17 Years Into an Enthralling Rivalry, Novak Djokovic Sounds Off on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal With a Bold Statement – ‘They Have Actually..’

Novak Djokovic looks unstoppable at the moment and whatever he touches turns into gold! After his resounding win over Casper Ruud in the final here at the French Open, Djokovic had made quite a bold and humble admission. And it was about none other than his archrivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Though he laughed while saying it, he genuinely added that his rivals played a pivotal part in shaping his career.

With only the Olympic Gold Medal missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet now and having won the most Slams and Masters 1000 titles, one can argue that he has settled the GOAT debate. He has now won 3 Grand Slams more than Roger Federer and has 1 more than Rafael Nadal. However, in his latest press conference, the Serbian legend chose to remain humble when a question about his rivals popped up.

Federer and Nadal pushed him to be better, says Djokovic

Throughout Djokovic’s early career, it was Nadal and Federer who were setting the standards with their dominance of the ATP Tour. For sometime, Djokovic was in the shadow of both of them. But eventually, he grew past them, and now has towered over them in style.

But by his own humble admission, all of this has been possible only due to the constant threat of Federer and Nadal. He has repeatedly confessed that they have defined him and made him a better player.

“I have always compared myself to these guys, the two greatest rivals in my career,” Djokovic said on Sunday.

He further added, “I have said before they have actually defined me as a player. All the success I have, they contributed to it in a way… the countless hours of thinking about what it takes to beat them.

The unquestionable domination of the ‘Big Three’

Djokovic, Nadal and Federer entered every tournament as the favorites. Though Djokovic does hold a lead in the head-to-head with Nadal and Federer, it is a very slender lead.

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Djokovic in his younger years was temperamentally weak and inconsistent. But it was at that point he learnt a lot from Federer and Nadal . He didn’t have the talent of Federer or the tenacity of Nadal at the beginning, but he nurtured it. And he is now reaping the rewards of it standing alone in the record books.

Djokovic has achieved everything that any athlete could ever dream of. He is a legend in his own right. But it is also equally true that some of the inspiring qualities of the other two members of the big three has rubbed off on him.

Do you think Djokovic would’ve achieved the heights of his current reign if either Federer or Nadal were not there to push him to be better?

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