Novak Djokovic reveals favorite rival between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic has always been the odd man out. 

Since he joined the tour in 2003, the Serbian has been marked as the black sheep in a trio with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. 

“I was never as loved as Federer & Nadal because I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was the little guy, the 3rd guy who came & said I’m going to be #1.. Many people didn’t like that,” Djokovic said in a recent interview with 20 Minuten.

By the time Djokovic had established himself as a Grand Slam-level player, Nadal and Federer had already built a rivalry (and a friendship) unlike anything seen before in tennis. 

As Djokovic developed he built his own rivalries with each individual player. Matches like the 2012 Australian Open marathon versus Nadal and the 2019 Wimbledon comeback over Federer will go down in tennis history. 

But between the two of the greatest players to carry a racket, who did Djokovic prefer?

He answered that question in the same interview with 20 Minuten.

“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,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic has faced Nadal 60 times and leads the series 31-29 overall with a 15-13 record in ATP finals. In 50 matches against Federer, the Serbian also leads the series 27-23 with a 13-6 record in finals. 

Djokovic has clarified in the past that he is “not friends” with either of the pair, but that he has respect for them as competitors and people.

But this recent interview shows he at least as a preference for his Spaniard foe. That respect has transitioned to Nadal’s countryman Carlos Alcaraz.

In the twilight era of the ‘Big Three’ of tennis, Djokovic has moved on from matches against his two former foes. 

But chances are he will never stop being asked about Federer or Nadal. 

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