“I have the feeling that Djokovic doesn’t get any recognition. He doesn’t get the recognition he deserves,” Azarenka is quoted as saying by “Tennis World USA”.
According to the two-time Grand Slam winner, the Big 3 – the big three names in men’s tennis – differ in three simple ways. “Roger [Federer], his elegance, his incredible talent. I think he’s the most talented of the three. Rafael [Nadal] is just a fighter with all his heart,” Azarenka continued.
With Djokovic it would ultimately come down to mental strength, which the 31-year-old has never seen in this form before. “Novak has a mind – I don’t think I’ve seen that in any athlete before,” she said, impressed.
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“Some of the criticisms he is confronted with are his own fault,” said the Belarusian. “But you have to respect that he stands by what he believes in and doesn’t deviate from it.” Ultimately, however, this has nothing to do with the debate about a player’s qualities.
Azarenka: “People use double standards”
“You can agree with him, you can disagree with him – but he’s just so disciplined mentally,” said Azarenka. “I don’t think he gets enough credit and I’m amazed by that.”
At the end of the day, she could identify more with Djokovic than with Federer or Nadal.
“He’s been portrayed as a bad guy so many times,” said Azarenka, who was booed after her Wimbledon round of 16 defeat by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. The spectators were annoyed that Azarenka had not gone to the net for the usual handshake after the match – which Svitolina would have rejected anyway.
Victoria Azarenka
Photo credit: Image
“That’s the point where I can understand him, because some people have double standards,” she noted. “And I think he has to do a lot more than Rafa and Roger to keep a good image.”
“What I noticed – and maybe I’m completely wrong – is that when he was younger he wanted to be more likeable,” recalled the two-time Australian Open winner. “Now I feel like he just stopped caring.”
Since the French Open in 2023, Djokovic has been the sole record champion with 23 Grand Slam titles and led the world rankings as number one for a total of 389 weeks – also an absolute record.
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