- Djokovic arrived on the scene when Roger Federer and Rafael Ndal were on top
- The majority of the tennis fandom had already sided with one of those two men
- Djokovic went on to surpass both in terms of success with 24 Grand Slam wins
Novak Djokovic has said he felt like an ‘unwanted child’ when he came along to interrupt the dominance of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – and that of the two he always felt closer to the Spaniard.
In an interview with former Croatia and West Ham football manager Slaven Bilic on the show Failures of Champions, Djokovic, 38, talked about his relationship with the other members of the Big Three, whose rivalries marked the sport’s golden era.
‘I was never as loved as Federer and Nadal because I shouldn’t have been there,’ said the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
‘I was the little guy, the third guy who came along and said, ‘I’m going to be number one’. Many people didn’t like that.’
By the time Djokovic began to exhibit signs of greatness at the start of the 2010s, most of tennis fandom had divided into Roger or Rafa camps. There was no room left for him.
‘I just wanted to be better than them,’ Djokovic said. ‘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 behaved differently. But that wasn’t the case either.’
Novak Djokovic (R) felt like an ‘unwanted child’ alongside Roger Federer (L) and Rafa Nadal
Djokovic has gone on to achieve more success in the game than both of his former rivals
The Serbian admits he was never as loved by fans as his two fellow tennis legends
The ‘acting differently’ is likely a reference to something of a charm offensive Djokovic embarked upon around the middle of his career, symbolised by the gesture he made after victories, miming pushing his heart out to each corner of the stadium.
‘I am a man with many mistakes, of course,’ he added. ‘Nevertheless, I have always tried to live with heart and good intentions and ultimately be myself.’
On his relationship with Federer and Nadal, he said: ‘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. We fought for victory, and the better one won.
‘I’ve always respected both him and Federer; I’ve never said a single bad word about them and never will. I looked up to them and still do. But I’ve always gotten along better with Nadal.’
