Novak Djokovic only needed one word to describe longtime rival Roger Federer

The generational shift in men’s tennis became strikingly clear in the early 2000s. While Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal did briefly overlap with players from the previous era—most notably Pete Sampras—it was the rise of the Big Three that truly redefined the modern game.

Sampras closed out his legendary career in 2002 by winning the US Open and setting a then-record with 14 Grand Slam titles. A year later, Federer captured the first of his 20 Majors. Nadal followed in 2005 with the first of his 22, and Djokovic joined the club in 2008 by claiming the first of his record-setting 24 Grand Slam titles.

There’s no doubt Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic pushed each other to new heights. It’s nearly impossible to tell the story of one without mentioning the other two. Djokovic, the youngest of the trio, was the last to break through—but when he did, his dominance was overwhelming.

While much has been speculated over the years about the off-court dynamics between the three, particularly the idea that Djokovic didn’t enjoy the same camaraderie with Federer and Nadal, time has softened those narratives. In fact, Djokovic recently had nothing but praise for the Swiss legend.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic playing against Team World at the 2018 Laver Cup. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images for The Laver Cup)

Djokovic’s way to describe Federer

Speaking to Slaven Bilic on the show (Ne)uspjeh prvaka, Djokovic reflected on the value of natural talent in tennis, and how Federer exemplified it better than anyone.

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“I agree that talent is decisive. Talent enhances an athlete’s performance. That’s why they say Federer is the personification of tennis: elegance, style, ease in his game and movements. It’s true. Perfection. And on top of that, he’s one of the most successful players in history, which makes his career incredible. Perfection, in that sense as well,” Djokovic said.

“But talent has to be there, there’s no doubt about that. To what extent—that’s where people debate and express their opinions,” he continued. “They say: ‘Novak has less talent than Federer,’ but that doesn’t mean I don’t have talent. Of course I do, just less, obviously”.

Djokovic also offered a candid take on how his own talent compares to Federer’s. “But I have my own talent, one that works for me, that gave my game and my career what they needed—just like his did. Everyone brings their own ‘something.’ Thank God our sport and our games are so different, so there’s room for different types of talent,” the Serbian star added.