Roger Federer had a competitive rivalry with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, but he now gets along well with both.
The Swiss Maestro has had a very good relationship with Nadal for a very long time. They’ve become very good friends, in a way, which is quite interesting considering how fierce their rivalry was.
It stems from their respect for each other. Things were a bit different with his other rival, Djokovic. He admitted that he deeply respects both of them, but he wouldn’t call them friends in any capacity.
According to Federer, he has a really great relationship with both of them after his retirement. They’re older and wiser now, and he’s not a threat to either of them anymore, as he doesn’t compete on the ATP Tour anymore. In a talk with BBC, Federer mentioned Nadal and Djokovic.
“I think it’s a great compliment to hear that because effortlessness is a myth, as we now know. Everyone is very different. For some, it’s their only way of playing by showing that grit.”
“For me, I needed the balance. I could not go through a career with Rafa’s intensity. He’s running around the locker room getting intense. I was looking at him thinking: ‘Jeez, I’d be tired before getting on court.'”
It’s certainly been a great few decades for tennis, but it’s slowly coming to an end, as there are only two members of the famed Big Three left, with Nadal’s status really questionable.
“We both can’t do it the other way and that’s why there’s so much mutual respect between athletes and players. Me, Rafa, Novak or Andy, we do it all our own way and all roads lead to success. It’s tricky sometimes and there’s definitely moments when you don’t like a certain opponent, but then you like him so much.”
“It’s important to remember this as a player – it is just tennis and at the end, we can be normal. You see us being super friendly with each other after the rivalry and we get on super well. It’s nice to be kind to one another.”
Luckily, there are a few young players who are already writing history and will move the sport forward, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
