Novak Djokovic recently spoke with David Walsh of The Times UK, as they touched upon various topics. From vaccines to his relationship with the crowd, to the time when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal united against him. Tennis fans worldwide took note of the previously unknown last point and it exploded online.
Maybe not as much as Nick Kyrgios, but Novak Djokovic has also earned a bad reputation with the fans. He is seen as a polarizing figure, not someone who is immediately loved by people like Federer and Nadal. Nevertheless, he has forged ahead and made a stunning career out of it, winning more Grand Slams than anyone else.
As a Serbian, he believes he isn’t from a Western country which plays a role in him not getting enough recognition like the other two among the Big Three. The image Federer and Nadal built for themselves among fans has been increasingly difficult for Djokovic to achieve. Despite more Grand Slams than them, Djokovic struggles to find that place in fans’ hearts.
Before the Big Three, there was the ‘Big Two’ – Federer and Nadal, and they didn’t like that a third person, a Balkan, was coming after their titles. Djokovic has won two out of three Grand Slams per year on many occasions. But 2011 is when he was at his finest, winning all but the French Open. It’s also when he became World No. 1 for the first time in his career. This is the reason, Djokovic claimed, that the Swiss and the Spaniard didn’t take a liking to him.
“In the best sports rivalries, in all romantic novels, there are always two people, not three. It’s one of the reasons why I was an outsider. I don’t come from a Western country. I never had problems saying that I wanted to be # 1. A lot of people didn’t like that, including them [Roger and Rafa]. That’s why I was almost instantly judged and maybe not as liked”, said Djokovic to The Times UK.
Two of the ‘good guys’ of tennis didn’t consider Djoker as an equal. In 2011, Djokovic beat Federer in the semi-finals of AO before beating Andy Murray to win the trophy. He beat Federer again at the Dubai Championships in straight sets, and again in the Indian Wells.
This time, he beat Nadal as well in the final. He then went on to beat Nadal in Miami, the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the Wimbledon. He won all of them. Finally, he concluded the year’s Grand Slam by beating both Federer and Nadal at the US Open.
This is by far the most dominating display of tennis by Djokovic, possibly by anyone in the history of the sport.
Things cooled down between Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal towards the end
In September 2022, Federer retired from all forms of tennis after the Laver Cup. At age 40, Federer warmed up to Djokovic and even invited him to be a part of his retirement and farewell. Putting an end to an enduring rivalry, where Djoker won 27 and Federer won 23 out of their 50 encounters, Djokovic too got emotional about him.
Djokovic expressed gratitude, and admiration, and showered him with love for the rivalry and equation they shared on and off the court over the years. It was a moving speech.
As for Nadal, Djokovic has always been fond of him and always respected and admired his tenacity on the court. After a hiatus from injuries, Nadal made a comeback at the Brisbane International, and it was none other than Djokovic who welcomed him with a grand gesture on social media. They share a good equation now.
