One of the most enjoyable aspects at the top end of world tennis is the way in which the Men’s Top Four seem to respect and possibly even like each other as fellow human beings.
Even at the height of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal’s epic rivalry – the greatest the sport has ever seen – at no point did it seem to boil over into something personal. It was a refreshing change from other sports such as Formula 1 where enmities brewed eternally.
Similarly it might be going a bit far to refer to Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic as friends, even if they teamed up in the doubles in 2006 and went to training camp together as juniors. But what is clear is the utmost respect they have for each other.
The two are now the preeminent duo in Men’s tennis as Nadal stutters slightly after an injury lay-off and Federer declines.
To illustrate their current position, they have faced off against each other in three of the last four Grand Slam finals, with Murray winning two.
But can their rivalry come close to capturing the imagination to the same degree as Nadal v Federer?
The private battle of wills between the Swiss maestro and the Spanish contender began at a time when Federer was the dominant force in the men’s game during the mid-noughties.
With a need for a challenger to keep the sport’s interest alive, Nadal emerged and was not only cast as a nemesis but frustrated Federer no end in a way that no other player could.
The rivalry was defined by epic encounters, such as the enthralling 2008 Wimbledon final which is still regarded as the greatest game of tennis ever played.
It can be put on the same level – in terms of mutual success and ability – as Prost v Senna, Barcelona v Real Madrid and LA Lakers v Boston Celtics.
Thus, Djokovic v Murray has a lot to live up to. The 2012 US Open final was a nail-biting match but the fact that it took place when Murray had still not won a Grand Slam title diminishes it slightly.
Given that both Djokovic and Murray were painted as emerging challengers rather than a David v Goliath narrative will possibly lessen the impact of their rivalry. Also Murray will need to improve his Grand Slam count and close in on Djokovic’s tally of six to inject intrigue.
But then again there are subplots. The Serb and the Scot are born five days apart. Their record against each other in Grand Slam finals is also tight as a screw with two wins each.
The two are likely to meet in the US Open final later this year if all goes to plan. But there is a wildcard in the shape of Nadal.
If he overcomes his injuries and returns to his imperious form he is more than capable of creating a triumvirate rivalry which would resemble the final duel from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Perhaps that would be the perfect balance of power rather than a straight fight between Djokovic and Nadal even if a one on one rivalry seems to suit most sporting and cinematic narratives.
