Djokovic’s Hope for Friendship with Nadal and Federer: A Look at Tennis Rivalries and Lessons Learned

In an interview with Jon Wertheim on the widely watched interview format of the US broadcaster “CBS”, Djokovic revealed that he would “really want” a future friendship with Nadal and Federer.

This was unimaginable at the time of the mutual rivalry – the one with Federer ended after his retirement, the one with Nadal could flare up again after his approaching comeback. Laughing, Djokovic said: “It’s clear that we didn’t get along so well on the court.”

He was very annoyed when he met Nadal in the catacombs before games. “The way Nadal always jumps around before he goes on court… He does sprints next to you in the locker room. I could even hear the music playing on his headphones. That pissed me off.”

Both faced each other 59 times on the ATP Tour, with Djokovic winning 30 times. The Serb hopes for further duels with Nadal when he is fit again in 2024. Because: “This is the greatest rivalry this sport has ever had. Nadal is a great fighter.”

Rafael Nadal (l.), Roger Federer

Photo credit: Image

Djokovic and the lessons from the 2019 Federer final

Djokovic faced Roger Federer a total of 50 times and won 27 duels.

Djokovic has a special memory of the epic Wimbledon final in 2019: The Serb defeated the Swiss 7:6, 1:6, 7:6, 4:6, 13:12 after almost five hours. The 24-time Masters winner says today: “Statistically speaking, he was the better player in every respect, but I won the match.”

This shows that in tennis it’s not just about scoring the most points. “It showed that you can still win if you focus on the crucial moments and then show your best tennis there,” said the 36-year-old.

Wimbledon defeat also “pissed” Djokovic

This year’s Wimbledon final was less fortunate for Djokovic. The five-set defeat against Carlos Alcaraz “pissed him off so much that I had to win everything on American soil.”

He succeeded – he won the Masters in Cincinnati and the US Open.

The rivalry with his younger opponents, especially Alcaraz, is an additional motivation for him: “They awaken the beast in me.”

Nadal before comeback: “Why should I set a deadline?

2023-12-11 17:10:00
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