"I accepted that role I have as maybe the ‘bad guy of tennis": Djokovic says there wasn't room for him in Big Three alongside Nadal and Federer

Saturday, 16 September 2023 at 18:00

World number one Novak Djokovic stated that he admitted for a long time that the main rivalry was between Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Spain’s Rafael Nadal.

These three players dominated the world of men’s singles tennis in the Open era for the last 20 years and it is because of this reason they are called the ‘Big Three’.

Djokovic was quoted in a report where he stated that for a long time, he never thought that a rivalry between the three was possible as Federer and Nadal were already the best two players in the sport.

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“The rivalry with Nadal & Federer, I kind of put myself in the mix,” he said. “In a way, for many years, I felt like there was no room for three. So I had to deal with that. But it’s okay. At the end of the day, I accepted that role I have as maybe the ‘bad guy of tennis’.”

Djokovic has been on an impressive run of form after securing the US Open 2023 title after beating the world number three Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

The 36-year-old, who is often described as the greatest men’s player in the history in the Open era, having won 24 Grand Slam titles in his career already.

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On the other hand, Federer is also termed as one of the best of all time as he became the first men’s player to win more than 15 major titles. He also became the first men’s player to win 20 Grand Slams in his illustrious career.

Nadal remains the second-most successful player in the men’s singles category, having won as many as 22 major titles in his career.

His most successful competition was the French Open where he lifted the title 14 times which is why he is called the ‘King of Clay’.

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5:56 AM · Sep 11, 2023

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Azeem Siddiqui

Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.

He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.

In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.

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