Roger Federer told everyone how he’d feel if his all-time Grand Slam record was broken in 2019 as Novak Djokovic closed in

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Roger Federer shared how he would react if Novak Djokovic would have broken his Grand Slam record in 2019.

The last year of the 2010s was a poignant one in the world of tennis as far as the greats of the game were concerned.

2019 marked the final year Federer faced his great rival Rafael Nadal, and it also proved the the last time both the Swiss Maestro and the iconic Serena Williams reached a Grand Slam final.

Furthermore, Federer and Djokovic competed in their last major final, and it took place on the centre court at Wimbledon, the biggest stage in the sport.

What did Roger Federer say about Novak Djokovic possibly breaking his Grand Slam record in 2019?

As the 2010s drew to a close the Grand Slam race between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic began to heat up.

After a five year drought, Federer added three majors to haul to become the first man to win 20 Grand Slams.

But by the end of the decade, Nadal was just one behind after winning his fourth and final US Open title in 2019. This came just two months after Djokovic won a thrilling Wimbledon final against Federer, where he saved two championship points.

Following the crushing defeat, Federer was asked about how he felt about Djokovic and Nadal closing in on his record.

“I take motivation from different places, you know. Not so much from trying to stay ahead because I broke the record, and if somebody else does, well, that’s great for them,” he said at the time. “You can’t protect everything anyway.

“I didn’t become a tennis player for that. I really didn’t. It’s about trying to win Wimbledon, trying to have good runs here, playing in front of such an amazing crowd in this Centre Court against players like Novak and so forth.

“That’s what I play for. Yeah, so things are different now. But I am very happy with my level of play nowadays still.”

When did Novak Djokovic actually surpass Roger Federer’s Grand Slam tally?

Djokovic did not pass Federer’s Grand Slam tally in 2019 despite winning that year’s Wimbledon final.

In fact, it was Nadal who was the first player to surpass Federer’s Grand Slam haul. The Spaniard’s comeback victory against Daniil Medvedev earned the 2022 Australian Open title, which was the 21st major of his career.

He won the French Open several months later, putting Nadal on 22 Grand Slam titles. At that time Djokovic was level with Federer on 20.

By the 2023 French Open, the landscape has changed as Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud to win his 23rd Grand Slam, putting in the lead for the most number of majors won by a male.

The Serbian added to this tally by winning the 2023 US Open and now heading into 2025, Djokovic is still searching for a 25th Grand Slam.