Novak Djokovic holds a complaint against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, despite having won more Grand Slams

Time of India

16 hours ago

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He has more Grand Slam titles than any man in tennis history . He has conquered the sport's most iconic courts, and dismantled its greatest legends. Yet, Novak Djokovic admits that even now, despite the numbers, the records, and the accolades, he has never quite felt embraced the way his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were.In a deeply introspective conversation on Failures of Champions with Slaven Bilic, Djokovic spoke with rare emotional candour about being the third wheel in tennis's most famous trio. 'I felt like the unwanted child in the trio,' he said, recalling how he was often perceived as the disruptor of a narrative that the world had already fallen in love with.Federer, the elegant Swiss maestro, and Nadal, the fiery Spanish warrior, had already written their legacies before Djokovic came into full bloom. While both enjoyed massive popularity — especially in the West — Djokovic's audacity to say he would be World No. 1 wasn't always celebrated. It was, at times, resented.'They come from Switzerland and Spain… so Western powers. There are these orientations and affiliations,' Djokovic remarked, suggesting that global bias may have played a role in how fans connected with players. 'I was never as loved as Federer and Nadal because I wasn't supposed to be there. I was the third guy who came along and said, 'I'm going to be number one.' Many didn't like that.'Despite amassing 24 Grand Slam titles, surpassing both Federer's 20 and Nadal's 22, Djokovic still feels that public affection was unevenly distributed.Though their battles on court were often fierce, Djokovic maintains that he never harboured hatred for his biggest opponents. '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,' he said. 'We fought for the win, and the better player won.'Interestingly, of the two, he says he always got along better with Nadal. 'I've always respected both Federer and Nadal… but I've always gotten along better with Nadal,' he confessed, even while hailing Federer as the most talented of the trio.He compared their styles: 'Federer moved elegantly, using energy so efficiently. Nadal was the other extreme—maximum physicality. I'm somewhere in between, leaning more toward Nadal.' Together, he believes, they shaped each other's greatness. 'Without a doubt, the rivalry with those two had the most influence on my development.'Djokovic's career hasn't just been about titles. From winning a National Award for Rock On!!, to being part of the Temptation and Heartthrob world tours with Bollywood superstars like Shah Rukh Khan, and acting in his home production I See You, his story has had its glamorous detours. But it is tennis where his legacy was carved — often in defiance of the spotlight that shone more favourably on others.As Djokovic now recovers from his French Open exit and eyes Wimbledon with quiet determination, he seems to have made peace with his role. 'I am a man with many flaws,' he said in the interview. 'Nevertheless, I have always tried to live with heart and good intentions and, ultimately, to be myself.'For someone who was once the "unwanted child" of tennis, Novak Djokovic has written a legacy too monumental to ignore — even for those who didn't welcome him in.