Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have always maintained a certain level of popularity in the tennis community that Novak Djokovic has never been able to emulate. While there are many theories behind this phenomenon, one element has certainly contributed towards it. It is the one thing that has also set Nole starkly apart from the other two members of the Big Three and former tennis player John Lloyd has admitted to liking this fact about Djokovic and has called out Federer and Nadal.
Appearing on a podcast episode of Tennis Channel, Chris Evert’s former husband and the 1997 Australian Open finalist John Lloyd had a lengthy chat with the host. Discussing a variety of tennis related topics, the conversation soon turned towards Djokovic’s recent record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title. And Lloyd had a good point to make when it came to records and the Big Three.
Do Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal not care about records?
Roger Federer was the first amongst the Big Three to really awe the fans with his unmatched grace and talent on the courts. It speaks to his ability that when he broke Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam titles, nobody really batted an eye.
Rafael Nadal followed and started challenging Federer. While in the earlier phase the Swiss maintained a lead over Nadal in terms of the total Majors won, Nadal dominated the French open unlike any other tennis player has dominated any Grand Slam. It was apparent very early on in the Spaniard’s career that he would be setting unbreakable records at Roland Garros.
Both these players defied what a typical rivalry looks like by always being ever so gracious towards one another, always being respectful without showing any animosity. Both would look at the other when asked who was the better player or when asked who would end up with the better records. They quickly endeared themselves to fans of the sport; so much so that there was a separate fanbase just for their rivalry.
Then came Novak Djokovic who broke all the norms and shattered all hopes Fedal fans had of seeing Federer and Nadal continuing to dominate tennis for years to come. Not only was Djokovic highly competitive and shrewd and calculating on the tennis courts to the point of almost being brash, he was matching all of that with his talent and mentality.
And whenever the subject of records came up, the Serbian would unabashedly admit he was chasing them. In fact, as time went on and he started to carve himself a place in the conversation of the best players of the generation alongside Federer and Nadal, Djokovic’s appetite for records grew as well. Soon his dreams of holding a few records grew and he wanted it all. He wanted all of the biggest records to his name and he was not hiding it.
“Don’t believe them for a second!”
Novak Djokovic’s frank charge towards records alienated him from many fans, especially when compared to the two of his most esteemed competitors. The 23-time Grand Slam champion faced and continues to face a lot of flak for his stand on this. But it has undoubtedly also helped him work towards and achieve many accomplishments. And wile there may be those who don’t appreciate it, many others admire him for being honest about his aspirations.
One among those is John Lloyd, a former player who admires and respects Djokovic for his laser focused charge towards glory and statistical supremacy. Lloyd also does not buy the narrative that Federer and Nadal did not have the desire to achieve the same records and become the best in the sport, statistically speaking.
“He(Djokovic) was chasing the record and it meant a lot to him whereas, much as I love Rafa and Roger, they were both very, how can I say it, they were saying, whenever people brought it up that they weren’t really concerned about breaking the record….and I don’t believe that for one second. I’m sorry to say that but I don’t.
“I think Novak is the one that’s telling the truth. Every player wants records; this is what they live for.”
Lloyd makes a very good point about every player wanting to hold records. In all probability, neither Federer nor Nadal could have achieved such astonishing levels of success in the sport unless they were determined to leave a mark on history. Both are some of the most competitive athletes the sporting world has ever seen; you need only watch them on court once and that becomes very apparent.
The only difference between them and Djokovic is that they were not vocal about wanting to have the big records, and especially the biggest one of the most Majors, to their name.
