World No. 3 Novak Djokovic will go down as one of the best players ever to grace men’s tennis. The 22-time singles Grand Slam winner’s celebrity status over the years has come with a considerable level of media scrutiny. As is the case with every popular sporting figure, the world knows more about Djokovic from how the media portrays him. However, 55-year-old Boris Becker knows much more about Djokovic than the rest of the world does. After all, the former German tennis great spent 3 years coaching Djokovic.

Becker recently sat down for a revealing interview with The Guardian. During the interview, Becker shared some of Djokovic’s qualities that the global media often conveniently ignores. As it turns out, one of Djokovic’s most fierce rivals ever, Roger Federer, is a living embodiment of many of those qualities.

Becker talks about the ‘worldly’ qualities of Novak Djokovic

When Djokovic first began to make a name for himself, his undoubted abilities on the tennis court were at the forefront of the global media’s coverage of him. Over time, his on-court mimicry antics caught the attention of the media. Then, as he eventually established himself as a legend, the media started to portray his negative side as he lashed out at chair umpires and opponents from time to time. Last but not least came the COVID vaccine fiasco, during which Djokovic was thoroughly castigated.

However, according to Djokovic’s former coach Becker, Djokovic possesses numerous qualities that don’t get as much media attention as they should. In the interview  with The Guardian, Becker said, “He’s actually a very outgoing, very worldly man”. The German legend added, “You can talk to him about business, politics, about music, and he’s a good guy.”

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Becker went on to say, “He’s also a real tennis historian. He understands who was there beforehand and he wants to make a mark”. Becker concluded by saying, “Then he’s a perfectionist, like all superstars. He wants to play the perfect match, which in his case probably happened once or twice.”

Djokovic’s hidden qualities are a reminder of the positives of former rival Roger Federer

When Swiss maestro Roger Federer was active, he developed a fierce rivalry with Djokovic. The two clashed against each other across a diverse array of tournaments, which included several Grand Slam finals. While the two were never friends, they shared a considerable of respect for each other. Djokovic was quite vocal about his belief that fierce rivals can never be friends. However, lack of friendship doesn’t have to translate to lack of respect.

Becker’s revelation about Djokovic in his interview showcased the fact that at the core, the Serb has several qualities in common with Federer. For starters, Federer, for the most part of his trophy-laden career, was a perfectionist through and through. He was also more than just a tennis player. For Federer, tennis was nothing short of an obsession. Furthermore, Federer possesses several worldly qualities himself and doesn’t shy away from talking about a variety of subjects.

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