Federer v Nadal (Doubles)

On another thread noticed there was talk about the reluctance of top players to play doubles. Thought I'd check out how Federer and Nadal compare in their doubles play.

Federer's doubles titles

2008 (1) Beijing Olympics (w/Wawrinka, Outdoor/Hard)

2005 (1) Halle (w/Allegro, Outdoor/Grass)

2003 (2) Vienna (w/Allegro, Indoor/Hard) , ATP Masters Series Miami (w/Mirnyi, Outdoor/Hard)

2002 (2) Moscow (w/Mirnyi, Indoor/Carpet) , Rotterdam (w/Mirnyi, Indoor/Hard)

2001 (2) Gstaad (w/Safin, Outdoor/Clay) , Rotterdam (w/Bjorkman, Indoor/Hard)

Nadal's doubles titles

2012 (1) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (w/Lopez, Outdoor/Hard)

2011 (1) Doha (w/Lopez, Outdoor/Hard)

2010 (1) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (w/Lopez, Outdoor/Hard)

2009 (1) Doha (w/Lopez, Outdoor/Hard)

2008 (1) ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo (w/Robredo, Outdoor/Clay)

2005 (1) Doha (w/Costa, Outdoor/Hard)

2004 (1) Chennai (w/Robredo, Outdoor/Hard)

2003 (1) Umag (w/Lopez Moron, Outdoor/Clay)

They both have 8 titles. Federer has an Olympic gold and a masters titles amongst his wins. His last title was the Olympic gold in 2008. Nadal has 3 masters titles. His last win was last year. Who is the better doubles player? I would say they are both pretty good but seldom play.

For anyone interested Djokovic has 1 doubles title (Queens in 2010 w/Erlich) ann Murray 2 (Valencia in 2010 and Tokyo 2010. Both with his brother Jamie)

Not too shabby for doubles...

DOUBLES CAREER TITLES (71):

2006 (1) San Jose (w/Bjorkman, Indoor/Hard)

1992 (3) ATP Masters Series Paris (w/McEnroe, Indoor/Carpet) , Wimbledon (w/Stich, Outdoor/Grass) , Brussels (w/Becker, Indoor/Carpet)

1989 (3) Wembley (w/Hlasek, Indoor/Carpet) , US Open (w/Woodforde, Outdoor/Hard) , Milan (w/Hlasek, Indoor/Carpet)

1988 (2) San Francisco (w/Woodforde, Indoor/Carpet) , Los Angeles (w/Woodforde, Outdoor/Hard)

1986 (4) Wembley (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Paris Indoor (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , San Francisco (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Stratton Mountain (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard)

1985 (2) Dallas (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Houston (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet)

1984 (7) Masters (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , San Francisco (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Montreal / Toronto (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard) , Wimbledon (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Grass) , Madrid (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Richmond WCT (w/McEnroe, Indoor/Carpet) , Philadelphia (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet)

1983 (5) Wembley (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , San Francisco (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , US Open (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard) , Wimbledon (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Grass) , Los Angeles (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard)

1982 (5) Wembley (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Sydney Indoor (w/Rennert, Indoor/Hard) , Cincinnati (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard) , London / Queen's Club (w/Rennert, Outdoor/Grass) , Philadelphia (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet)

1981 (7) Sydney Indoor (w/Fleming, Indoor/Hard) , San Francisco (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , US Open (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard) , Cincinnati (w/Taygan, Outdoor/Hard) , Wimbledon (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Grass) , Forest Hills WCT (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Clay) , Las Vegas (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard)

1980 (10) Wembley (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Sydney Indoor (w/Fleming, Indoor/Hard) , Brisbane (w/Mitchell, Outdoor/Grass) , Maui (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard) , San Francisco (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , South Orange (w/Maze, Outdoor/Clay) , Forest Hills WCT (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Clay) , Milan (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Memphis (w/Gottfried, Indoor/Carpet) , Philadelphia (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet)

1979 (16) Bologna (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Wembley (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Stockholm (w/Fleming, Indoor/Hard) , San Francisco (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , US Open (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard) , Montreal / Toronto (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Hard) , Indianapolis (w/Mayer, Outdoor/Clay) , South Orange (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Clay) , Forest Hills WCT (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Clay) , Wimbledon (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Grass) , San Jose (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Rotterdam (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Milan (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , New Orleans (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Richmond WCT (w/Gottfried, Indoor/Carpet) , World Doubles WCT (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet)

1978 (6) Bologna (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Cologne (w/Fleming, Indoor/Hard) , Basel (w/Fibak, Indoor/Hard) , San Francisco (w/Fleming, Indoor/Carpet) , Hartford (w/Maze, Indoor/Carpet) , South Orange (w/Fleming, Outdoor/Clay)


... or this one (Open Era)...

DOUBLES CAREER TITLES (28):

1976 (3) Houston WCT (w/Rosewall, Outdoor/Clay) , Rotterdam WCT (w/McMillan, Indoor/Carpet) , Philadelphia WCT (w/Ralston, Indoor/Carpet)

1975 (1) Denver WCT (w/Emerson, Indoor/Carpet)

1974 (3) Bretton Woods (w/Borowiak, Outdoor/Clay) , Las Vegas (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Hard) , Houston (w/Dibley, Outdoor/Clay)

1973 (10) Sydney Indoor (w/Newcombe, Indoor/Hard) , Hong Kong (w/Dibley, Outdoor/Hard) , Tehran (w/Newcombe, Outdoor/Clay) , Montreal / Toronto (w/Rosewall, Outdoor/Hard) , Bretton Woods (w/Stolle, Outdoor/Clay) , Gothenberg WCT (w/Emerson, Indoor/Carpet) , Atlanta WCT (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Clay) , Richmond WCT (w/Emerson, Indoor/Carpet) , Lacosta WCT (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Hard) , Miami WCT (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Hard)

1972 (2) Las Vegas WCT (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Hard) , Houston WCT (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Clay)

1971 (5) Vancouver WCT (w/Emerson, Outdoor/) , Berkeley (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Hard) , Boston WCT (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Hard) , Quebec WCT (w/Emerson, Indoor/) , Wimbledon (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Grass)

1970 (1) Boston (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Hard)

1969 (2) Stockholm Open (w/Emerson, Indoor/Hard) , Australian Open (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Grass)

1968 (1) Bournemouth (w/Emerson, Outdoor/Clay)


The reason I picked the Emerson ones is because there is stark contrast to Fedal even trying it. Connors-Ashe came close.

Nadal once asked Federer to play doubles with him but he turned it down, he said he thought it was best for their rivalry they didn't play together

What's not so well known CAS, is that Nadal then asked me if I would play doubles with him.

I had to give the same answer as Federer did.

He would then ask me to play doubles with him... At which point I passed out from excitement, and woke up to find he won a title with Lopez of all people. I could have been on easy street.

To answer the question, I think they are pretty even. Similar records as well. Its like picking between Berdych and Tsonga...

CAS wrote:Nadal once asked Federer to play doubles with him but he turned it down, he said he thought it was best for their rivalry they didn't play together

I think Nadal has mentioned a few times he would like to play doubles with Federer (who could blame him? Ha ha!). I've never heard that Federer thought it would affect their rivalry. In fact Nadal is of the impression that they may do so in the future. Maybe Federer just fed him that "Maybe later" put off.

I thought I'd check if they had faced each other across the doubles net. They have 3 times. Nadal leads the H2H 2-1 but Federer won the lastest match.

2004 Indian Wells. Nadal/Robredo beat Federer/Allegro 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 (How old was Nadal then!)

2007 Rome. Nadal/Moya beat Federer/Wawrinka 6-4, 7-6

2011 Indian Wells. Federer/Wawrinka beat Nadal/Mark Lopez 7-5, 6-3

Whilst I was checking also noticed that Nadal has faced Djokovic in doubles. Nadal and Francisco Roig (?!) beat Djokovic/Vemic 7-5, 6-4 at the Montreal Masters in 2009. I presume that must have been the time lags72 turned him down. I've never heard of an old coach (sorry Francisco...) having to stand in as a doubles partner. Djokovic must have taken this loss as a sign that he perhaps needed a new partner. The shame of being beaten by an old coach (sorry again Francisco) and the next year in Canada partnered Nadal. But no luck there either. Pospisil/Raonic beat Nadal/Djokovic 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 in the 2010 Toronto Masters.