Novak Djokovic was hit in the face by a lethal backhand from Rafael Nadal that saw Nole giving a death stare before snubbing the handshake at the Canadian Open

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal competed in the finals of the Canadian Masters in 2013.

Novak Djokovic was hit in the face by a lethal backhand from Rafael Nadal that saw Nole giving a death stare before snubbing the handshake at the Canadian Open

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (Source: French Open 2023)

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are two of the fiercest rivals on the tour. The duo have shared the biggest stage for well over a decade, and are arguably two of the greatest tennis players of all time. Nadal and Djokovic have played several matches against each other, and there have been heated moments between the two in the past.

One of those incidents came at the 2013 Canadian Open when the two players competed in a thrilling three-set encounter in the finals. The incident occurred during the third set, with the score being level at 2 games each. It was a pretty important juncture in the game, as Rafael Nadal was 30-30 on serve.

YouTube video

Rafael Nadal hit a drop shot, which was met with another drop shot from Novak Djokovic. This time Nadal rushed to the net, and hit a two-handed backhand. However, the ball hit the Serbian on his upper body, which certainly did not please him. He gave the Spaniard a death stare, with Nadal instantly apologizing for the same.

FS Video

Also Read: Matteo Berrettini talks about his fight with mental issues revealing that there is no end to darkness

Rafael Nadal prevails over Novak Djokovic in tense Canadian Open final

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (French Open : Source)
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (French Open : Source)

Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic in three sets, as he outplayed the Serbian in the final set tiebreaker. The Spaniard won the tiebreaker by a score-line of 7-2 to capture the Canadian Open title. The duo had a brief interaction at the end, with Rafael Nadal again apologizing for his unintentional backhand which hit the Serb. Novak Djokovic was visibly frustrated with the incident, and perhaps the outcome of the match, as was seen by his expressions during their interaction.

The quality of tennis during the finals was pretty high, with both players competing at the peak of their powers. Rafael Nadal won the first set, before Novak Djokovic established control in the second set. The final set was a very closely contested affair, with the Spaniard holding his nerve when it mattered the most.

The two players again met a couple of weeks later at the 2013 US Open finals. Again, Nadal prevailed in four sets to claim his second US Open title. This was the third time that the duo competed in the finals at the Flushing Meadows, with Rafael Nadal leading the head-to-head record 2-1.

In case you missed it: