Roger Federer says Novak Djokovic ‘doesn’t understand’ the shared bond that has been created between himself, the Swiss, and Rafael Nadal.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has, largely, kept a low profile within tennis since his retirement in 2022, making rare appearances at each year’s Laver Cup, as well as other sponsorship obligations.
However, he recently opened up about the insight which he has gained since hanging up his racket about the historical and personal significance of the Big Three rivalry.
“Rivalries like that create a huge bond,” remarked Federer, during an interview with Tages-Anzeiger.
“I see it very differently today than before, with much more distance.
“Novak doesn’t know what that’s like yet. Rafa is slowly getting there. When you’re still playing, you can’t think about it the way I do today.
“The more time passes, the less you identify yourself as an individual player and the more you see the big picture.
“What’s funny is: Someone might have taken something totally personally—and you can’t even remember it anymore.
“I’m definitely up for sitting down together and talking about the good old days.”
The comments were made after he was officially elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, with his induction to be carried out in 2026.
As he alluded to, Nadal recently retired at the Davis Cup Finals in 2024 after a legendary career.
In May, he was treated to a ceremony at his beloved French Open – an event which he won on 14 occasions – and appeared very emotional, with the pain of the end of his career still raw.
Meanwhile, Djokovic is continuing to compete amongst the sport’s elite, making the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams in 2025 and ending the year as the fourth-highest-ranked player in the world.
The Serb, despite being an active player, has always been more forthright when speaking about his relationships with Federer and Nadal.
“I don’t reflect fully on everything I have been through,” admitted Djokovic, during a press conference at the 2025 edition of Wimbledon.
“I would like to, but I think that’s going to come probably when I set the racket aside and I sip a margarita on the beach with Federer and Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry and everything!”
In total, the three players won 66 Grand Slams, 14 Masters 1000s, and claimed the top spot in the ATP rankings for 947 weeks.
Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer faced off against each other on 150 occasions, with the Serb leading the head-to-head against both of his rivals.
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“Nadal is only a year older than me, we’re both Geminis,” Djokovic added, in a discussion with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
“At first, we even had dinner together twice, but even with him, friendship is impossible.
“I’ve always respected and admired him greatly. Thanks to him and to Federer, I grew and became who I am. This will unite us forever, and for that I’m very grateful.
“Nadal is part of my life; in the last 15 years, I’ve seen him more than my mother. We’ve never been friends. Between rivals, it’s impossible, but we’ve never been enemies.”
“I’ve always respected Federer; he was one of the greatest of all time.
“He had an extraordinary impact, but I’ve never been close to him.”