Roger Federer admits that he is happy about the fact that his rivalry with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic received a very positive ending. Federer, a former 20-time Grand Slam champion, had many great battles against Nadal and Djokovic as those two were his biggest rivals.
In late September, Nadal and Djokovic came to the Laver Cup to be a part of Federer’s farewell. While Federer and Nadal were playing their doubles match, Djokovic was supporting them from the Team Europe bench. Reflecting on his rivalry with Nadal and Djokovic, Federer admitted that there were times when the trio “would see each other all the time.”
Federer on his rivalry with Nadal, Djokovic
“I think the end was very emotional. And to be actually on such a great sort of friendship really with the guys at the end of my career, after everything we’ve gone through.
Brutal matches, great wins and tough losses and at the end always having this camaraderie is amazing. I mean, maybe just a little anecdote, because maybe people don’t know, but we share the same locker room, we share the same restaurants.
We usually get put in the same hotels. So we see each other all the time. And we even practice together. But that’s why I ended up not practicing very much with Novak and Rafa anymore. Not so much with that guys. But yeah, with a lot other guys, Stan Wawrinka, my guy, yeah,” Federer told Trevor Noah on the The Daily Show.
For the final match of his career, Federer wanted to team up with Nadal. To no one’s surprise, Nadal was willing to grant Federer’s wish and that’s how the Swiss’ career came to an end. With Federer retired, the Big Three now have two active group members. Both Nadal and Djokovic plan to at least play one more season in 2023.
