Djokovic’s B-side: why he’s not friends with Federer or Nadal, vaccinations and encounter with a wolf

It’s always interesting to hear the great protagonists. To those who leave a mark in the world of sport. And much more when their statements are interesting and do not go unnoticed. This is the case of the Serbian Novak Djokovicwho progressed to the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 in Rome this Tuesday and was enraged by a shot by Briton Cameron Norrie.

In an interview with an Italian newspaper, the Balkan, who is hunting for a new title at the Foro Italico, has left his mark: the reason for his non-friendship with Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal plus his vaccine refusal and the significant encounter he had with a wolf as a child.

His relationship with Federer and Nadal

Djokovic began by speaking of the retired Swiss: “We’ve never been friends, you can’t be rivals, but we’ve never been enemies. I’ve always had respect for Federer, he was one of the greatest of all time. He had an extraordinary impact, but I’ve never been close to him”. And, for example, he recalled what happened in the 2019 Wimbledon final: “The fans were screaming in favor of Roger, but inside me they became cries of support for i. person. It was amazing to turn the tables. I failed, I failed, I failed and I won, as the great Michael Jordan used to say.” He played 50 games against his majesty, with 27 wins and 23 falls.

Speaking of Nadal, speaking with Corriere della Serra, he specified: “He’s only a year older than me, we’re both Gemini, At first we even went to dinner together. But even with him friendship is impossible. I have always respected and greatly admired him. Thanks to him and Federer I grew up and became who I am. This will unite us forever; therefore I feel gratitude towards them. Nadal is a part of my life, in the last fifteen years I’ve seen him more than my mother…” Yes, he ended up throwing clubs for both of us. Against Manacor he won 30 matches and lost 29, tied.

“I’m not anti or pro-vaccine”

On his remembered refusal to get vaccinated, Nole expressed his point of view on everything that happened: “I suffered it firsthand, many people appreciated that I remained constant. 95% of what was written and said on television about me for the last three years is totally false. I am not anti-vaccine and have never said I was, nor am I pro-vaccine. What I am is pro-choice, I defend freedom of choice. It is a basic human right to be free to decide what things to inject into the body and what not. On my return from Australia I explained this to the BBC but they took out a lot of sentences, the ones that weren’t appropriate. That’s why I never spoke of this story again.”

And he recalled what happened at the 2022 Australian Open, without being able to dispute it: “I respected all the rules and I didn’t endanger anyone, but there I became a political case, which endangered the world. The system that the media required a lens that challenged the mainstream and they converted me. They put a completely false label on me, it still gives me stomach ache, I’ve been branded persona non grata. In the end, a person facing big media has no chance. Many people have let me down, when half of society is against you it’s when you see the true face of people. A lot of people made my head spin, including a lot of players and some organisers.”

Nole and his encounter with a wolf

Djokovic confessed that as a child he had a particular encounter with a wolf, an animal that symbolizes a lot for him: “One day I was alone in the forest and met a wolf. I felt a deep fear. I had been told that in these cases you have to go back slowly, without losing sight of him. NO.we watched you for ten seconds, the longest of my life; then he turned left and walked away. I felt a very strong feeling that has never left me: uA connection of soul, of spirit. It was a short but very important meeting. Because the wolf symbolizes my character”.