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If Rafael Nadal successfully returns from injury, his rivalry with Novak Djokovic could move to the top of the list

Few matches have ever had as much riding on it as last year’s French Open final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

While Djokovic failed to become the first man since Rod Laver nearly 50 years ago to hold all four major titles at once, Nadal won a record-setting seventh French Open. It was their 15th meeting in a tournament final. Given their proximate ages (Nadal is 26; Djokovic is 25), It's not unreasonable to expect Djokovic and Nadal to break the Open era record for most final confrontations, established by Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe.

This 15-final run leapfrogged over Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl, who met 13 times, and it equals the number of finals contested between Jimmy Connors and McEnroe, who had to juggle his three rivalries—with Lendl, Connors and Björn Borg. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, joined by Becker and Stefan Edberg, are next on the list, but just one final ahead (16).

Like McEnroe, Nadal is a moonlighter when it comes to his rivalries, even if he has only had to work two jobs. He has clashed with Roger Federer in 19 finals, and it would be nice to see them meet in another one or two, so they might equal or surpass the record established by McEnroe and Lendl. But the smart money is on Nadal and Djokovic taking over the top spot. If Nadal’s health troubles are behind him once this spring’s clay season begins, they might even do it this year, which would position this as the Open era’s rivalry of rivalries.