Roger Federer has acknowledged he didn’t give Novak Djokovic “the respect he deserved” when he first emerged as a contender in the course of the nice period of males’s tennis.
Djokovic struggled to realize the identical ranges of help amongst followers because the likes of Federer and Rafael Nadal as a result of he was seen as a “social gathering crasher”, the 20-times Grand Slam champion says.
“I believe he’s been slightly bit misunderstood,” he provides of Djokovic in a brand new behind-the-scenes documentary, Federer: Twelve Last Days, on Amazon Prime.
Djokovic, who has now surpassed Federer’s feats with a complete of 24 Grand Slams, was as soon as dismissed as a real nice by his Swiss rival, the documentary suggests.
“I performed him in Monaco the very first time [Federer won 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in 2006] and I walked off the courtroom and thought, ‘Yeah, he’s OK’, ” Federer stated.
“Regardless that there was some hype round him, I wasn’t actually totally satisfied. I believe I didn’t give Novak the respect he deserved due to his technical flaws. I felt like Novak had a really excessive forehand grip and his backhand for me wasn’t as fluid as it’s these days. However then he ironed these issues out tremendous properly and have become an unbelievable monster of a participant.”
For a very long time, Federer, Nadal and Andy Murray took extra plaudits from followers as males’s tennis reached new ranges over the previous 15 years.
“I assume he was the social gathering crasher of Rafa and Roger followers,” Federer stated. “There was a whole lot of Rafa-Roger love there, so when Novak got here in all probability lots of people stated, ‘Look, we don’t want a 3rd man. We’re pleased with Roger and Rafa’.
“The Federer followers firstly didn’t actually like him as a result of they only thought, ‘Roger’s a bit easier, he does it with ease’. Then Novak got here in together with his robust persona and that unbelievable grit of desirous to win in any respect prices. I believe additionally Novak was triggered by the connection with the followers. I believe that deep focus possibly scared some folks away.
“I believe he’s been slightly bit misunderstood. I look previous the media and I see on the finish the person he’s. If I take away his sport, who’s he? What are his values? I do know he cares very deeply about his household.”
The brand new Federer documentary is launched on Monday, a fortnight out from the beginning of Wimbledon.
