Roger Federer has responded to Novak Djokovic’s claim that tennis’ Big Three were “never friends” as the sole remaining member of that holy trinity moves towards retirement
Tom Sunderland Sports Writer
09:45, 22 Nov 2025
Roger Federer wants to have a sit-down with Novak Djokovic when he’s ready, despite the Serb’s suggestion they have “never been friends”(Image: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images)
Tennis legend Roger Federer has expressed his willingness to have a chinwag with former adversaries Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. That’s despite previous claims suggesting the trio have “never been friends.”
Djokovic has previously tried to put some distance between himself and the idea that he, Federer and Nadal – often referred to as tennis‘ ‘Big Three’ – are pals. However, this doesn’t mean Djokovic, the only member of the trio still playing professionally, isn’t appreciative of the inspiration his old adversaries provided.
Federer, who hung up his racket in 2022, and Nadal, who retired last year, brought out the best in one another’s game. But when quizzed about their relationship earlier this year, ‘Nole’ maintained that their competitive nature meant they couldn’t exactly be labelled as chums.
Speaking to Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Djokovic said: “Nadal is only a year older than me, we are both Geminis, at first we even went to dinner together, twice. But even with him, friendship is impossible.
“I have always respected and greatly admired him. Thanks to him and Federer, I grew up and became who I am. This will unite us forever, therefore I feel gratitude towards them. Nadal is a part of my life, in the last 15 years, I’ve seen more of him than my mum.
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“We have never been friends. Between rivals, it is not possible, but we have never been enemies. I’ve always had respect for Federer, he was one of the greatest of all time. He had an extraordinary impact, but I’ve never been close to him.”
Whilst he might not call them “friends,” Djokovic has made clear on numerous occasions his desire to reunite with his old rivals once he hangs up his racket. At Wimbledon earlier this year, the Serb said he’d love to “sip a margarita on the beach with Federer and Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry” when his playing career comes to an end.
Now Federer has revealed he’s keen on a get-together once the dust has settled, telling Tages Anzeiger: “Sure. Rivalries like that create a huge bond. I see it very differently today than before, with much more distance.
Federer feels differently after three years in retirement(Image: Getty)
“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.”
Djokovic is the only member of the Big Three still playing(Image: Getty)
The Swiss icon has enjoyed over three years to reflect on his career, including how pivotal Nadal and Djokovic were to his success. For Nadal, the strange sensation of retirement is less than a year old, while Djokovic continues to compete and recently won his 101st career title in Athens.
While their competitive nature may have previously hindered them from forming close bonds, this might not be the case once there’s no longer any on-court advantage at stake. Federer has had ample time to ponder before deciding he’s ready to extend an olive branch, with the only other question being when his old adversaries will be ready to accept it.
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