Roger Federer reveals whether he would be interested in a drink with Novak Djokovic
NewsFriday, 21 November 2025 at 18:02
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic's relationship has evolved over the years, and the Swiss legend answered whether he would like to speak with his former rival in a more relaxed setting.
When Djokovic came onto the scene as a young player, Federer was dominating tennis. The older ATP player did not like the Serbian's attitude at the time, which created a distance between them in their early years as rivals.
Djokovic has spoken openly about that and says it came entirely from Federer, not from him. The 24-time Grand Slam champion also revealed his relationship with Nadal was always better despite them not being friends.
Although Djokovic and Federer never became friends either, relations between them improved in the final years of Federer's career. That was shown by the 38-year-old's presence at Federer's farewell appearance at the 2025 Laver Cup.
In interviews earlier this year, Djokovic said he would like to sit down with Federer and Rafael Nadal for drinks and look back on their time dominating men's tennis for so many years, and how they took it to new heights in the process.
Federer was recently elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. His incredible achievements and status as the biggest worldwide star the sport has ever produced made it unsurprising.
In an interview with Tages-Anzeiger, Federer was asked about Djokovic's idea of sharing drinks. The eight-time Wimbledon champion said he would be open to it, and that being retired for a few years has made him view things differently.
"Sure. Rivalries like that create a huge bond. I see it very differently today than before, with much more distance. Novak doesn’t know what that’s like yet. Rafa is slowly getting there. When you’re still playing, you can’t think about it the way I do today."
"The more time passes, the less you identify yourself as an individual player and the more you see the big picture. What’s funny is: Someone might have taken something totally personally—and you can’t even remember it anymore. I’m definitely up for sitting down together and talking about the good old days."
Federer considering his rivalry with Djokovic as part of "the good old days" shows how much his view of the Serbian has changed. He definitely was not thinking about him so positively for many years.
If Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal gathered and socialized, it would generate massive attention. That trio and their memorable matches against each other introduced millions of fans to tennis, significantly growing the sport.
Novak Djokovic is still playing despite increasing difficulties
It sounded like Novak Djokovic might be close to retiring when he admitted that a big part of him had left the sport with former rivals Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray. Nadal was the most recent to retire at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.
Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open, as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated. The tennis legend has praised both players numerous times, but remains unhappy with how aspects of Sinner's doping case were handled.
Despite not securing a Grand Slam in 2025, Djokovic's reaching four Major semifinals at 38 is a phenomenal achievement. He deserves considerable credit for continuing to fight and play well despite increased physical issues this year.
Popular News
Just In
Loading