Novak Djokovic pays homage to Federer: "A big round of applause for Roger, guys!"
Novak Djokovic has given his old rival Roger Federer a round of applause at the Australian Open.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Jan 26, 2023, 08:32 am
For many, Jim Courier is the best man when it comes to on-court interviews - laid-back, spontaneous, knowledgeable. And so after Novak Djokovic's victory against Andrey Rublev, a conversation worth seeing again emerged.
Djokovic will meet Tommy Paul in the semifinals on Friday, who has reached the round of four in a major for the first time in his career, at least in the adult sector. Does Djokovic still remember when he was in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time?
The Roger Reflex!
Djokovic only briefly considered that it was 2007 at the US Open, "quite a long time ago," said Djokovic with a laugh. He was lucky and won, but then lost to Roger Federer in the final.
Did Djokovic know what was coming? It just so happens that the common tennis fan who hears the name "Roger" reflexively cheers, and of course it's the same in Melbourne. Djokovic reacted masterfully: "A big round of applause for Roger, folks," he asked the spectators in the Rod Laver Arena - and of course they couldn't be asked. "He deserves it. I've had some great duels with Roger over the years, that's for sure," said Djokovic. "Tennis misses him."
Djokovic against Federer on the ski slope?
But Djokovic is like everyone else, "I just saw how he dressed pretty sharply for Fashion Week," Djokovic continued to the amusement of the audience, and of course he also admired him skiing (Federer had a corresponding video recently posted).
What directly woke up the athlete in Djokovic: "I want to challenge him in a few years for a small ski race."
And that could be exciting: Federer (keyword: Switzerland) has not forgotten how to ski even after 15 years of absence (keyword: risk of injury for tennis).
But Djokovic is also a gifted skier - according to some experts even a better one. So it could be exciting.
laver arena