Rivalries are part and parcel of sport and there have been some fantastic ones over the years in tennis, involving the likes of Roger Federer, John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
Before we get into the list, an honourable mention goes to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are creating what could be one of the best rivalries in the game.
The duo have met 15 times since 2021, seven of those coming in finals, of which three were in Grand Slams, and the pair are expected to be the dominant forces in the men's game for years to come.
Male rivalries
Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal-Andy Murray
These four players combined to create some of the greatest rivalries in tennis, spanning over a 20-year period.
From 2004 to 2023, 68 of the 79 Grand Slams were won by either Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal or Andy Murray, demonstrating how dominant this quartet were during this period.
Djokovic and Nadal played each other the most of any two male players in the Open era, clashing 60 times (28 finals), with the Serb leading the head-to-head 31-29.
Second on the list Djokovic against Federer, with the duo meeting 50 times (20 finals) of which the Serb won 27 compared to the 23 of the Swiss.
In the rivalry between Djokovic and Andy Murray, the duo met 36 times in total, 20 of those coming in finals, with the Brit losing the head-to-head 25-11.
For Federer and Nadal, nine of their 40 contests came in Grand Slam finals, with two of the most memorable being at Wimbledon in 2007 and the 2009 Australian Open. The Spaniard won 24 of the clashes.
The Swiss and Murray came up against each other on 25 occasions, with Federer edging the head-to-head 14-11 and winning all three Grand Slam finals they met in.
For Nadal and against Murray, they clashed 24 times and it was the Spaniard who was the dominant force, winning 17 of the matches. These two never met in a Grand Slam final.
Bjorn Borg-John McEnroe
Although these two didn't meet often compared to some of the rivalries over the years, the 14 meetings between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe from 1978-1981, which they shared evenly, were gripping.
Borg won the first Grand Slam final between the pair, at Wimbledon in 1980, but McEnroe won the next three, twice at the US Open (1980 & 1981) and Wimbledon (1981).
Ivan Lendl-John McEnroe
Another McEnroe rivalry was the one with Ivan Lendl, who won 21 of the 36 meetings from 1980-1992.
The 1984 French Open is arguably the greatest match between the pair, with Lendl coming from two sets down to win and McEnroe describing it as his worst career loss.
Boris Becker-Stefan Edberg
A rivalry from 1984-1996, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg played each other 35 times and it was the German who led the head-to-head 25-10, although the Swede won three of their four Grand Slam meetings.
Becker and Edberg contested three Wimbledon finals in a row from 1988-1990, with the Swede winning either side of the German's 1989 success.
Female rivalries
Chris Evert-Martina Navratilova
The greatest female rivalry is arguably between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who clashed no less than 80 times from 1973-1988, of which 14 came in Grand Slam finals.
Navratilova won the overall head-to-head 43-37 and also triumphed in 10 of the 14 slam finals.
In the 12 years following the introduction of the WTA rankings in November 1975 until August 1987, one of these two players held the number one position for all except 23 weeks.
Steffi Graf-Monica Seles
Steffi Graff and Monica Seles met 15 times from 1989-1999, with 10 of those coming at Grand Slams and six in finals.
Seles won the first two slam finals at the French Open (1990 & 1992) and also triumphed in the 1993 Australian Open.
Graff clinched the Wimbledon spoils in 1992 and both US Open finals in 1995 and 1996.
One of the most serious incidents in tennis occurred during a match in Hamburg between these two, when Seles was stabbed in the back by a fan of her rival Graff.
Serena Williams-Venus Williams
There is enough of a rivalry created between two sisters, but the fact both Serena Williams and Venus Williams became two of the greatest female players in the history of the game just added to this.
Meeting each other 31 times from 1998-2020, Serena led the head-to-head 19-12 and won seven of the Grand Slam finals the pair contested.
Serena and Venus met in four consecutive major finals, from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open, becoming the first women to achieve this feat during the Open era.
