The Big Three spent almost two decades battling it out for the biggest titles in tennis. Now, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal already retired, Novak Djokovic is the last man standing. Although the Serbian superstar is still competing, he’s already planning to catch up with his old rivals and has, on multiple occasions, shared his wish to sit down and have a drink with both men once he has also retired.
And he’s now received a response. Federer, who ended his career at the 2022 Laver Cup and is now set to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, is more than happy to have a Big Three reunion over some drinks. But the 20-time Major winner has reminded Djokovic that he still “doesn’t know” what it feels like to reflect on their rivalry with the added perspective of being retired.
Djokovic recently picked up his 101st career title in Athens and shows no sign of slowing down. While he’s still competing on the tour, the current world No. 4 doesn’t like to look back on his achievements and would rather wait until he has joined Federer and Nadal in retirement.
Speaking at Wimbledon earlier this year, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said: “I don’t reflect fully on everything I have been through. I would like to, but I think that’s going to come probably when I set the racket aside and I sip a margarita on the beach with Federer and Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry and everything!”
It wasn’t the first time Djokovic had invited his biggest rivals for a drink. “I do wish to have a drink or two with them and just open up and talk about the things that annoyed everyone about me! Or vice versa, whatever it is. Let’s just put it all out there,” he told GQ ahead of the 2025 season.
Federer, who was the first of the Big Three to retire, has now revealed that he’s happy to accept the 38-year-old’s invitation. The Swiss star ended his career at the 2022 Laver Cup when Djokovic and Nadal were his teammates, and played his final match in doubles alongside Nadal.
However, more than three years on, Federer believes that Djokovic, who is still playing, and even Nadal, who retired a year ago, have yet to reach a point where they view their rivalry from a new perspective.
Asked whether he could imagine sitting down with the multi-Grand Slam champions and talking it out, the 44-year-old 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 old rivals have already caught up a few times since retiring. Federer and Nadal played golf in Mallorca earlier this summer, while Federer, Djokovic and Andy Murray all attended a special ceremony to honour Nadal’s career at Roland Garros in May. But it looks like a real catch-up could be on the cards when the Serb says farewell to professional tennis.