Novak Djokovic breaks silence on ‘painful' experience of not being loved as Federer, Nadal: ‘Felt like unwanted child'
For the first time in his illustrious career, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic probably laid bare his emotions as he opened up about not being as loved as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. For the majority of his career, the Serbian has been involved in an intense rivalry with the two. The trio formed the 'Big Three' of tennis as they dominated Grand Slam after Grand Slam without letting anyone else enter the radar.
Despite winning 24 Grand Slams and having a positive head-to-head record against both Federer and Nadal, the 38-year-old has had to battle hostile crowds. The Serbian has now admitted to not being admired as much as his two great rivals.
Djokovic (24) has more Grand Slams than both Nadal (22) and Federer (20). However, he continues to battle a lack of support at the four big events - Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
'I felt like the unwanted child in the trio. I often questioned why that was the case, and it was painful. I thought changing my demeanour might win them over, but that proved ineffective too," said Djokovic in a Failures of Champions interview with Slaven Bilic.
Also Read: Djokovic unsure if he will ever play again at the French Open after semifinal loss
'The two of them had already developed a rivalry before I came along because Nadal broke through a few years before me. They come from Switzerland, from Spain, so Western powers… There are these orientations, and there are affiliations,' he added.
Djokovic further stated that he wasn't welcomed positively because Federer and Nadal hail from Switzerland and Spain, and the duo appealed more to the Western world than to him.
'I never achieved the same level of adoration as Federer and Nadal because, in a way, I wasn't supposed to disrupt their narrative. I was the third man who boldly declared, 'I'm going to be number one.' Not everyone welcomed that," said the World No.5 Djokovic, who recently faced a defeat against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the French Open.
Djokovic also opened on the camaradrie he shares with Federer and Nadal, revealing that the rivalry has swayed between frosty and friendly over the years.
'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," Djokovic said.
'I've always respected both Federer and Nadal; 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," he added.
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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. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 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. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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"If 28 Wickets Fell In India...": Pitch Critics Questioned Over Silence On Pacers' WTC Show
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US Open golf: Sam Burns fires 65 to grab lead at Oakmont as big names stumble
Sam Burns watches his hit on the ninth hole during the second round of the US Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP) Oakmont: Sam Burns matched the third-best US Open round ever fired at Oakmont, shooting a five-under par 65 to seize a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round as big names struggled. The 28-year-old American made six birdies against a lone bogey to stand on three-under 137 after 36 holes on the punishing layout. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "It felt like I played really well. Today was really nice," Burns said. "There's obviously a lot of golf left on a very tough course." The only two US Open rounds at Oakmont lower than Burns's 65 were Johnny Miller's final-round 63 to win in 1973 and a 64 by Loren Roberts in the 1994 third round. American J.J. Spaun made bogeys on three of the last four holes to shoot 72 and stand second on 138 with Norway's Viktor Hovland third on 139 after a 68 -- the top trio being the only players under par after 36 holes. "I was definitely anxious to get back out here and see how the game would pan out, and it ended up being a pretty good day," Spaun said. "It was more of a true US Open round, a lot of back and forth, a lot of grinding, bogeys. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo It was still an overall good day. I'm still right there." World number 14 Hovland marveled at 22nd-ranked Burns and his stunning round. "Super impressive," Hovland called it. "It just feels like you have to play absolutely perfect and have some good breaks going your way, as well, but it's definitely doable." Heavy rains drenched Oakmont, halting play for the day at 8:15 p.m. (0015 GMT) with 13 golfers yet to finish their second rounds. World number two Rory McIlroy struggled to make the cut, with double bogeys at the first and third holes, but sank a five-foot birdie putt at the 18th to shoot 72 and stand on 146, securing a spot inside the low 60 and ties to make the weekend. Bryson DeChambeau fired a 77 to stand on 150 and miss the cut, the first defending champion to miss the US Open cut since Gary Woodland in 2020. Also missing the cut was six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson, who needed a win to complete a career Grand Slam. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Spain's Jon Rahm were seven adrift on 144. Scheffler fired a 71 with five bogeys and four birdies. "Felt like me getting away with one-over today wasn't all that bad," Scheffler said. "It could have been a lot worse." Rahm fired a frustrating 75. "I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective," Rahm said. "Very frustrated. Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn't sniff the hole." 'A punch in the face' With few exceptions, Oakmont was delivering blows to golf's top talent. "Everyone seems like they're exhausted when they come in off the course just because it's a punch in the face," American Denny McCarthy said. "It just takes a lot out of you." Back-nine starter Burns drained a 21-foot birdie putt at 11, a six-footer to birdie the par-three 13th and back-to-back short birdie putts at 17 and 18. Burns answered a bogey at the first with a five-foot birdie putt at the second and reached the green in two to set up a tap-in birdie at the par-five fourth hole, then parred into the clubhouse, sinking a 22-foot par putt at the ninth to close his round. "It's really difficult," Burns said. "Sometimes the best thing is just to take your medicine." Burns, who shared ninth at last year's US Open for his best major finish, last won at the 2023 WGC Match Play, but he fired a Sunday 62 before losing a Canadian Open playoff last week. "I felt like my game was in good form coming in here," he said. Australian Adam Scott and American Ben Griffin shared fourth on 140. France's Victor Perez aced the par-three sixth hole from 192 yards, hitting the 54th hole-in-one in US Open history but only the second ace at a US Open at Oakmont. Perez shot 70 to stand sixth on 141.
