Comparing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

People have been debating if Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal is the greatest tennis player of all time.

Some people think Federer is the best. But other people ask: If Federer is the best, and Nadal is better than Federer, would that make Nadal the best?

So, between Federer and Nadal, who is better?

I will use a method that I think is fair: to compare their head-to-head record during their prime.

I define Federer’s prime as the period from 2003 Wimbledon to 2010 Australian Open.

I define Nadal’s prime as the period from 2005 French Open to the time beyond Federer’s prime.

So, their primes overlap from 2005 French Open to 2010 Australian Open. Let’s look at their records during this period.

During this period, Federer and Nadal met 18 times.  The record is as follows:

	Federer	Nadal
Total	6	12
Clay	2	9
Grass	2	1
Hard Court	2	2

The conclusion: Nadal is better on clay. Federer is better on grass. They are even on hard court.

Other conclusions: Federer was more consistent on clay than Nadal was on grass and hard court. Federer reached more clay tournament finals than Nadal reached grass or hard court finals.

Other aspects:

Talent: Federer is more talented.

Mental strength: Nadal is mentally stronger.

Endurance during a match: They are equal.

Durability during a season: Federer was more durable in a season.