Not himself, Novak Djokovic names this former star as ‘most talented’ tennis player

The ‘Big 3’ dominated the sport for two decades, collectively winning 66 Grand Slam singles titles, where Novak Djokovic leads with 24.

Novak Djokovic has named former Swiss tennis star Roger Federer as the ‘most talented one’. The Serbian tennis icon, who recently became the third player to win 100 ATP titles, reflected on his former arch-rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

The ‘Big Three’ dominated the sport for nearly two decades as the three stars won a combined total of 66 singles Grand Slam titles. While the rivalry of Federer and Nadal defined the late 2000s, Djokovic’s work ethic elevated the level of competition in the 2010s.

When asked about the attributes of his rivals, the 24-time Grand Slam champion explained on a podcast with Slaven Bilic (via Spanish outlet MARCA), “Federer is the most talented one, the most beautiful to watch when playing. He uses his energy most efficiently. He moved so lightly, so elegantly and so efficiently, while Nadal is the opposite extreme; he dominated physically.”

Djokovic pointed out the ridiculous contrast between the two tennis legends, who were also a part of the memorable battle of surfaces in 2007. An all-court elite, Federer experimented with shots such as backhand smash, skyhook, half-volley, jump smash, and more. Meanwhile, Nadal often showcased his brute strength on the tennis court.

Talking about himself, the Serb acknowledged that he leaned towards the style of Rafael Nadal. However, his original playing style falls somewhere between his two former peers.

“I was somewhere in between, but I leaned more towards Nadal’s style of play. So more sliding, more running, baseline-focused play, and so on,” he added.

Nadal and Djokovic have the longest rivalry of the Open Era, as they faced each other 60 times on tour. After them, Federer and Djokovic faced each other on 50 occasions on the tour. Meanwhile, Nadal and Federer faced off against each other 40 times.

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