My Complicated Relationship with Novak Djokovic

I’m not joking when I say I’ve spent a solid week of my life watching Novak Djokovic play tennis. Maybe more, to be honest.

In fact, I’m almost certain I’ve watched him play tennis more than any other player who’s ever picked up a racquet.

You may think that means Djokovic is my favorite player.

You’d be wrong.

He is, in fact, the player I’ve spent almost my entire tennis fandom rooting against.

Like many others, I fell in love with tennis during the mid-2000’s thanks to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. I started as a Nadal fan and ended as a Federer fan, though I loved both along the way.

Their rivalry was all I needed. I felt like I could have lived inside of a Federer-Nadal bubble for my entire tennis life. Some nostalgic part of me still feels like this.

Djokovic arrived shortly after Federer and Nadal, with both facing him for the first time in 2006.

Early on, neither struggled much with him. There was no denying Djokovic’s talent, but through 2010 Federer held a 13-6 edge, while Nadal led 16-7.

Then came 2011.

When Djokovic broke through, it felt as if he had trampled on sacred ground.

To me, the tennis world didn’t need him. We already had Federer and Nadal, two perfect ambassadors of the sport. Why did we need a 3rd guy crashing the party?

But Djokovic didn’t care.

That year alone, he won 3 majors and went 10-1 versus Federer and Nadal.

While Nadal was able to neutralize Djokovic on the clay for much of the next decade, Federer wasn’t so lucky.

From 2011 on, Djokovic went 22-10 in the H2H with Federer, including a 9-2 record against him at the majors.

It was the stuff of nightmares for Federer fans (me).

Djokovic was a literal brick wall against Federer in the big moments. He always seemed to find a way to get to the finish line first.

But that wasn’t unique to Federer.

Djokovic built an entire career on winning the moments that mattered most.

His career record in 5th sets stands at 42-12, including an absurd 18-7 mark versus top 10 opponents.

Part of me certainly rooted against Djokovic because of the damage he inflicted on Federer’s legacy. Part of me rooted against him because he frequently stood in Nadal’s way as well.

But if I’m being honest, there was another reason.

I simply found him harder to like.

Djokovic has never hidden his emotions on the court. He yells. He smashes racquets. He tears his shirts. He pushes the boundaries of gamesmanship.

As a Federer/Nadal fan, all of that behavior felt like tennis blasphemy.

Federer floated around the court like a ballet dancer, while Nadal fought with a relentless intensity, but both carried themselves with undeniable humility and respect.

Djokovic was different.

And for a long time, I held that against him.

As I've gotten older, though, I’ve found myself trying to view things from Djokovic’s perspective.

Djokovic has never been the crowd favorite, no matter how much he won.

If you watch the biggest matches of his career, you’ll notice the pattern. Whether he was playing Federer, Nadal, or Andy Murray, the crowd usually wanted the other guy.

Can you imagine stepping onto court for the biggest matches of your career and knowing that 10,000+ people wanted the other guy to win?

I think Djokovic learned to embrace that role. He turned it into fuel.

And it worked.

Crowds have softened towards him through the 2020’s. Perhaps that’s because he has grown on some people. Or maybe fans simply appreciate what he continues to accomplish at an age when most players are long retired.

Recently, I found myself joining that crowd.

My wife and I made the trip to Indian Wells this year and were determined to see Djokovic up close.

When his practice schedule was released, we grabbed seats directly behind the baseline nearly 90 minutes before he was scheduled to take the court.

It was a sweltering desert day with the thermometers clocking in at 90+ degrees.

The court quickly filled to full capacity.

Then Djokovic’s scheduled start time came and went.

And went.

More than 30 minutes after he was scheduled to start, he took the court and after 2+ hours waiting in the desert heat, I wasn’t exactly thrilled (nor was my wife, let me tell you).

But the moment he stepped onto the court, that all disappeared.

I’ve never experienced anything quite like that practice session. After spending countless hours of my life watching this man on an electronic screen, he was suddenly mere feet away from me.

Watching those buttery smooth groundstrokes - the same ones that caused me so much personal pain over the years - in person was surreal.

I still don’t quite have the words for it.

But I can tell you this: I will always be grateful I got that moment before it all comes to an end.

Djokovic turned 39 years old this year.

While no player in tennis history has aged better, it’s become apparent he is hitting the final stretch of his long, storied, and complicated career.

He’s playing less, and injuries are coming more frequently.

And while Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated tennis headlines in recent years, Djokovic has served as the ultimate gatekeeper.

Neither player was said to have “arrived” until they defeated Djokovic in a slam.

Alcaraz rose to superstardom when he defeated Djokovic in their epic 2023 Wimbledon final, and Sinner was viewed similarly when he beat Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open semifinals en route to his first major title.

Heck, it’s 2026 and Djokovic is still gatekeeping.

Joao Fonseca’s breakthrough victory came last week when he defeated Djokovic in an instant classic 5 set battle at Roland Garros.

For most of my tennis life, Djokovic has been the gatekeeper standing between me and the outcomes I wanted.

First it was Federer.

Then Nadal.

And now it’s the next generation trying to break through.

I don’t know how much longer Djokovic will continue playing professional tennis. He’s said in the past he’d stop when he no longer believes he can win.

Given his recent struggles against Alcaraz and Sinner, along with the rise of players like Fonseca, it feels as though that day is closer than ever.

It will be a surreal day for me when Djokovic hangs it up.

He has long been the villain in my tennis fandom.

The thing I’ve come to realize, though, is that the villain matters too.

Some of my favorite tennis moments exist because Djokovic was standing on the other side of the net.

As complicated as my feelings towards Djokovic have been over the years, I can say with confidence that he is the greatest tennis player to ever walk the earth.

And when he finally decides he’s had enough, tennis is going to feel a little emptier without him.

Thanks for reading,

The Tennis Guy