Novak Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer, collectively known as the “Big-3,” have had a long-standing rivalry over the past two decades. With a combined total of 64 Grand Slam victories, the trio has ruled the tennis world. Additionally, they have together occupied the top spot for 905 weeks, or 17 years, according to the world rankings.
Following his victory against Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Italian Open on May 15, Djokovic made a statement about his friendship with Federer. He said that despite their tremendous rivalry, the two have never been rivals.
“We have never been friends; it is impossible for rivals to be friends, but we have never been adversaries. I’ve respected Roger forever”
he declared in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera.
Similar sentiments were stated by the Serb on his friendship with Nadal, who claimed that despite their prior off-court interactions, camaraderie between competitors is “impossible.”
“We first went out to dine together, but friendship is difficult with him as well. He said, “I’ve always respected and appreciated him”.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner named the 2019 Wimbledon final as his most memorable match versus Federer when questioned about his most memorable encounters with his arch-rivals. Meanwhile, he cited his most memorable encounter with the Spaniard as the 2012 Australian Open final.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner named the 2019 Wimbledon final as his most memorable match versus Federer when questioned about his most memorable encounters with his arch-rivals. Meanwhile, he cited his most memorable encounter with the Spaniard as the 2012 Australian Open final.
“The 2019 Wimbledon encounter in which I denied Roger two match points. The other was my physical fight with Nadal in Australia in 2012, which lasted over six hours,” he stated.
“The crowd was against me when I played against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer”: Djokovic, Novak
Every time he played the crowd favourites Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic thought back on his experiences playing in front of hostile crowds. In order to overcome this obstacle and achieve success, he understood the necessity of developing mental toughness.
“The audience was always against me in tournaments when I played against Federer and Nadal. You have to create the strength inside your brain or you will never win, I told myself. But turning support for anything into energy is not a simple task. It occasionally fails. He said, “I failed, I failed, I failed and I won, just like Michael Jordan.
In their head-to-head matchup, Djokovic is ahead of Federer 27–23. His winning streak versus Nadal currently stretches at 30-29.