Novak Djokovic is considered to be the pride of Serbia. He is unarguably the most successful athlete to represent the country. An average Serb would root for Djokovic in tennis just as an average Swiss would root for Roger Federer. Nationalism is not severely prevalent in an individual sport like tennis, but fans often love to root for their local players.

A few years ago, Djokovic recalled an interaction with a fellow countryman who also happened to be a tennis fan. The interesting bit of this tale is that he did not support the Serb in men’s tennis. In fact, the fan in question has been rooting for Djokovic’s rival all his life.

Novak Djokovic reflected on a friendly banter with a fan

While speaking to Nebojsa Viskovic and Ivan Govedarica, Djokovic recalled a meeting with a Serbian Roger Federer fan. Despite hearing this surprising revelation, Djokovic responded to it in the friendliest of manners. In fact, the 23-time major champion was surprised that there weren’t enough Serbian Federer fans.

Djokovic said via Wish&Go Podcast, “He said ‘You know I’m the only person from Serbia who roots for Federer against you.’ I respond ‘I didn’t know, I thought there were more of you, but if you’re the only one, that’s great. How can I make you root for me?’”

However, this isn’t the first time someone put the Swiss Maestro ahead of the Djoker when it comes having a bigger fan base. Once, a former American tennis great revealed his views about the Djokovic-Federer rivalry when it comes to fanbase.

American tennis great gave his verdict on Federer-Djokovic popularity

Back in June 2020, Stan Smith, the two-time major champion, hailed Roger Federer’s popularity. Smith talks about a hypothetical scenario where the Swiss Maestro would take on the Serb in Serbia and still get enough crowd support. He said via Ubitennis, “If they were to play in Serbia, the crowd would still be split 50-50 because Federer is so popular around the world”. 

Stan Smith also considered the fact that fans from neighboring countries would fly in to watch the encounter and root for Federer. Moreover, Djokovic must have gained more fans in the last three-year time frame as compared to Federer, since the former has been competing at the top level. So, a hypothetical encounter between the two giants in Serbia right now is likely to have a pro-Djokovic crowd.

READ MORE: 41-Year-Old Roger Federer Puts Days of Novak Djokovic Speculation to Rest in His Style as He Graciously Sends 1-Word Message Whilst in London for Wimbledon Championships

Do you think Federer would receive the same amount of support as Djokovic in Serbia at present? Do let us know in the comments.

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