Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, said he has always been treated as the ‘third guy’ in tennis, adding that he was never accorded the same love and affection that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal received.
“I was never as loved as Federer and Nadal because I was not supposed to be there. I was the little guy, the third guy who came and said I am going to be No. 1. Many people did not like that,” Djokovic said in an interview.
The Serb, a year younger than Nadal and five years younger than Federer, reached the top level a bit later than his Big Three counterparts.
Djokovic’s major breakthrough came in 2007 when he reached the semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and the final at the US Open, falling to either Federer or Nadal in all of them.
By the time Djokovic won his maiden Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, Nadal had already won three Grand Slam titles and Federer twelve.
“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 was not the case either,” said Djokovic.
After Federer and Nadal shared a fierce rivalry for a few years, Djokovic’s arrival challenged their dominance. Djokovic eventually climbed to second place in 2010 and reached the top of the rankings in 2011. To date, he has surpassed Federer and Nadal in practically all their records, including the number of Grand Slam titles he has won – 24.
Djokovic, however, said he never hated anybody just because they did not like him. “Just because someone is my biggest rival does not 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 have always respected both him and Federer; I have never said a single bad word about them and never will. I looked up to them and still do. But I have always gotten along better with Nadal,” the 38-year-old, who is currently chasing his 25th Grand Slam, added.