Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer improved my game so much, says Djokovic
In press conference at the Miami Open Novak Djokovic was asked what opponent played his best tennis against him. The Serbian player replied: "Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. I mean, these two guys. And Stan Wawrinka I think also couple matches that we had in Grand Slam finals, he played some amazing tennis. Yeah, because of those rivalries that I had with them, I was forced to dig deeper and understand what it takes, what I need to do to improve my game even more. When you get smashed on the court, obviously it doesn't feel great, but it does make you really address your game more than I guess any other moment. It's not like I'm inviting to get smashed on the court, but when I have been, then I really had to rethink the game and it made me improve", said Djokovic, who lost to Wawrinka in the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open championship clashes. He played against Federer and Nadal over 100 times combined.
Asked if he would be as good a player as you are now if his top rivals were not around, Djokovic replied: "Well, I understand you'd like to get an answer on that question. I understand your question. I don't like to usually talk about what ifs. I am obviously part of this group of players. I'm grateful for that. At the beginning of my career, I was probably frustrated to have Nadal and Federer in the same era because they were winning so much, they were so dominant. They kept being dominant. I just managed to up my level and start winning against them on the biggest tournaments, start getting some major titles. Yes, I do feel like these guys have helped my game tremendously. I did say that many times before. I really don't know what would happen if I was in a different era. It's difficult to say really. I am grateful that I am part of this group."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2TY1nUM
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