- The world No.1 caused a stir following yet another icy remark regarding his relationship with Nadal and Djokovic
- He powered to the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday after defeating Adrian Mannarino in three straight sets
- He doesn’t care much about Federer and Nadal
Novak Djokovic vs Federer vs Nadal with the next tennis stars such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is much better than it was with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
The world No.1 caused a stir following yet another icy remark regarding his relationship with Nadal and Djokovic.
He powered to the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday after defeating Adrian Mannarino in three straight sets.
His victory over the Frenchman equalled his tally of 58 times that he is playing in the Melbourne quarter-finals. Federer held this record until his retirement in 2022.
Novak Djokovic vs Federer vs Nadal Relationship
Speaking candidly to the media following the victory, Djokovic answered questions regarding Novak Djokovic vs Federer vs Nadal relationship with no holds barred.
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Photo/TennisBuzz
The 24-time Grand Slam champion bemoaned lack of connection with Federer and Nadal. It wasn’t the first time he was opening up on this.
He said in December 2023 that he is not a friend to Nadal and Federer. In contrast, Nadal enjoy a cordial relationship with Federer.
And yet again, he opened up that he feels more at ease and with a connection with the likes of Alcaraz, Medvedev, Sinner, Holger Rune among others.
“I am really enjoying the rivalries I have with all those guys. Alcaraz, Medvedev, (Jannik) Sinner, everybody near the top I get along with quite nicely,” he admitted in the locker room according to Soso Ozmo, a famed tennis journalist.
He further said that it ‘feels nicer’ having them than it felt with the ‘big two’.
“If I were to compare my relationship with them to the one I had with Federer and Nadal, the relationship with my younger fellow players is much better, nicer. I enjoy it.”
Why is Novak Djokovic’s Relationship with Nadal and Federer Poor?
The 37-year-old points out that the new generation players are more communicative than Federer and Nadal ever were.
“It’s just more open, the younger guys are more communicative. We just get along better, that’s it,” he explained.
That was the second icy remark on Federer and Nadal that Djokovic made this week. It stems from an admission by Federer not long ago that he did not enjoy Djokovic’s early-career behaviour.
The retired Swiss player stated this following Djokovic’s triumph in the third round of the Australian Open 2024 last week.
Federer made the remarks in response to Djokovic’s criticism of American tennis player Ben Shelton, whom he saw as acting in a “unsportsmanlike” manner at the US Open 2023.
Novak Djokovic phone dial taunt after beati g Ben Shelton at the US Open semi-finals. Photo/Hindustan Times
What Happened Between Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic?
Shelton’s rivalry started at the US Open 2023 semifinals. Djokovic defeated the young American tennis player after he [Shelton] high hopes of defeating the Serbian.
However, Shelton lost in all three sets 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(4) to the Serbian despite breaking his serves five times.
It is after the defeat that Djokovic mockingly mimicked Shelton’s ‘phone down’ signature gesture. This was the beginning of their bad blood going down to 2024.
Djokovic faced criticism for his jesting, but he didn’t say he was sorry. He clarified that if Shelton had won the battle, he would have mocked him the same way.
“This is my reaction to a provocation that came from the other side, it was a reaction against him. He did not behave properly, with respect, on the court, and before the match, he told L’Equipe.
Still, Djokovic says that Federer is salty about his [Djokovic’s] confidence in the beginning that he wanted to be the best tennis player in the world.
“I know certainly Federer didn’t like the way I was behaving at the beginning. I think it didn’t sit with him well. I guess I wasn’t the favourite type of guy to some of the top guys because I was not afraid to say that I want to be the best player in the world,” explained the world No. 1.
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