Djokovic vs. Federer vs. Nadal: Which Is the Real Grand Slam Rivalry?

It's an exciting time in men's grand-slam tennis. We've enjoyed the beautiful work of the world's greatest-ever player over the past decade; we've watched him battle with the power of the best-ever clay champion; and over the past year a new unbeatable force has arisen, striding around the court with supreme confidence.

So who are the real rivals we should be looking at in the months to come: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Nadal and Novak Djokovic or Djokovic and Federer?

Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer: Which Is the Real Grand Slam Rivalry?

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PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 03: Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a backhand during the men's singles semi final match between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day thirteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2011 in Paris

Roger Federer was the man to break that unbeaten streak of Novak Djokovic's. A gallant loser as well as a great champion, Djokovic was graceful and complimentary about his vanquisher at Roland Garros, but that loss will have stung—he would certainly have fancied his chances against Nadal after their recent matches. Djokovic will want revenge on Federer at Wimbledon.

Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal: Which Is the Real Grand Slam Rivalry?

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 06: Rafael Nadal of Spain on the practice court during day one of the AEGON Championships at Queens Club on June 6, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

This is the rivalry that has dominated men's tennis in recent years, but everyone thought it was over and that Federer was in decline. The French Open showed that this is certainly not the case. The lovely thing about this particular clash is that we all know full well how much these two respect each other and how well they get on—it's nice to see a fierce rivalry that isn't fuelled by hatred as with so many of the duos in history.

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic: Which Is the Real Grand Slam Rivalry?

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PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 03: Novak Djokovic of Serbia towels down between points during the men's singles semi final match between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day thirteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2011 i

And this is the rivalry that insiders at the start of the year said would be dominating tennis in the decade to come—the two younger players staking their claims to the world number one spot as Federer declines. This is definitely the rivalry for the future, but Federer is not going to step quietly out of the picture. Depending on the draw at Wimbledon, I wouldn't be surprised to see exactly the same four semifinalists as we had at Roland Garros.