Djokovic dissects his relationship with Federer and Nadal like never before: "My attitude towards them never changed, but theirs.."

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 15 Jun 2025 | 10.45

Djokovic, relationship of the Big 3. Photo: gettyimages

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An intimate, profound, and revealing conversation. That's what Novak Djokovic offered to one of the most important interview programs in all of Serbia. A key part of the interview focused on his relationship with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, both personally and in terms of their tennis rivalry, as well as how he handled not feeling welcomed by the fans.

Important details of Novak Djokovic's confessions had already been leaked in a long and intense interview for a media outlet, like admitting to having better rapport with Rafael Nadal than with Roger Federer throughout his career. The core of the conversation has generated truly impactful headlines that have shaken the tennis world, such as what motivates him to continue competing. Understanding the intricacies of the personality of one of the greatest athletes of all time is always more than interesting, and his references to the Spanish and the Swiss players are spectacular.

- Evolution of his personal relationship with Nadal and Federer

"It was frustrating; I felt they wanted to distance me from their own story. They had built up a great rivalry because Rafa had stood out a few years before me, and all of a sudden, I appeared saying to everyone that I wanted to be the best in the world because I knew I could be better than them. That didn't sit well, neither with them nor with the tennis world in general. Rafa and Roger come from European powers aligned with the Western world, associated with peace, freedom, equality, etc. There are many nationalistic biases around the world, and you realize that borders and racism still exist, not that I suffered from it, but it exists in general," Novak clarified.

"What I always did was show my admiration towards them; both were my benchmarks to surpass. I know that maybe it wasn't politically correct to challenge them that way. I never spoke ill of them, but the entire establishment - the press, sponsors, etc. - started to portray me as a villain. I felt like an unwanted child; I couldn't understand why people didn't like me when I wanted to form a bond beyond tennis with the fans. There was a time when I tried to find a way to earn that affection, but later on, I realized I wasn't achieving it and that I had to stay true to myself, be honest with myself, and sleep soundly," he mentioned.

Delving into how his relationship as part of the Big 3 was structured and how they are now, being very close, Novak was straightforward. "I have never changed my attitude towards Rafa and Roger. When they decided to create distance and be cold towards me, I accepted it. And when they decided to approach me, I welcomed them with open arms. I have said many times that a part of me has left with their retirements; even when Rafa was preparing for his departure last year, I felt different. It's clear they were crucial to my development as a tennis player; they made me constantly improve, especially since 2011," the Serbian declared.

- Details of his tennis rivalry as part of the Big 3

Asked by the interviewer about how Nadal had expressed on several occasions how difficult it was for him to face Djokovic due to the lack of a clear tactic since the Serbian didn't show obvious weaknesses in his game, his reflection is fantastic and highlights the greatness of this rivalry.

"I'm particularly pleased that Rafa felt that way because that was always what I aimed to evoke in my rivals. Since I was a child, the goal was to make my tennis as comprehensive as possible, for rivals to feel I had an answer for everything. My style of play can be equally effective on all surfaces and adapt to any context. It was in 2011 when I started to feel I achieved that, that I had solutions for everything and the level required for no one to beat me," he affirmed.

"It has been very special for me to defeat Federer at Wimbledon multiple times and Nadal at Roland Garros. Those were their courts. For instance, playing against Rafa at Philippe Chatrier is a unique, indescribable experience. You feel a special energy, as if everything is vibrating. The characteristics of that court made me feel it was impossible to outplay Nadal, that I couldn't hit a winning shot against him due to the depth between the baseline and the fence; it felt like I couldn't hit a winner," he explained.

- Complex relationship with the fans

"When I faced matches like those, against Roger and Rafa in their favorite stadiums, I knew I wouldn’t have much support. It affected me a lot at first, to be honest. I was fighting against them but also against myself. I've heard people say many times that I needed to be provoked, that it worked in my favor, and in some situations, that's true, but who wants to be in a stadium full of people booing at them? That wasn't what I wanted," emphasized a very sincere and honest Novak Djokovic, whose opinions are truly worth dissecting.