10 December 2023 , 04:24
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Novak Djokovic has admitted that he's "not friends" with fellow tennis legends Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer. However, he hopes to change that in the future.
The three are often hailed as the greatest tennis players of all time, having had numerous epic matches on the court and developed rivalries as a result.
Federer has now retired, while Nadal is nearing the end of his career due to injuries. Djokovic, however, shows no signs of stopping and is battling to stay ahead of many rising young stars.
As his rivalries with Federer and Nadal wind down, Djokovic admits he'd like their relationships to evolve. He consciously kept some distance while they were fiercely competing on the court.
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In a teaser clip shared by Tennis Channel for an episode of 60 Minutes airing on US TV on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Sunday evening, host Jon Wertheim asks Djokovic about his relationship with Nadal and Federer.
Djokovic responds: "Greatest respect is always there, at least from my side," but admits some distance was necessary. When asked if he would like to become friends in the future, he adds: "I would like to. I would really like to.
"Personally, I would like to. I mean, I know that obviously (laughs) we didn't get along so well throughout our careers in, like, off-court.
"And we are not friends because, you know, we're rivals and it's difficult as competitors to be very close and kind of share and give insights to you know, to your life or to how you feel because, you know, it could be used against you.
"But we have shared the stage for so many years. And I think the greatest respect is always there, at least from my side, towards them. So yeah, I hope that one day, when the curtains are slightly more closed, that we are, yeah, able to sit down and, and reflect. It would be, it would be amazing."
Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are regarded by many as the greatest tennis players of all time (Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup)Djokovic will look to continue his Australian Open dominance and win the event for the 11th time in early 2024. He'll have to contend with Nadal again as the Spaniard makes his comeback from injury.
But Nadal admitted this week that 2024 may be his last season as a player in an emotional update on his career. "There are many chances that it will be my last year without any doubt," the former world No 1 said in a new video posted to social media.
"There are chances that it may only be half a year, there are possibilities that it may be a full year, there are possibilities that we may not be able to reach all that...
"These are things that right now I do not have the capacity to be able to answer, this is the truth. I am only in conditions to say that I return to compete, that I continue having in my head that the normal thing is that, or that there are many possibilities that it is my last year, and I am going to enjoy the tournaments in that way."