Novak Djokovic reveals the exact moment when he realised he could compete with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic reveals the exact moment when he realised he could compete with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic is now the last of a very special group of tennis players still competing in the modern game.
Even with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner forming a new duopoly over the sport, he remains present and competitive, even if form and fitness have failed him at times throughout the year.
Time is a punishment that few can avoid, and it’s clear the toll it took on Roger Federer, and more recently Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic shows no signs of slowing down dramatically, but he remains the last of the Big Three standing now.
Novak Djokovic speaks about the Big Three’s rivalry
Speaking to La Nacion, asked about one of the most legendary three-way rivalries in the history of all sport, Novak Djokovic was unsurprisingly complimentary.
After all, he would note: ‘I see it as you describe it: as one of the greatest rivalries, without a doubt, of the whole sport, and I am very proud and I feel totally honoured to be part of that group.
‘They are older than me, Rafa for a year, and Roger for six. And they influenced my game and my development as a tennis player more than any other player.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic of Team Europe talk on centre court during Day One of the Laver Cup at The O2 Arena on September 23,…
‘I became a candidate for the Gland Slams and started to be at the highest level of the professional standard when I won the Grand Slam in 2008. But I won the next one in 2011. It took me three years to win the second Grand Slam and I was number 3 in the world during those three years. I was also number 2 in 2009 and I was playing at a very high level, but I couldn’t win Grand Slams for the two of them. They mastered everything.
‘I didn’t have the formula to defeat them. I could beat them in one or two minor games, but not the important ones. Those three years were fundamental to my development. They made me more hungry to win, especially the two of them. I knew that if I found a way to be like those guys in the big games, and I knew that a lot of that came from here [mentally), in a way I could decipher the mystery of the Grand Slams and start winning more. And that’s what happen Ed.
‘Something that also helped me a lot was winning the Davis Cup for my country, the only one that Serbia won, in 2010. That gave me wings, an incredible confidence, I was on the crest of the wave. But the rivalry with them was incredible.’
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be retired in 2025
It’s sad to say, but with Rafael Nadal retiring from tennis next month, 2025 will see two of the Big Three permanently absent from the sport.
Only Djokovic is left.
Fortunately though, as the sole representative of this legendary trio, he remains more than capable enough of carrying the torch alone, given how competitive he remains despite his age.
Gold medalist Novak Djokovic of Team Serbia celebrates on the podium during the Tennis Men’s Singles medal ceremony after the Tennis Men’s Singles …
2024 has been a tough year for the Serbian, and yet he has still reached the Australian Open semi-finals, the Wimbledon final, reached a Masters 1000 final in Shanghai and won Olympic gold, the tournament he craved above all else.
Pat Cash might think Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead of the Big Three already in some regards, but Djokovic will not allow them to dominate the sport so easily. He’s still here to compete.
