The Serbian legend reflected on the relationship with his two great rivals, which has changed over time and was affected by what happened on the pitch
Novak Djokovic he became the most successful tennis player ever thanks to a long series of factors, including courage and audacity. The Serbian champion succeeded in the extraordinary feat of breaking the duopoly that had dominated men’s tennis before his arrival, preventing Roger Federer e Rafael Nadal to share all the most important titles. The rivalry between the Swiss and the Spaniard had been the pillar of the ATP circuit up to that point and had divided fans into factions, before Nole turned the tables and broke all kinds of records.
In a long interview granted to the former footballer and coach Slaven Bilic during the off-season, the 24-time Grand Slam champion explained in detail how the relationship with his two great rivals has changed: “The truth is that my behavior towards them has always remained the same. They are the two who changed their attitude towards me at a certain point. Nothing has ever changed on my part, in fact I admired them and I am ready to admit that they paved the way for me.” The 38-year-old from Belgrade then admitted that he had always felt closer to Nadal: “I felt greater coldness from Roger and – when I realized it – I accepted it without problems. When he approached me again, I welcomed him with open arms. As for Rafa, I always had the feeling of understanding him better. It also has something to do with the fact that we are almost the same age.”
Novak is the only one of the Big 3 still in action on the professional circuit and has no intention of giving up, although he will turn 39 in 2026. The former world number 1 has become the oldest ever to reach the semi-finals of the four Majors in the same season, but he is perfectly aware that it will take a miracle for him to beat again Jannik Sinner e Carlos Alcaraz in the final stages of the most important tournaments.
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