Novak Djokovic admits he 'tried to be someone else' during Federer and Nadal era
NewsMonday, 29 December 2025 at 19:00
Novak Djokovic was seen as "the third guy" at the start of his tennis career, a feeling he experienced when trying to challenge Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Nadal and Federer seemed to have a perfect rivalry before a third man arrived. Djokovic is the youngest of the three, which is why he arrived on the ATP Tour as the last one, but he is also the last man standing and the most successful of the three.
Although he can now look back on his achievements, even though that's not something he wants to do, as he still wants to compete, it wasn't so easy when he was starting out. He also wanted to be as liked as Nadal and Federer, which is why he tried to be someone he wasn't.
Djokovic admitted in a recent interview at the World Sports Summit in Dubai that he did certain things to become more likable, but eventually realized that wasn't who he was. Now, he looks back on the great era he and his two rivals created.
"Life is a beautiful journey, and I think we all have our unique stories to tell, and we don't need to copy anybody else. I'm talking like this because I went through my own experiences where I tried to be someone else when I was breaking through on the tour."
"I tried to be a likable guy. I was doing impersonations, which, I think, they're fun … I was always doing them. People were really kind of not accepting me as a third guy. The Federer and Nadal era was so strong in their rivalry, and there was no room for the third guy. But I made some room, I created some room. And it was amazing, the big three and the golden era that we created."
"I feel like when they retired, also part of me left. So, I had to kind of reinvent myself, find new inspirations. And the reason why I still keep on going is also to see how far I can push my own bar, setting my own path."
Despite being 38 and having both of his main rivals retired, Djokovic doesn't seem to have the word retirement in his vocabulary. Instead, he is looking ahead, eyeing participation at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Djokovic completed his lifelong dream of winning a gold Olympic medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and he would want to play under five Olympic rings one more time.
"I do want to keep on going. The LA Olympics 2028 is kind of a guiding star, but honestly, there is no limit. So, let's see. You know what I mean? Let's just keep going. I love hitting the tennis ball and I love competing. I was saying to the guys that I was talking to, the greats in football, that it's really about passion and love, and as long as you really feel like you're playing on a high level and your body holds on, why not?"
"People love to talk and speculate about retirement, because, OK, people love to talk. But at the end of the day, I feel like I'm still contributing to the growth of tennis. That is a beautiful job."
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