Tennis icon Roger Federer is open to sitting down for a catch-up with former rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal after previous suggestions the trio have “never been friends.” Djokovic has in the past sought to distance himself from the notion that he and the other members of tennis‘ ‘Big Three’ qualify as companions.

That isn’t to say the only active member of their triumvirate isn’t grateful for what Federer, who retired in 2022, and Nadal, who also hung up his racket last year, helped to bring out of his game. But when probed on the nature of their relationship earlier this year, ‘Nole’ insisted the nature of their rivalry meant they couldn’t necessarily be called buddies. Speaking to 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.

“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.”

While he may not label them “friends,” however, Djokovic has repeatedly stated his interest in catching up with his old nemeses once he joins them in retirement. Speaking at Wimbledon this year, the Serb said he’d like to “sip a margarita on the beach with Federer and Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry” once his playing days are done.

And now Federer has shared his interest in a summit once all is said and done as he told Tages Anzeiger: “Sure. Rivalries like that create a huge bond. 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.”

The Swiss superstar has had a little more than three years to sit back and take stock of his career, including the significance of Nadal and Djokovic’s influence. For Nadal, the unfamiliar feeling of retirement is barely 12 months old, while Djokovic is still yet to make his exit.

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It’s been speculated the 38-year-old may be close to calling time on his career following a downturn in results over the past year. However, he continues to stave off such chatter and recently defeated Lorenzo Musetti to take his 101st career title in Athens.

While the nature of their competition may have prevented the three from truly growing close in the past, the same may not apply when there is no longer an advantage to be gained on-court. And Federer has had enough time to reflect and decide he’s ready to make nice whenever the other members of the greatest rivalry in tennis history are prepared to join him.