Winning the 2009 ATP Finals was perhaps the highlight of Nikolay Davydenko’s career.
After failing to navigate his way over the last hurdle at the 2008 ATP Finals, Davydenko tasted ATP Finals glory in 2009.
It truly was an astounding run: Davydenko defeated Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Robin Soderling on his way to the final.
There, the former world number three defeated 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-4.
Davydenko, who won 21 titles during his career, also was one of the few players who had a winning record against Rafael Nadal.
Nikolay Davydenko’s record against Rafael Nadal
Davydenko, who made his Grand Slam debut at the 2001 Australian Open, defeated Rafael Nadal six times during his career.
Remarkably, Davydenko defeated Nadal in four consecutive matches between the 2009 Shanghai Masters and the 2011 Qatar Open.
Nadal defeated the Russian five times, the last occasion being at the 2012 Madrid Open.
Davydenko had a remarkable record in ATP finals, winning three-quarters of the final rounds he contested during his career [21-7].
Two of Davydenko’s three Masters 1000 title triumphs were won at the expense of Nadal. In 2008, Davydenko defeated Nadal in the Miami Open final, and in 2009 Davydenko defeated the Spaniard in the Shanghai Masters final.
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| 2006 ATP Finals | Rafael Nadal | 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2007 Italian Open | Rafael Nadal | 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 |
| 2008 Miami Masters | Nikolay Davydenko | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2008 Monte-Carlo Masters | Rafael Nadal | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2008 Paris Masters | Nikolay Davydenko | 6-1 [RETIRED] |
| 2009 Barcelona Open | Rafael Nadal | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2009 Shanghai Masters | Nikolay Davydenko | 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2009 ATP Finals | Nikolay Davydenko | 6-1, 7-6 |
| 2010 Qatar Open | Nikolay Davydenko | 0-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2010 Qatar Open | Nikolay Davydenko | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2012 Madrid Open | Rafael Nadal | 6-2, 6-2 |
Davydenko called Federer ‘lucky’ after losing in the 2007 US Open semi-final
Despite being one of the elite players of his generation, Nikolay Davydenko never engineered the opportunity to win a Grand Slam.
The Russian appeared in the semi-finals of four Grand Slams during his career: at the 2005 and 2007 French Open, and the 2006 and 2007 US Open.
After losing his final semi-final to Roger Federer, Davydenko was asked for ‘the one thing that makes Roger Federer so tough.’
He said: “Lucky. He’s lucky sometimes. You know, like if he gets a chance in the third set, I think everybody see like I try winning by 5-4 and double set point, okay, one returning bad.
“But play from baseline, you know, hitting like, like happening not first time against him already. Like happening Australian Open. I have set point and I hitting, play from baseline rally, and like try, you know, move him, and you know, make some little bit mistake like today.
“But by 5-4, I was just try, you know, concentration like hundred percent. Just keep all my power, you know, winning third set. And then like I losing 5-5, and I lose game and set.”
A reporter responded by saying: “Is luck something just happens or is luck something that you make?”
“I don’t know. I think Federer’s always lucky,” Davydenko said.
Really, like some many points, like I was surprising how hitting. Like sometimes he make some great slice, you know, from cross. Because I try to push.
“Sometimes I try to make moving him like from right and left, and then just some points he just play like so good. You know, I don’t understand how you can.
“You know, guys running right, left, you get not so great control from baseline. He just keeping balls back. But he like sometimes plays so well and then you losing points. You like surprising because you don’t know how is possible.
“That’s was okay, but, you know, he’s play well. He try always to play very good, but, you know, today was windy. It’s pretty tough to play very good from baseline.”
Federer, who defeated Davydenko 7-5, 6-1, 7-5 in the 2007 US Open semi-final, had a 16-2 record against the Russian.
