By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, June 13, 2025
Picture credit score: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Getty
Large 4 champions stood shoulder to shoulder in a poignant and highly effective Roland Garros tribute ceremony for Rafa Nadal final month.
Now, Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic is opening the curtain on his relationship together with his fellow Large 4 champions.
In a brand new interview with Slavena Bilića, 24-time main champion Djokovic says whereas he respects all of his rivals, he is at all times gotten alongside higher with King of Clay Rafael Nadal than with Roger Federer. Djokovic stated from his perspective their historic battles have been skilled challenges—not private grudges.
“Simply because somebody is my largest rival doesn’t suggest I want them hurt, hate them, or wish to do anything on the court docket to defeat them,” Djokovic stated. “We fought for the win, and the higher participant received…
“I’ve by no means stated a single dangerous phrase about them and by no means will. I regarded as much as them and nonetheless do, however I’ve at all times gotten alongside higher with Nadal.”
Conceding “I used to be by no means as beloved as Federer and Nadal”, Djokovic stated some followers considered him as an intruder on the Roger-Rafa rivalry and stated fan antipathy made him really feel “like an undesirable little one.”
“I acted and nonetheless felt like an undesirable little one,” stated Djokovic. “I requested myself why that was. It harm me.
“Then I believed the followers would settle for me if I acted otherwise, however that wasn’t the case both.
“I used to be by no means as beloved as Federer and Nadal as a result of I wasn’t alleged to be there. I used to be the little man, the third man who got here alongside and stated: ‘I will be No 1’. Many individuals did not like that.”
