Andy Murray Reveals Why Roger Federer ‘Never’ Trained with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic: “He Wouldn’t Practice with Me Anymore”

Novak Djokovic is the only member of the legendary Big 4 who is still chasing a Grand Slam title.

Andy Murray Reveals Why Roger Federer ‘Never’ Trained with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic: “He Wouldn’t Practice with Me Anymore”

L-R: Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/CGTN Sports Scene)

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Andy Murray recently recalled his early years on the tour when Roger Federer used to practice with him. He revealed the reason why Federer never practiced with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Murray said Federer used to train with him, but the Swiss maestro stopped, and this suggested that he started to look at Scott as his competitor. Three-time Grand Slam champion met Federer 25 times, winning 11 times. Federer was the reason behind his three defeats in Grand Slam finals.

When I first started, I would practice with Federer. But after a year or two, he stopped; he wouldn’t practice with me anymore. He never practiced with Djokovic or Nadal, I think, because he considered them to be a competitor. I like practicing with them just because it gave me the chance to see where my game was at.

Andy Murray said (via Stephen Hendry Cue Tips)

The Big 4 have won a combined 69 Grand Slam trophies. Murray, Federer, and Nadal have called time on their respective careers at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 2022 Laver Cup, and the 2024 Davis Cup. Djokovic is the lone member of the Big 4 yet to hang up his racket.

The Serb will continue his hunt for his 25th Grand Slam title in next year’s Australian Open. The last time he won a Major was at the 2023 US Open by defeating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, but since then, he has made a Major final only at the 2024 Wimbledon, where Carlos Alcaraz denied him history with a straight-set win.

Alcaraz was the reason behind his elimination in the US Open semifinal this season. Apart from the New York Major, Djokovic played the semifinals of the first three Majors. While an injury forced him to give the walkover to Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open, Jannik Sinner knocked him out at Wimbledon and the French Open.

Djokovic took home two titles this year. After losing the Miami Open final, he defeated Hubert Hurkacz and Lorenzo Musetti in the finals of the Geneva Open and Hellenic Championship, respectively.

Sam Querrey never had an extensive chat with Rafael Nadal

Recently on the Nothing Major podcast, Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson, and John Isner did a segment on Rafael Nadal, ‘Best Rafa Stories’. Among other things, Querrey revealed that he never had a proper chat with Nadal while on the tour.

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Rafael Nadal (Image via X/Rafael Nadal)

Of the Big 3, Roger…like sometimes, of course we’d chat like…few practice with him, like off-site, have some lunch. Novak had like somewhat of a relationship with him off the court, with like texting or hanging out. Rafa, I never had one. Never more than like a high and passing or anything like that…always couldn’t have been nicer, like, ‘Hola…hola Sam, how are you?’

Querrey met Nadal six times, winning just one match. That lone match win he registered in the 2017 Acapulco final.

Nadal, before hanging up his racket at the 2024 Davis Cup, reached his career’s last final. At the Swedish Open, he lost the match in straight sets at the hands of Nuno Borges. In his career’s final match, the 22-time Grand Slam champion won his last title at the 2022 French Open by defeating Casper Ruud.

Querrey, on the other hand, called time on his career in 2022. In Grand Slam singles, he never progressed beyond the quarterfinals, reaching the stage just once, at the 2017 US Open. The last title that he lifted was the 2017 Los Cabos Open by defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis, while the last final that he played was the 2021 Mallorca Open, losing that match to Daniil Medvedev.

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