Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have delivered some epic matches in tennis history. Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Roger Federer by 27-23. One of the pivotal moments in the rivalry came when Djokovic defeated Federer in his own backyard in Basel in 2009.
Roger Federer has won an incredible 10 titles at the Basel Open but also lost a few finals. Before Novak Djokovic in 2009, Roger Federer lost the final in Basel for two consecutive years to Thomas Enqvist and Tim Henman. However, Djokovic’s win felt like a big change in momentum as it ended Federer’s 3-year winning streak at the tournament.
Did Roger Federer get sour with Novak Djokovic due to Basel 2009?
Roger Federer was defeated in the final of the Swiss Indoors in Basel by Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. It was the Serbian’s won fourth title of 2009. It came at a time when Federer was arguably the best player in the world, which wasn’t the case when he lost the other two finals.
After losing the first set, Federer came from a break down to win the second set and make the home crowd delirious again. However, Djokovic stormed to a 4-0 lead in the decider and sealed the victory in three sets.
Talking about the match in the post-match press conference, Novak Djokovic admitted that winning the first set after saving five break points was the turning point in the match. Also, he further added that he needed to hold his nerve against a hostile crowd.
“It was maybe the turning point in the whole match. I was fortunate to keep my nerves. I have to produce something special to win.”
This was a special win for Djokovic as it was his first win over Roger Federer on an indoor hard court and just his 5th overall. This win laid the foundation for the Serbian to later dominate this rivalry. Prior to that, Djokovic was one of the few players to have beaten Federer at least once on outdoor hard and clay courts respectively.
It raises the question whether that match was when Federer was certain that he could never get along with Djokovic. In the Australian Open 2009, the Swiss star had famously slammed the then defending champion for his lack of fitness. Although Djokovic never directly hit back at Federer in public, it was clear that a rivalry had been forged and the Serbian was to get more annoying for him.
Basel Indoors 2023 prize money and details
The Swiss Indoors championship is back in Basel again this year. Stan Wawrinka has replaced the absent Carlos Alcaraz in the main draw, giving the Swiss supporters a familiar face to cheer for.
The total prize money will surpass €2 million ($2.12 million) for the third time in the tournament’s history. €2,196,000 ($2.33 million) is the total prize money in 2023, which will be €60,650 ($64,316) increase from the last year. Felix Auger-Aliassime is the defending champion of the tournament. The tournament began from Sunday and will be completed next week.
