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Novak Djokovic acknowledges he is not friends with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal but adds he would like that to change in the future once they are all done with pro tennis. The Big Three – Djokovic, Federer and Nadal – marked one golden era of tennis and many believe that there will never be a rivalry between three players as great as the one between the Big Three.
Djokovic, who has managed in recent years to surpass Federer and Nadal on the all-time Grand Slam record list, has been pretty honest throughout his career in saying that he is not really friends with his two biggest rivals.
Djokovic may not be friends with Federer and Nadal but he highlights that he has always had “the greatest respect” for his two biggest rivals. One day, Djokovic would like to sit at the same with Federer and Nadal and reflect on everything that happened between them on the court.
Djokovic on not being friends with Federer & Nadal, hopes that’ll change
“I would like to. I would really like to. Personally, I would like to. I mean, I know that obviously (laughs) we didn’t get along so well throughout our careers in, like, off court.
And we are not friends because, you know, we’re rivals and it’s difficult as competitors to be very close and kind of share and give insights to you know, to your life or to how you feel because, you know, it could be used against you.
But we have shared the stage for so many years. And I think the greatest respect is always there, at least from my side, towards them. So yeah, I hope that one day, when the curtains are slightly more closed, that we are, yeah, able to sit down and, and reflect.
It would be, it would be amazing,” Djokovic told Jon Wertheim on 60 Minutes, via tennis.com. Last year, Djokovic and Nadal were a part of Federer’s farewell at the Laver Cup. While Federer and Nadal were playing a doubles match, Djokovic was supporting them from the Team Europe bench.
