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Djokovic says he was the 'unwanted child' for fans as he challenged Federer, Nadal: 'I was never as loved'
Novak Djokovic has spoken about his rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the first time in this much detail. He also added that he is closer to Nadal than Federer. read more
Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has said that he was 'never loved' by fans as much as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and often felt like an 'unwanted child.' The sensational claims by the 24-time Grand Slam winner were made during a podcast on Neuspjeh prvaka YouTube channel.
Djokovic is the most successful men's tennis player of all time, winning two more Grand Slam titles than Rafael Nadal and four more than Roger Federer. However, he has never been the most loved tennis player among the fans.
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Djokovic speaks on rivalry with Federer, Nadal
The 38-year-old has now claimed that fans didn't like the fact that he challenged Federer and Nadal for Grand Slam titles and that made him the 'third guy.'
'I acted and still felt like an unwanted child. I asked myself why that was. It hurt me. Then I thought the fans would accept me if I acted differently. But that wasn't the case either,' Djokovic said.
'I was never as loved as Federer and Nadal because I wasn't supposed to be there. I was the little guy, the third guy who came along and said, 'I'm going to be number one.' Many people didn't like that,' added Djokovic.
Djokovic, however, also added that he has huge respect for Federer and Nadal and found it much easier to communicate with the Spaniard.
'Just because someone is my biggest rival doesn't mean I wish them harm, hate them, or want to do anything else on the court to defeat them. We fought for the win, and the better player won,' he said.
'I've always respected both him and Federer; I've never said a single bad word about them and never will. I looked up to them and still do. But I've always gotten along better with Nadal.'
While Federer and Nadal are retired from tennis, Djokovic is not ready to stop yet and is hoping to play in the 2028 LA Olympics.
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