Novak Djokovic blames Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for ‘missing out’ on more grand slams in the beginning of his career
Novak Djokovic admits his early career struggles against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal denied him several Grand Slams.
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Novak Djokovic, (in circle) Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (via Forbes/CNN)
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer‘s rivalry remains the biggest in modern tennis history. However, Nadal and Federer were already dominating the sport before the arrival of the Serbian to the scene. Despite Djokovic’s hunger for major titles, the duo frustrated his attempt to win. He finally opened up about his struggles with Nadal and Federer.
Djokovic won his first ATP title in 2006 but needed two years to clinch his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 2008. His victory disrupted Federer and Nadal’s streak of winning 11 consecutive major titles. Djokovic had to wait for another three years to win his second major title despite being in the Top 3 throughout that period.
It took Djokovic a long time to produce a formula that could beat Federer and Nadal, which helped him later in his career. He met Nadal 60 times on the court, triumphing 31-29 in their head-to-head record. However, the Serbian enjoyed a 5-4 edge in their major finals. He also holds a 27-23 record over Federer, including a 4-1 winning record in Grand Slam finals.
In a recent interview with La Nacion, Djokovic revealed his struggles in trying to figure out a way to beat his two arch-rivals. However, he added that losing to them intensified his desire to succeed on the court.
They dominated everything. I didn’t have the formula to beat them. I was able to win one or two matches against them, but not the important ones. Those three years were crucial for my development. They made me hungrier to win, especially against them. I knew that if I could find a way to be like those guys in the big matches, and I knew a lot of that came from the mind, I could somehow figure out the Grand Slams and start winning more.
Novak Djokovic said
Federer retired from professional tennis at the 2022 Laver Cup and Nadal has revealed he will bid farewell to the sport at the Davis Cup in November. With both arch-rivals retired, Djokovic is without his great competitors.
Novak Djokovic makes bold retirement statement
Novak Djokovic failed to win a Grand Slam this year for the first time since 2017. He is yet to win a tour-level title this season. The 37-year-old’s performance this year has led several legends and pundits to advise him to retire from the sport.
At the Paris Olympics in August, he won his elusive gold medal that took his career tally to 99 titles. He is still seeking 100th, and recently almost won it at the Shanghai Masters but lost to Jannik Sinner in the final. He admitted during an interview with La Nacion that he still has more Grand Slams to win.
Deep down, I still feel like I have a few more Grand Slams to win. That’s what drives me to keep going, to feel like I can still do it, and to play the Davis Cup for Serbia.
Novak Djokovic said
Djokovic will hope to bounce back strong in 2025 for the Australian Open. The Serbian reached the semifinal of the Grand Slam event in January but lost in four sets to Sinner.
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Victor Okechukwu
(688 Articles Published)