Roger Federer: 'I think we get the best out of one another'

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic met 50 times on the major circuit, giving rise to the second-longest-running rivalry of the Open Era, behind only the one between Djokovic himself and Rafael Nadal. The Swiss and the Serbian played some matches destined to remain etched in the history of this sport, culminating last year in the Wimbledon 2019 final, in which the world number 1 canceled two match points to King Roger before winning the tiebreak of the fifth. If Nole starts as the big favorite for the 2021 Australian Open title, dark clouds continue to gather over the future of the 39-year-old from Basel. After being named the greatest Swiss athlete of the past 70 years, Federer revealed that his participation in the Happy Slam is in high doubt and that his recovery is not progressing as expected. According to the words of his biographer Simon Graf, the 20-time Grand Slam champion is still a long way off from top form and the impression is that it will take a long time to see him again on the pitch. In a recent interview for the ATP website, Federer reflected on his extraordinary rivalry with Djokovic.

Roger Federer on his rivalry with Djokovic

“Novak Djokovic, obviously he can play on all the surfaces extremely well,” Roger Federer said. “He always brings a certain level of play, which is extremely high, so to beat him you have to be at your best. He’s a great mover, and I have great coordination, so we match up well against each other.” Despite losing the 2019 Wimbledon final, Federer acknowledged, “You do look back and you do appreciate the fight and the battle and the type of match.” With Djokovic leading the rivalry 27-23, and with both players still ranked inside the world’s top five players, 2021 promises to feature more exciting matches between the legendary pair. “I think actually rivalries are super important in sports, I think it also makes the game more popular,” Federer said. “I think you always need somebody who you can have a good rivalry with. With me… and with Djokovic, thank god I had them… I think we get the best out of one another.” The Australian Open was the only event that Federer played this calendar but it didn’t end well for him as he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinal. As he missed the bulk of the action this season through an injury, Federer dropped down the rankings and ended the season at Number 5.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2JZk1YN