Novak Djokovic sums up Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal relationship with comment about mum

Tennis large Novak Djokovic has said successful the past helium has ne'er been friends with Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal, and the Serb has again reiterated that constituent successful brutal fashion

Novak Djokovic has reiterated his content that contempt his legendary rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he's ne'er really been friends with them.

The 3 person dominated tennis arsenic the modern Holy Trinity, pushing each different to the top heights portion accounting for the immense bulk of large titles implicit the past 20 years. But Djokovic has travel cleanable astir the camaraderie betwixt himself and his 2 nemeses - oregon the deficiency thereof.

Behind their on-court battles and seemingly affable appearances, the competitory tone was evidently each that genuinely connected Djokovic with his rivals. The 37-year-old has said helium feels "very proud" and "totally honoured" to beryllium portion of the aureate trio of modern tennis, but helium ne'er shared overmuch of a idiosyncratic enslaved with Federer nor Nadal.

In a caller interrogation with Argentinian regular La Nacion (via the Daily Express), Djokovic said: "For galore years, I saw them much often than my mother. We weren't adjacent friends, but I tin accidental that we got to cognize each different well.

"These rivalries bring millions of radical to the athletics and link radical successful a mode that is eternal. Eternal. Because adjacent those who are not tennis fans mightiness beryllium fans of 1 of us. I deliberation everyone is simply a instrumentality of our matches, it's thing that volition past for generations."

"I'm precise arrogant of the acquisition of having played much than 60 matches with Rafa and I don't know, astir 50 with Roger. It's incredible. I don't cognize if determination is immoderate rivalry with arsenic galore matches arsenic I had with Nadal, for example."

'Nole' described the three-year spread betwixt his archetypal and 2nd Grand Slam crowns (2008 and 2011) arsenic "fundamental" for his maturation successful tennis. And it was acknowledgment to Nadal and Federer that helium had to endure that wait, with the duo accounting for 10 of the 11 large singles titles crossed that span.

Today, the Serb stands arsenic the last titan near lasting amongst his contemporaries, earning an unparalleled postulation of 24 Grand Slam titles. And arsenic Nadal prepares to articulation Federer successful retirement, galore would hold that haul cements Djokovic arsenic the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of men's tennis.

Djokovic besides touched upon the affectional interaction Federer and Nadal's exits person had connected him - albeit unexpectedly. While their relationships whitethorn not rather acceptable the measure of friendship, they look to tally heavy successful their ain unsocial ways.

"Some radical said I was going to beryllium devastated [when Roger retired], but I didn't judge them," said Djokovic erstwhile describing his absorption to Federer's exit. "But erstwhile I was determination [at the 2022 Laver Cup successful London] and erstwhile I saw that helium was really withdrawing, I was like, 'Wow, this affects maine too.'"

With Nadal's forthcoming withdrawal from nonrecreational tennis aft the Davis Cup Finals, it signals an extremity of an epoch strewn with epic rivalries These competitions came to specify a procreation of tennis, and successful immoderate ways, that bequest is lone preserved each the much knowing it was each concern for astatine slightest 1 of the parties.

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