Novak Djokovic has made his stance on tennis rivalries unmistakably clear — and Roger Federer didn’t make the cut. Speaking at the 2025 Laureus Sports Awards, the 24-time Grand Slam winner named Rafael Nadal as the greatest rival of his career, while also lavishing praise on Carlos Alcaraz, leaving Federer out of the conversation entirely.
“I remember extraordinary matches against Nadal, the biggest rival of my career,” Djokovic said during the event in Madrid, where Nadal was honored with the Laureus Sporting Icon Award.
The comment raised eyebrows, as the trio of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal are widely regarded as the greatest male players in tennis history. Their intense battles have shaped two decades of the sport, but Djokovic’s omission of Federer suggests a shifting perspective — or a personal hierarchy that favors his fiercest clay-court competitor.
Djokovic also spoke warmly of Carlos Alcaraz, calling him a “nice person” with “great values.” The 37-year-old Serbian star is on a potential collision course with the young Spaniard at this year’s Madrid Open, with both men drawn in the same half and a semi-final matchup possible.
“After the loss to Alcaraz in 2022, I hope to reach the semi-finals again,” Djokovic said. “He’s obviously an extraordinary champion. Very young, with many titles already. But more than that, he’s someone I admire as a person — always smiling, always respectful. His team, his family, they’re all good people.”
This year marks Djokovic’s return to the Madrid Open for the first time since that 2022 defeat to Alcaraz. While questions have lingered over his motivation as he nears the end of his career, the Serbian insisted that he remains fully committed.
“If I’m not motivated, I’m not here,” he told Eurosport. “I still have the desire to play. I love competing. I always feel good in Madrid — I’ve had incredible matches here against Nadal and Alcaraz.”
Alcaraz, meanwhile, arrives in top form after winning in Monte Carlo and finishing runner-up in Barcelona earlier this month.
Whether Djokovic will get the rematch he craves remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: his admiration for Nadal and Alcaraz has never been more publicly declared — while Federer, once a central figure in the GOAT debate, was conspicuously absent from the spotlight this time.
