What Novak Djokovic said was the reason Roger Federer won so many Grand Slams after their 2015 US Open final

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Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer enjoyed an unforgettable rivalry on the court, with the pair having met 50 times on the ATP Tour.

One such meeting between the ATP icons arrived in the final of the US Open in 2015, in which the top two seeds went head-to-head.

And it was top seed Djokovic who came out on top this time 10 years ago, defeating second seed Federer 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4.

The Serbian clinched his second US Open title and 10th career Grand Slam title in New York, enacting revenge for his 2007 US Open final defeat to the Swiss star.

While the legendary Federer has since retired, Djokovic is currently gearing up for another run at US Open glory this year.

Why Novak Djokovic thought Roger Federer won so many Grand Slam titles

Djokovic has learned a lot from Federer, who he praised highly shortly after that battle in New York back in 2015.

Asked what it meant to get through the match and win a 10th Grand Slam, he replied: “Well, it’s been an incredible season.

READ MORE: Novak Djokovic reacts on social media after being knocked out of the US Open mixed doubles in the first round

“I’m very fortunate to experience a great success this year. The season is not over, but the Grand Slam is over.

“The biggest tournaments that I have played this year, as anybody else, and I won three out of four. It’s more than I could ask for, definitely.

“Of course I do have lots of expectations and high ambitions whenever I’m approaching the Grand Slams or any other tournament, but, you know, now actually sitting down here with this trophy and reflecting on what I have achieved, it’s quite incredible.

“So I’m definitely very satisfied and proud of that. As you said, you know, he played great tennis throughout the entire year.

“I think as the season was going by he was elevating his game. He was improving. Now he came up with a different shot, as well, the shot that nobody has ever seen.

“And it’s been working well also against me in Cincinnati and also here. He’s just not going away. He’s not dropping his level too much.

“You know, I was saying on the court that he’s always going to be out there making you play your best if you want to win.

“So that’s who Roger is. That’s why he has won so many Grand Slam titles. And I knew that coming to the court.

“I knew he’s going to be aggressive. He’s going to try to disrupt my rhythm, and he’s going to put a lot of variety in his game. slice, chip and charge, come to the net, serve and volley. Which he did.

“But I was ready for it. I was ready for the battle. That’s what it was. Three hours, 20 minutes. We pushed each other to the limit, as we always do.

“It’s an ultimate challenge that I can have now winning against Roger back-to-back finals in Wimbledon and here, US Open. It’s tremendous. I’m really, really proud of it.”

If Novak Djokovic thought he was dominating the ‘greatest generation ever’ in 2015

As he alluded to, Djokovic certainly didn’t limit himself to the US Open title in 2015, with the Serbian having also won the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

He defeated Andy Murray and Federer in those finals respectively, and came agonisingly close to the calendar Grand Slam, losing the French Open final to Stan Wawrinka.

It really was a golden era for men’s tennis, and Djokovic was asked how it felt to be dominating potentially the ‘greatest generation’ ever following his 2015 US Open success.

He said: “Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m dominating, but I definitely am very proud of all of the achievements.

“You know, winning a Grand Slam is very special for any tennis player when you are dreaming of becoming a professional tennis player.

“When you are kind of finding that inspiration, motivation, these are the tournaments you dream of winning. So to actually relive these moments again after 2011 it’s quite incredible.

“To win against one of the biggest rivals, as you said, all-time Grand Slam champion, somebody that, you know, always keeps on fighting till the last point, keeps making you play an extra shot, yeah, all these things now are very special to me.

“Obviously I owe a great gratitude to my team and for making sure I can perform as well as I did, you know, all these years. And tonight is a night that I will definitely remember for a long time.”

Djokovic enters the 2025 US Open with one ATP title to his name this season, having triumphed in Geneva.

A decade ago, he enjoyed his most successful season ever, with the legendary figure securing a stunning 11 titles in 2015.