Roger Federer Reveals What ‘Triggered’ Novak Djokovic to Break Down During Former’s Retirement Ceremony in His Documentary

Novak Djokovic was always seen as a “party crasher” in the ‘Fedal’ era! The Serb has long been considered a polarising figure in the tennis world. He is the one who even at times made Roger Federer look the second-best in the match! However, Djokovic couldn’t hold back his tears seeing the Swiss Maestro hang up his racquets after playing his last match at the 2022 Laver Cup event. But what had actually “triggered” the Serb at that moment which made him burst into tears at that time?

Tennis fans recently got a chance to get a sneak peek at those emotional moments surrounding one of the greatest tennis stars. Roger Federer’s documentary FEDERER: Twelve Final Days is set to release on June 20. But before that, fans got the chance to see some clippings from that iconic documentary. The documentary is not just about Federer but also the ones who were beside him during his career. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are two of the biggest reasons why he is where he is today! They pushed him to his limits to become the best in the world.

Seeing them cry altogether in a single frame, was an emotional moment for all the tennis fans. Reflecting on those emotional moments, Federer went on to elaborate, “I think it definitely hit me! Maybe I was gonna become emotional at the very end. Even though I did feel I was solid you know through the interviews and everything. Even through the game, I was super relaxed. And then I don’t know at the end it was just you know it’s like okay I mean this is it and you know what happens next.” Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were spotted crying too! “Novak, they told him things also the very end of a very personal you know and that maybe triggered something in him as well,” Federer.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have played against each other almost 50 times in their careers. Although the Serbian has a lead of 27-23 over the Swiss, Federer has recently admitted he didn’t give Djokovic “the respect he deserved” when he entered into the frame in the great era of men’s tennis. Their first meeting was at the 2006 Monte Carlos Masters. In that match, Novak Djokovic pushed Federer who was then the world number one to three sets. Federer thinks Djokovic is a bit “misunderstood” by most in the tennis world.

“I guess I wasn’t the favorite type of guy to some of the top players” – Novak Djokovic speaks on his relationship with Roger Federer

Speaking about his first few meetings with Djokovic, Roger Federer said, “Even though there was some hype around him, I wasn’t really fully convinced. I think I didn’t give Novak the respect he deserved because of his technical flaws.” He revealed how he walked off the court after playing the match in Monaco in 2006. “I guess he was the party crasher of Rafa and Roger fans,” Roger Federer.

During a press conference at the 2024 AO, Novak Djokovic reflected a bit on his relationship with the 20-time Grand Slam champion. He said, “I know certainly Federer didn’t like the way I was behaving at the beginning. I think it didn’t sit with him well. I don’t know about the others.” But what according to him actually made him the least favorite one among the top players? “I guess I wasn’t the favorite type of guy to some of the top guys because I was not afraid to say that I want to be the best player in the world,” Novak Djokovic added. Share your thoughts on the iconic rivalry of these two tennis stars.