Published 18:49 IST, June 16th 2020
Novak Djokovic admits watching rivals Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal's matches all the time
Serbian tennis star and current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic recently revealed why he enjoys watching matches of his competitors, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic recently admitted to watching all the matches of his rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The trio of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are famously known as the ‘Big 3’ of tennis. The three players have been dominating the men’s singles since Wimbledon 2003. Moreover, both Novak Djokovic (aged 33) and Rafael Nadal (aged 34) are showing no signs of slowing down and they are currently ranked World No. 1 and World No. 2 as per the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings.
Also Read | Roger Federer Differs From Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic Over 'behind Closed Doors' Tennis
I usually try to always watch games of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal: Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic recently appeared in an interview on UBI Tennis. In the show, he revealed that he enjoys watching his competitors Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal play as he feels “interested in knowing how they are". Novak Djokovic stated that he usually watches the matches of the night sessions on days when he is not scheduled to compete. Even though he tries to relax and spend time with his family in the morning, he revealed that he watches the matches involving Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, whom he described as his “great rivals”. Novak Djokovic further added that whenever he has less time, he ends up catching the match summary on YouTube in order to enjoy the parts of the match that interest him.
Djokovic Serbian charity match in Belgrade
With the ATP season suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, Novak Djokovic organised the Adria tour, a charity tennis tournament held in Belgrade. The 33-year old Serbian missed a spot in the final after sustaining a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Filip Krajinovic, while Austrian tennis star Dominic Thiem defeated Damir Dzumhur (2-0), Dusan Lajovic (2-1) and Grigor Dimitrov (2-0) in the group stages. In the final, Dominic Thiem pipped Krajinovic 4-3, 2-4, 4-2 to win the trophy.
US Open 2020: Novak Djokovic’s stance on the tournament
US Open 2020 was originally intended to be played between August 24 and September 13. However, no official date has been announced yet, even though several restrictions have been put in place should the tournament go ahead. On June 9, Novak Djokovic spoke to RTS where he claimed that the restrictions in place for US Open 2020 are “extreme” and not sustainable due to the coronavirus pandemic. The specific restriction he was referring to was the imposition of the rule where only one coach is allowed to travel with a player. He further stated that he would rather focus on playing in the French Open, which is currently scheduled to run from September 20 to October 4.
Image credits: ATPTOUR.COM
Updated 18:49 IST, June 16th 2020