The last time Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer shared the court at Rod Laver Arena, it was the 2020 Australian Open semifinals. The match ended with the Serbian overcoming the Swiss maestro. Six years on, that rivalry still lingers in Melbourne. Federer may no longer be on the court, but his fans haven’t forgotten him. And that likely explains why, during Djokovic’s time on court, one cheeky spectator couldn’t resist chanting Federer’s name.

On January 15, during an exhibition match ahead of the Australian Open, the Serbian was caught off guard when chants of “Let’s go, Roger!” echoed through the crowd, as a playful nod to his long-time rival Roger Federer, who retired in 2022. The moment caught Djokovic completely off guard.

He froze mid-movement, looked into the crowd with a stunned expression, and then cracked a smile as the audience burst into roars of laughter. Novak Djokovic, who has heard almost every kind of crowd reaction throughout his career, decided to play along. Later on, he even secured a victory in this exhibition by 6-3, 6-4 against Frances Tiafoe. But this wasn’t the first time that we’ve seen Djokovic facing something like this from a Federer fan.

During the 2020 French Open, Novak Djokovic was captured delivering a withering glare at a fan who was wearing a Roger Federer hat and reportedly heckling during his first-round match. At that time, the Serb gave a long and cold stare in the fan’s direction before using his racket to knock the clay from his shoes and blowing a kiss towards him.

Then at the 2023 Australian Open, yet another fan tried to disrupt Djokovic’s concentration during his third-round match against Grigor Dimitrov by yelling Federer’s name. As Djokovic prepared himself to direct a serve at his Bulgarian opponent, somebody shouted, “Come on, Roger.”

The Serb then casually strolled back to his mark. But shortly after that, the commentator was heard saying, “Oh, the irony of that, after somebody called out, ‘Come on, Roger,’ Djokovic goes around the net post with a forehand.” Later on, Djokovic went on to beat Dimitrov in straight sets, securing his place in the R16.

Both Djokovic and Federer have faced each other 50 times in their careers. But the Serb has managed to win 27 of those matches. On the court, they’ve always been fierce rivals. But off the court, as Djokovic has often said, they were never friends, yet never enemies either.

Novak Djokovic talks about his relationship with Roger Federer

In December, during a conversation with former footballer and coach Slaver Bilic, Novak Djokovic spoke about his complicated relationship with Roger Federer and also Rafael Nadal. He admitted that while respect has always existed, genuine friendship never truly formed between the three icons during their peak years.

“My behavior towards them never changed. The situation changed because they changed their behaviour towards me. I always tried to be, how to say, I admired them. And I still consider them as those who paved the way for me. Especially Federer, who is six years older than me. But from the moment I felt this coldness and distance from him, I told myself: ‘Ok, no problem.’ Then, when they reached out to me, I welcomed them with open arms.”

By the time Novak Djokovic captured his first major title at the 2008 AO, Roger Federer had already won 13 Grand Slam titles, while Rafael Nadal had three French Open titles. Their dominance left Djokovic as the outsider trying to break into an era already defined by two global icons. ‘Fedal’ fans weren’t too pleased with Nole’s entry into the scene!

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Despite their historic battles and shared longevity, Djokovic was always direct about the nature of his relationship with the other two of the ‘Big 3’. “We have never been friends. Between rivals, it is not possible, but we have 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.”

His comments offer insight into the unique pressures of competing at the highest level, where rivalries often leave little room for personal closeness. Recently, former American pro, Sam Querrey highlighted a very interesting difference between both Federer and Djokovic.

“We always talk about who is the greatest of all time. In my opinion, with the stats, it’s Novak [Djokovic], he’s the greatest tennis player. But when you ask who’s the most beloved, who has the biggest impact, it’s Roger [Federer].”

In the Nothing Major Show, Querrey highlighted how Federer enjoyed crowd support everywhere he went. Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, often gets labeled as one of the most hated players in tennis. Share your thoughts on the recent heckling incident in Melbourne.