In a recent interview, Roger Federer talked candidly about his early thoughts on Novak Djokovic, acknowledging that, at the time, he didn’t treat the Serb with the respect he deserved. The Swiss legend explained his earlier answer by pointing out that when they first met, Djokovic was a very different player from the “unbelievable” one he is today.
Having competed 50 times on the ATP Tour, Djokovic and Federer enjoy one of the strongest rivalries in contemporary tennis. The Serb leads the head-to-head 27–23 and has won six of their previous seven encounters.
When Federer recalled that match in a behind-the-scenes video from his upcoming film “Roger: Twelve Final Days,” he said he left the court feeling that Djokovic was just “OK.” He underlined that he wasn’t quite persuaded by the buzz surrounding him and that the now 37-year-old’s backhand was not as smooth as it is presently.
The former world No. 1 also acknowledged that Djokovic had overcome all of his shortcomings to become a terrific player.
Federer stated his remarks about Djokovic in a recent interview and said: “I played him in Monaco the very first time (Federer won 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in 2006), and I walked off the court and thought, ‘Yeah, he’s OK. Even though there was some hype around him, I wasn’t really fully convinced. I think I didn’t give Novak the respect he deserved because of his technical flaws. I felt like Novak had a very extreme forehand grip, and his backhand for me wasn’t as fluid as it is nowadays. But then he ironed those things out super well and became an unbelievable monster of a player.”
He further said: “The Federer fans at the beginning didn’t like him because they just thought, ‘Roger’s a bit more easy; he does it with ease.’ Then Novak came in with his strong personality and that unbelievable grit of wanting to win at all costs. I think also Novak was triggered by the relationship with the fans. I think that deep focus may have scared some people away. I think he’s been a little bit misunderstood. I look past the media and I see, at the end, what a man he is. If I take away his game, who is he? What are his values? I know he cares very deeply about his family.”
Novak Djokovic in 2024
Now the world no.3, Novak played his last match on the 3rd of June when he defeated world no.27 Francisco Cerundolo 6-1 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3 in the 4th round of the French Open (draw).
Currently, during this year the Serbian has an overall 18-6 match record. Novak Djokovic’s best result of this year was reaching the semifinal at the Australian Open, Monte Carlo and Geneva.
Djokovic has scheduled to play next at the Wimbledon (Wimbledon). He will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 1st of July.