“It almost becomes surreal that this used to be my life,” Roger Federer says, reflecting on his illustrious career.
Federer has ruled the tennis scene for decades, but he now finds it difficult to relate to the sport’s present landscape. It’s an odd feeling for him, given that he was once a powerful force that terrified his opponents. Even the greats face hurdles, and Novak Djokovic was one of Federer’s most formidable opponents.
Federer took up the Serbian challenge for the first time in 2006. While the ‘King’ dominated Nole in their first few matches, Djokovic avenged them all ferociously. And four years after their last meeting, Federer has opened up about what it was like to face the 24-time Grand Slam winner on the tennis court.
The Swiss Maestro spoke with the Financial Times about his life after retirement and some of his most-discussed rivalries. During the conversation, he spoke up about Djokovic and stated that he did not need to revamp his talents or plans to defeat the Serb. “It was simply about beating him, so I had to do my best. “It was much more straightforward thinking.” He did, however, acknowledge the difficulties he encountered when dealing with the Serbs.
“When he reached his best, he was really difficult to play because he was everywhere; he was long, big, swift, and had it all. So it was primarily a mental challenge.” Federer feels differently about Djokovic than he does about meeting Rafael Nadal.
In the same interview, he shared the mental strength he need to outperform Rafa. “He gave me far more troubles than other players could. He made me second-guess myself, go back to the drawing board, and devise a new master strategy — while also not overthinking it.” Returning to his feud with Nole, Federer has already criticized the Serb’s ability.
Federer previously admitted that he did not respect Novak’s abilities in his early days. “I believe I did not give Novak the respect he deserved because to his technical faults. I felt Novak had a really severe forehand grip, and his backhand wasn’t as smooth as it is now.” However, after undercutting Djokovic in his early days, Federer failed to lead him in the head-to-head match, trailing 27-23. As Djokovic improves, the main question is whether he will be able to surpass Federer’s Olympic record as well.
The 37-year-old has etched his name in tennis history as one of the most successful players. Having won 24 Grand Slams, he has outpassed several records of Federer. But there is one record that Nole has not failed to surpass yet and has a great chance this Olympics.
Djokovic’s greatest accomplishment at the Summer Olympics was winning the bronze medal at the Beijing Games in 2008. However, this year is special. Nole has reached the Olympic final for the first time in his career. And if he wins the match against Carlos Alcaraz, he will not only avenge his Wimbledon humiliation, but also break Federer’s singles record at the Olympics. Remember that the Swiss Maestro’s best singles achievement was a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
As the tournament progresses, it would be interesting to see if Djokovic can continue his momentum and win big this Summer!