In a revealing Q&A session, Novak Djokovic spoke openly about a range of topics — from fatherhood and advice for young players to his rivalries with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and even which player he believes is the most underrated in tennis.
After more than two decades at the pinnacle of the sport, Djokovic has experienced and accomplished virtually everything. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, the Serbian star holds numerous records, including the most Grand Slam titles, the most ATP Masters 1000 trophies, and the most weeks ranked No. 1 in the world.
Having contested nearly 1,500 top-level matches, Djokovic has faced tennis’s elite. His career has been defined by legendary battles against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, forming a “Big Three” era that dominated tennis for close to 20 years.
Now, a new generation has arrived — led by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. When asked how their emerging rivalry compares to that of his with Nadal and Federer, Djokovic told ATPTour.com:
> “It’s very different, because I spent most of my career with my two greatest rivals: Nadal and Federer.
Of course, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are also my rivals at the moment, but they’re so young. There’s about a 15-year age gap between us, and our rivalries have only existed for a few years — whereas with the other guys, it’s been two decades. So it’s not really comparable.
But it’s great that there’s a new big rivalry in our sport between Sinner and Alcaraz. They’ve played some incredible matches over the past 18 months, and hopefully they can keep it going, because that’s what tennis needs.”
While many fans refer to the “Big Four” — Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Andy Murray — there’s one player who often gets overlooked despite achieving extraordinary success during the same era: Stan Wawrinka.
The Swiss star captured three Grand Slam titles — the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open, and 2016 US Open — defeating Djokovic in the finals at both Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows. He came just one Wimbledon title shy of completing a Career Grand Slam.
When asked who he considers the most underrated player he’s faced, Djokovic didn’t hesitate:
> “Wawrinka. I think he’s very underappreciated and underrated, considering he’s a three-time Grand Slam champion.
People often forget what he’s achieved — he’s accomplished more than 90 percent of players in the history of the game. So I’d probably pick him.”
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