Novak Djokovic chose two special moments in his rivalry with Roger Federer ahead of the Swiss great’s final pro match at the Laver Cup. 

The two men with 41 Major titles between them have done battle on 50 occasions over 14 years on the tour, including in five Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. 

It was one memory at each of those most prestigious events that Djokovic selected when asked what sticks in the mind on his showdowns with Federer. 

“Well, I’ll pick my first Grand Slam final, [at the] US Open 2007. I lost that match,” said Djokovic. 

“He’s being nice now,” joked Federer, before Djokovic responded, laughing, “I haven’t finished.

“That was [my] first Grand Slam final obviously,” Djokovic continued. “It was a remarkable experience for me at the time. It was kind of the first match that allowed me to believe that I belonged at that level.”

 

 

Of course, Djokovic also named a match he won, the last Slam final that Federer contested in his career and one where he had two championship points. 

“2019, sorry, Roger, finals of Wimbledon,” Djokovic said. 

“What happened? I’ve blocked it out,” Federer joked.

The two men ended their head-to-head with a 27-23 win-loss record in favour of Djokovic, their last encounter coming in the semi-finals of the 2020 Australian Open, which the Serb won before going on to claim his 17th Slam crown.