Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominated tennis for nearly two decades, but one surprise star had a winning record against both men.
Nadal and Federer’s incredible rivalry kept tennis thriving through the late 2000s and into the 2010s, as the two greats shared 42 Grand Slam titles between them.
The two would often meet in huge finals, and there weren’t many players on the tour at the time who could boast a winning record over the giants of the sport.
One star, who never reached a Grand Slam final and only reached a career high of World No. 12, managed to notch up more victories against Nadal and Federer than they managed against him.
Dominik Hrbaty’s incredible record over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Slovakian star Dominik Hrbaty played on the ATP Tour from 1996 to 2010, winning six titles but never making it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
Hrbaty reached a career high of World No. 12, but he had a strangely spectacular record against two of the greatest stars to ever play the game.
He held a 3-1 win record against Nadal, beating the star in Lyon and Auckland in back-to-back years between 2003 and 2005.
Not content with beating one master of the sport in a head-to-head battle, Hrbaty also held a positive record against Federer.
The Slovakian won two of his three matches against the Swiss superstar, defeating Federer at the Paris Masters in 2000 and the Cincinnati Masters in 2004.
His only loss to Federer came at Wimbledon in 2008, a year which saw the Swiss star reach the final, but lose in a classic match to Nadal.
Dominik Hrbaty was as surprised as anyone to beat Roger Federer
Hrbaty’s win over Federer at the Cincinnati Open came in surprising circumstances, particularly as the Swiss star took the first set 6-1.
Hrbaty fought back to take the next two sets and keep his 100% record over one of the greatest players the sport has ever produced.
“I think what happens, maybe, when you’re playing a little down, you can beat the players you don’t think you can beat,” said the Slovakian after causing the upset.
Hrbaty also held a 100% record over Andy Murray, having beat him in their only meeting at the Paris Masters in 2006.
