Roger Federer explains what Novak Djokovic has become the ‘master’ at over his career so far

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Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic enjoyed one of sport’s greatest battles with their tennis rivalry over the years.

The pair constantly fought it out on the court, with their thrilling meetings finally coming to an end upon the former’s retirement in 2022.

The duo met 50 times on the court, with Djovokic coming out on top in terms of their head to head record, having won 27 times compared to Federer’s 23.

Despite hanging up his racket, Federer has extended the rivalry, with his comments about Djokovic retiring during matches re-emerging after the Serb’s injury issues at the French Open, with tennis fans angry at the Swiss icon for what he said.

But there is clearly a mutual respect between the pair, who undoubtedly pushed each other to keep performing at the very top for several years.

Roger Federer shares a ‘master’ Novak Djokovic characteristic

Djokovic has dropped to world number three after his withdrawal from the French Open, and won’t be 100% for Wimbledon after having knee surgery.

But he remains one of the world’s best, with Federer now highlighting an area of the Serbian’s game in which he has become a ‘master’ of.

“Take that as motivation when the crowd is against you,” Federer told BBC Breakfast. “I had that not very often but when I was younger, they would cheer for [Andre] Agassi – they didn’t want the new guy to win.

“That can fuel you in a way. You can take it from anywhere and Novak has been a master of that.”

Can Novak Djokovic recover and equal Roger Federer’s Wimbledon record?

Federer was a master on all surfaces, but the Swiss star particularly enjoyed playing on the grass, having won Wimbledon eight times.

That tally places him at the very top of the list in terms of wins at the competition in the Open Era, with Djokovic and Pete Sampras right behind him on seven each.

The latter has since retired, but the former could make it number eight by clinching silverware in London this summer.

It will, however, be a very difficult task, not only because of his injury issues, but because of the presence of the next generation of stars.

Jannik Sinner will be full of confidence after becoming the new world number one, while Carlos Alcaraz has just won the French Open, and moreover beat Djokovic in last year’s Wimbledon final. 

The young duo will be the ones to beat next month, with the third major of the year set to get going at the very beginning of July.