Novak Djokovic Supporters Take Surprise Dig at Roger Federer After Rafael Nadal’s Responses to Their Tributes

Rafael Nadal has had tributes pouring in from all over the world following his retirement. It was natural that his two biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, would also do their bit out of the mutual respect they have for Nadal.

Both the legends shared video tributes of their own, and even though Nadal was appreciative of them on social media, it did not stop some Djokovic superfans from having a go at Federer. In Djokovic’s video, he was seen talking eloquently to the camera about what his rivalry with Nadal really meant to him, among other things.

What was fascinating was that Djokovic ended the video by referring to Nadal as a ‘friend’. It shows that Nadal and Djokovic have really buried their past differences, and their acts of camaraderie, especially in recent times, were not publicity stunts or marketing gimmicks.

Nadal even responded to that on his IG story with a caption, ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart’.

On the other hand, Nadal did not share Federer’s video in which he was grateful for their times with their respective foundations, the 2008 Wimbledon final, and the 2022 Laver Cup doubles partnership, amongst other big moments. Instead, the Spaniard shared a video montage made by the ATP in which some of Federer’s statements about him came in the background.

It is important to note that Federer had already written a special retirement letter for Nadal, which went viral on social media as well. While Federer could not make it to Malaga for the Spaniard’s farewell, he promised that he would be cheering for him.

However, the fact that Djokovic promised to be there in person for Nadal and shared such a video made his fans proud of him and believe that Nadal has ‘realized who his true friends are on the Tour’. It made them question Federer’s authenticity again.

Is Djokovic vs Federer the top fan war in tennis after Nadal’s responses?

The answer to that is seemingly yes. Nadal has become affable with both his rivals over the years, even though the Spaniard is not spared from their fans’ trolls either on some occasions.

However, many Djokovic superfans have not forgotten and forgiven Federer for some of his past actions and words.

Many on the Serb’s side noted that Nadal made sure to be there for Federer’s farewell at the 2022 Laver Cup despite carrying an injury, but the Swiss star failed to reciprocate that gesture. Besides that, they also felt that Djokovic spoke straight from the heart and was more convincing with his style of speaking and words.

There were some X users though, who supported Federer in this and questioned the motive of the post.

These seem to be mere speculations since Federer has always been friendly with Nadal and has had the highest praise and regard for him. Nadal hasn’t spoken about his latest equation with Federer either or explicitly shown it on social media.

In the past, Nadal has claimed that he isn’t the best of friends with anyone on the ATP Tour. But if there is one person outside of his Spanish colleagues, such as David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez, with whom he is in touch sometimes, it is Federer.

Despite this, Nadal’s retirement seems to be overshadowed on social media with this Djokovic vs Federer narrative. It is quite possible that this event will not be the only trigger for another fan war in the future unless the duo share a bond similar to the one Nadal shares with both of them.