NDTV Exclusive: World No 1 Novak Djokovic On Rivalry With Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic, in an exclusive interview to NDTV, spoke about his rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Asked about who he considers his bigger rival -- Federer or Nadal -- the Serbian said it was hard to pick one and both have always been tough to play against. The Serbian star said Federer and Nadal have different styles of playing and he always has to make adjustments to his game while playing against them. He also added that both Federer and Nadal pushed him to be a better player. "Both of these guys have been so special in my career. Hard to pick one of them, because I have always had to compete against both of them as they were so dominant and consistent," Djokovic told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

"They have such different tennis styles and how they behave on the court and off the court, and I have to adjust differently to the both of them," he added.

"Those two guys are the ones who pushed me to be a better player," said the 18-time Grand Slam champion.

Djokovic on Monday broke Federer's record of being on top of ATP rankings for most number of weeks. The 2021 Australian Open champion has now spent 311 weeks on top of ATP rankings, taking over the record previously held by Federer.

Reacting to this incredible achievement, Djokovic said when he started playing he always dreamed of becoming one of the best tennis players in the world and whatever he has been able to achieve is because of his love and commitment to the sport.

 "This achievement (to stand by tennis greats) is something that I dreamt of when I was a kid starting to play tennis. It's a tribute to the love and commitment to the sport," said Djokovic, who recently won his ninth Australian Open title.

Topics mentioned in this article

Novak Djokovic Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Tennis