In tennis history, only five men have achieved the remarkable feat of winning a Grand Slam without dropping a single set in the Open Era, and two of the Big Three—Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer—are on that prestigious list. While Novak Djokovic has claimed numerous records, this one remains elusive for him, despite some close attempts.
Rafael Nadal: The King of Clay’s Record-Breaking Feat
Nadal has accomplished this four times, all at the French Open, cementing his dominance on the Parisian clay. His first clean-sweep title came in 2008 when he defeated formidable opponents like Fernando Verdasco, Nicolás Almagro, and Djokovic, ultimately dismantling Federer in the final with a stunning 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. Nadal repeated the feat in 2010, 2017, and 2020, each time breezing through elite competition. His 2020 victory was particularly iconic, as he defeated Djokovic in straight sets, showcasing his unparalleled clay-court prowess.
Roger Federer: The Maestro’s Milestones on Grass and Hard Courts
Federer, known for his elegant style and versatility, won two Grand Slams without dropping a set, achieving this first at the 2007 Australian Open and then at Wimbledon in 2017. His hard-court clean sweep at the Australian Open in 2007 remains unique, as no other player has managed to go unchallenged on this surface in a major. A decade later, Federer dominated at Wimbledon, dispatching Mischa Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych, and Marin Cilic, to claim his eighth and final Wimbledon title.
Bjorn Borg: The Original Master of Straight-Set Dominance
The Swedish legend Bjorn Borg won three Grand Slams without losing a set, two of them at the French Open and one at Wimbledon. His 1978 French Open run, where he dropped only 32 games, set a new standard in efficiency. At Wimbledon, Borg outclassed rivals like Guillermo Vilas and Roscoe Tanner without conceding a set, solidifying his place as one of the all-time greats.
Ken Rosewall and Ilie Nastase: Trailblazers in Flawless Runs
Ken Rosewall became the first man in the Open Era to win a major without dropping a set at the 1971 Australian Open. The tournament format back then was different, with only a 48-player draw, but Rosewall still dispatched Roy Emerson, Tom Okker, and Arthur Ashe en route to his title. Two years later, Ilie Nastase joined the ranks with a perfect run at the French Open, becoming the first to win all seven matches without conceding a set, an impressive feat on the demanding clay courts of Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic: So Close, Yet So Far
Despite his 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic has come tantalizingly close but has yet to capture a major without dropping a set. Notably, in his maiden Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, Djokovic went set-perfect until the final, where he dropped the first set against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. In 2023, he was denied once more by a single lost set to qualifier Enzo Couacaud, leaving him still in pursuit of this rare milestone.
