Novak Djokovic Underappreciated Compared To Roger Federer And Rafael Nadal Says Tennis Star

The latest developments in terms of COVID-19 protocol and decision-making have greatly affected the tennis community. The controversial events surrounding Novak Djokovic prompted tennis star Gilles Simon to speak up regarding the image of the Serbian star compared to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

It has been a unique year for the world with how the threat of the coronavirus has affected the world and the professional tennis community. It was unfortunate that Djokovic among several other tennis stars was among those who tested positive of the virus. This comes after social distancing guidelines were blatantly disregarded in Djokovic’s Adria tour.

But per Tennis World USA, Simon was quick to consider what Djokovic must have endured throughout the entire ordeal.

“I tell myself that Novak Djokovic is trying to tackle complicated issues in the interest of the players in general,” Simon said.

The exhibition games Djokovic hosted were called off, as the virus was quick to spread among some of the players and staff.

“And I was bothered by this story of the Adria Tour because, by making a huge mistake, all this work fell apart,” Simon added.

Despite this, Simon still feels that Djokovic is heavily criticized and underappreciated despite his accolades as the top player. Provided that Federer is also part of the ATP player council, Simon would also want their voices expressed well by their other representatives.

“But with Roger Federer, we only talk about his strengths. With Novak — only about his flaws,” Simon added.

The trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are the biggest icons in the sport as they continue to take control of the tennis scene. But there’s no question that fans have inclined more towards Federer and Nadal.

“It would annoy everyone if Djokovic breaks Federer’s records. It angers people that he [Djokovic] is so strong,” Simon shared.

There’s no question that the big three have expanded the growth of the sport with how they’ve continuously won tournament after tournament. But it’s clear how Djokovic draws up the most hostile crowd when it comes to these three.

“It can also be seen in the crowd, on the court, in the Australian Open final. The anger against Novak is a huge mistake. Much of the public doesn’t consider him as [important as] Roger or Rafa,” Simon concluded.

The King of Clay Nadal has tallied a total of 19 Grand Slams and is in position to tie Federer as the best of all time. It will be interesting to see how Djokovic can cope amidst all the controversy as he is slowly catching up with a total of 17 majors.