Roger Federer suggests if he would be open to sitting down to talk with Novak Djokovic, ‘I see it differently today’

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Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have not always had the best relationship away from the tennis court.

Federer did not seem convinced by Djokovic when he first started emerging as a top player on the ATP Tour.

Both players have admitted that they are not very close in the past, with Djokovic claiming he understands Rafael Nadal more than Federer.

Although Djokovic has confessed he is not friends with Federer, the Serbian has spoken about wanting to sit down and speak to his former rival after he retires, and now he has received an official response.

Roger Federer confirms if he would want to have a conversation with Novak Djokovic

Federer has been announced as the next inductee into the Tennis Hall of Fame, with the 20-time Grand Slam champion being honoured for his achievements in Newport, Rhode Island next year.

When speaking to Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger about his induction, Federer was also questioned about Djokovic’s comments of wanting to speak to him.

In his response, Federer confirmed that he would be open to reminiscing with Djokovic, and spoke about how his perspective has changed since retiring from tennis.

“Sure. Rivalries like that create a huge bond,” said Federer. “I see it very differently today than before, with much more distance.

“Novak doesn’t know what that’s like yet. Rafa is slowly getting there. When you’re still playing, you can’t think about it the way I do today. The more time passes, the less you identify yourself as an individual player and the more you see the big picture.

“What’s funny is: Someone might have taken something totally personally—and you can’t even remember it anymore. I’m definitely up for sitting down together and talking about the good old days.”

Roger Federer suggests if there are plans for an exhibition tour with Rafael Nadal

Since both Federer and Nadal retired from tennis, there has been a lot of speculation about what they could do next in tennis.

This has included Federer being asked about an exhibition tour with Nadal, which is something he has never ruled out before.

When questioned about if there are now any official plans for this, Federer confirmed that nothing was set in place, but explained the ideas he has for it if it potentially comes to fruition.

“It would be nice if it worked out,” answered Federer. “If we now played exhibitions after our careers, we’d have more time and wouldn’t have to immediately rush to the next thing.

“I could imagine combining the whole thing with a good cause, raising money for my foundation and inspiring kids. At the moment nothing concrete is planned. But I see a few cool things that could come from it.”

Federer has not played a professional match since retiring at the 2022 Laver Cup, but he has made a few brief appearances on court for exhibition events.

This included an appearance at the Shanghai Masters, where Federer impressed Sam Querrey with his level of tennis three years after his last competitive match.