Novak Djokovic hopes that he can reminisce over old times with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after the trio have all retired from tennis. The Serbian has insisted throughout his career that he couldn’t be friends with his rivals due to their on-court relationships.
Djokovic is hoping to bow out of 2023 on a high with a victory in the Davis Cup, having recently won the ATP Finals for the seventh time in his career. The 36-year-old has continued to break several records throughout this year and write himself into the history books, with the prospect of more success to come.
The world No 1 is regarded as one of the best to ever grace the court, along with the likes of Nadal and Federer. The Big Three have enjoyed a fierce rivalry that has brought out the very best – and worst – one another.
Federer’s retirement last year at the Laver Cup highlighted that despite the competitive nature of his relationships with Nadal and Djokovic, there is still a deep friendship between the three stars. However, Djokovic remains of the view that he cannot be friends with the pair until they are all retired.
Speaking with Marca, Djokovic has admitted that he hopes to ‘experience everything’ with his rivals once he has retired. He explained: “It’s true, I’ve always maintained that we couldn’t be friends because with friends you talk about everything, the positive things that happen to you in life and in your profession, the negative aspects, your secrets.
“With your rivals, I don’t think you can feel very comfortable revealing all this. In the last 15 years, I have seen more Nadal and Federer than my parents. This means that they have been a very important part of my life and career.
