Alex Corretja counters negative perception of Novak Djokovic while endorsing ‘strong bond’ between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Alex Corretja believes that Djokovic is often misunderstood when compared with Nadal and Federer.
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Serbian champ Novak Djokovic completely silenced his critics after claiming the Australian Open for the 10th time. He leveled with his Spanish rival Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam tally with 22 titles. Also, Djokovic reclaimed the top spot in the rankings, where he has already spent a record 374 weeks.
The 35-year-old started later than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the other two stars of the “Big Three.” But the way he caught up with them is astonishing. Still, Djokovic is falling short of the duo in the perception battle, where he is consistently put in a bad light or his achievements are consistently discredited.
Alex Corretja, the pro-turned-pundit, tried to dissect the negative perception of the Serb in the minds of fans. He believes that Djokovic is often misunderstood when compared with Nadal and Federer.
“Look how Djokovic celebrated the other day and how he hugged his family and especially his brother and his mother,” the 48-year-old told Cadena SER referring to the emotional scenes after Djokovic’s victory. “When he hugs his brother, he feels that harmony that works with Pepe Imaz and at that moment Djokovic feels that this work is not in vain.”
“That hug to his brother is the accumulation of managing many situations for years. What Djokovic transmits is pure passion for everything he does. I think that Djokovic has been misunderstood many times, he has a very big soul, beyond his things and his ideals, which he has maintained and respected without deceiving anyone, he has always been very sincere,” the former World No. 2 continued.
A strong bond between Nadal and Federer is one of the reasons why Djokovic is left behind in the narrative, Corretja believes
Swiss Roger Federer and Spanish Rafael Nadal have been bitter rivals on the court and best friends off the court. The duo, affectionately called by fans ‘Fedal’, has mesmerized them with their deep respect for each other which is kind of unparalleled in sporting history. Djokovic on the other hand, despite being their contemporary, falls short in camaraderie.
“Just as Federer and Nadal had a rivalry but turned it into something closer, Djokovic and Nadal have been on opposite paths at the level of ideals and sharing things with the fans,” Corretja explained.
“I think that Nadal and Djokovic have a respectful relationship but I don’t see them going to dinner together to discuss situations,” he continued acknowledging the fact that the bond between Nadal and Federer remains stronger. But this does not mean that the current Word No. 1 and 6 lack respect for each other.
“I think they both have a very deep vision of the sport, they have given everything. We are talking about one of the greatest rivalries in sports history. I don’t know if it’s so easy to be the best friend of someone with whom you risk so many things,” Corretja continued.
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