an absolute blockbuster semifinal clash. It will be their 14th career meeting at a Grand Slam, the second-most meetings between two men at a Grand Slam in the Open Era (Djokovic and Roger Federer have played 15 times at Grand Slams).
WATCH—Daily Serve from Day 9 at Wimbledon: