Djokovic was an uninvited guest at the Federer-Nadal party; initially, they showed him no respect, but later he became like a monster.

Recently, Djokovic revealed in an interview that after early career wins over Federer and Nadal, he was met with unexpected coldness from his opponents, which felt particularly surprising from Federer, who is six years older than him. For more, see yesterday’s article: "Djokovic: After beating Federer and Nadal, they became distant; Nadal being my peer is more understandable."

In response, the Swiss maestro admitted in an interview that there was indeed a lack of respect for Djokovic in his early days, but he never anticipated that this underestimated Serbian would ultimately rewrite tennis history.

“Novak was the uninvited guest at the party of Rafa and Roger fans,” Federer described Djokovic’s initial entry into the top tennis circle in a recent interview.

Federer elaborated, “When I first played against him, I thought ‘he’s okay,’ but I wasn’t convinced. I didn’t give him the respect he deserved, but later he turned into a monstrous player.”

It’s worth noting that Djokovic’s first match against Federer dates back to 2007, when Federer already held 13 Grand Slam titles and Djokovic was still a newcomer. Their first encounter was intense, with Federer telling Djokovic’s parents to “keep quiet” because he felt they were talking during the match.

Data shows that Djokovic was clearly at a disadvantage against Federer early on, winning only 4 out of 13 matches between 2007 and 2010. However, the turning point came in 2011 when Djokovic achieved an impressive 4-1 record against Federer and reached world No. 1 for the first time.

Despite early tensions, signs of reconciliation have emerged over time between Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

In a post-retirement interview, Federer said, “My perspective on it today is very different from before, with more distance. Interestingly, some people might still hold grudges about something — while you don’t even remember it. I would definitely be willing to sit down and talk about the good old days.”

This year at the Wimbledon men’s singles semifinal, a touching moment occurred when Federer and Djokovic appeared together: Federer, retired for over two years, quietly attended the center court, fully focused on Djokovic’s match. Afterward, Djokovic spoke about Federer in an interview, and their friendly interaction became a hot topic on social media.

Now, as Djokovic approaches the end of his career and Federer is no longer the "King Roger" he once was, the Swiss openly admits that many misunderstand Djokovic; in fact, he is a very, very good person.

“Djokovic has always been misunderstood. I ignore the noise from the media and see his true self. Beyond his tennis, who is he and what are his values? I know he deeply values family. We share similar principles,” Federer said.

From rivalry and hostility to gradual reconciliation, this journey has spanned over a decade, filled with animosity and emotion, disputes and understanding. Perhaps the biggest mistake was that we all possess a “champion’s heart.” As the old saying goes, “Why was Zhuge Liang born when Zhou Yu already existed?” And maybe the so-called “monster” comes from the awe and amazement in our hearts.

On social media, many interpret Federer’s words differently. Jimmy Connors bluntly stated, “People talk about the Big Three era, but in the past 10 to 15 years, there’s been only one ‘big boss’ who left the others behind.”

Mats Wilander defended Djokovic: “If Djokovic should retire, then all other players on tour should retire too! He’s 38 years old and still the world’s third-best player.”

If we are to define the relationship among the Big Three, Djokovic’s own words provide the best answer: “We were never friends, but we were never enemies either.” He said, “I have always respected and greatly admired them. Thanks to Nadal and Federer, I have become who I am today. That will always connect us.”(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)