By 
Novak Djokovic praised Roger Federer, who is retiring, as one of the greatest athletes of all time, saying he will leave a lasting legacy in the world of tennis.
The 41-year-old Swiss great will compete for Team Europe in this week’s Laver Cup against Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic, his three biggest rivals in his glittering 24-year career.
Federer, who has won 20 Grand Slam titles, has been plagued by injuries in recent years and announced last week that he will retire after the Laver Cup in London.
“His impact on the game has been tremendous, the way he was playing, his style, effortless, just perfect for an eye of a tennis coach, player or just a tennis fan. He has left a huge legacy that will live for a very long time,” said Djokovic.
“Both Andy and I didn’t know that this is going to be his last match, his farewell this weekend, so that makes this occasion even greater because he’s one of the greatest athletes ever to play sport, any sport,” he added.
“His popularity on and off the court speaks for itself. So I’m sure we’re going to have a blast this weekend.”
This week’s Laver Cup will be Federer, Nadal, Murray, and Djokovic’s first tournament together since the 2019 Australian Open.
“It’s great we will have a chance to spend some quality time off the court together,” Djokovic told Eurosport.
“We have team dinners and will chat about tennis, sports, life. We don’t normally do that on tour, we have our own teams and families, so this is quite unique.
“We all want to win and perform well but at the same time because of Roger’s farewell and the opportunity to be alongside some of my greatest rivals in my career you also want to share some good times off the court too.
“The WhatsApp group is what keeps us together.”
Comments