Three biggest all-time rivalries in tennis

The game of tennis has created some of the greatest rivalries in sport. Off the court, the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray are amicable colleagues - but on it, they are the deadliest of rivals; chasing serves, returns and, of course, Grand Slam titles. We have seen plenty of greats form mouth-watering matchups in recent years. Here is a look at three of the biggest rivalries in tennis.

3. Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe

John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg share an intense rivalry. They arrived on the scene from entirely different backgrounds - one a cool, calm Swede, the other an aggressive, confrontational New Yorker - and produced some of the most magical moments in tennis. All of their matches came between 1978-81, and they split their 14 career meetings. Perhaps their most memorable was the 1980 Wimbledon Championships where McEnroe saved seven match points in the fourth set before Borg regained the momentum and won the match in five.

2. Chris Evert vs Martina Navratilova

It was perhaps the biggest rivalry in women’s sports. Spanning over 16 years and 80 matches, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova defined what tennis was all about. The pair had a close relationship that continues today, but their rivalry on the court was one of the most fascinating on the circuit. Before a young Navratilova burst onto the scene in the mid-1970s, Evert was virtually unbeatable. The Ice Maiden was deadly with the racket, picking off major after major. In fact, she took 21 of their first 25 meetings, although it was the legendary Czech who took 30 of the last 39.
 

1. Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer

Competing against each other for over a decade, Nadal and Federer have become poster boys for the Golden Age of tennis. Their stardom hasn’t been restricted to the court, both heading up some of the biggest brands in the world. The pair has displayed a stellar rivalry on the court and a close friendship off it, with the 2008 Wimbledon final between the two being lauded as the one of the best matches of all time.