Roger Federer Says Novak Djokovic Doubles Partnership In Laver Cup 'Special'

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will team up for the first time in their careers. In this picture, Federer and Djokovic speak during a press conference prior to the Laver Cup at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Sept. 20, 2018. Stacy Revere/Getty Images for The Laver Cup

After all their battles over the years, Roger Federer is excited to team up with Novak Djokovic for once in the 2018 Laver Cup in Chicago, Illinois.

Federer has played Djokovic 46 times since they first met in 2006, with the Serbian coming out on top in 24 of those meetings. The most recent of those meetings came last month when Djokovic defeated Federer in the final of the Cincinnati Masters to clinch the Golden Masters.

However, they will now team up in the second edition of the Laver Cup when Team Europe takes on Team World from Sept. 21 to 23 in the Windy City. The duo will take on Jack Sock and Kevin Anderson in doubles action during the night session on Friday, and Federer believes the experience will be special for both of them.

"We have had so many great battles in all the singles courts, and to finally team up together I think is going to be very special for both of us," Federer said Thursday. "I think we still have to talk over it a little bit exactly maybe either who’s going to take the lead or, you know, how do we play exactly."

The first Laver Cup took place last year and saw Federer notably team up with Rafael Nadal for the first time as it became one of the viral sporting moments of the year.

But unlike Nadal or even three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, the Swiss legend has not really spent much time with Djokovic outside the tennis court. That does not mean it'll be a problem for them to transition from rivals to teammates though.

"I don’t think normally it’s a problem," Federer explained to the Chicago Tribune. "With Novak, it’s different because I know him well, but I don’t know him that well. With him, I'm very excited to see how the week’s going to go because (neither) of us know really, really what we think of each other."

"I don't know what kind of a team leader he will be. With Rafa, I have done so many promotional events around tournaments. I’ve done foundation matches with him, and I know his family very well. So I’m much closer to Rafa. And, also (Andy) Murray, I did a foundation event with him and a lot of other top guys. Novak is one of the only guys I haven’t done it with. So that's going to be interesting just to see the dynamics there," he said.

The Laver Cup is an exhibition event inaugurated last year in honor of 11-time Grand Slam champion Rod Laver. The first edition, which was won by Team Europe, was a tremendous success and Federer believes the event is different compared to the Davis Cup or the Olympics, especially as it gives a platform for the retired players.

"It’s fast, and it’s something to honor the great legends of the game in the world, Laver being one of them," Federer said. "But it goes beyond Rod Laver for me because in tennis, we don’t have much of a platform for retired players. They commentate or they coach. And I find that quite disappointing. The Laver Cup gives a platform, like (Bjorn) Borg/(John) McEnroe being captains. Patrick McEnroe and Thomas Enqvist being coaches."

"The idea (for Laver Cup) was to have the different generations, so you would have young guys on the team who could rub shoulders with the likes of Rafa, Novak, myself and then rub shoulders with the likes of a Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe," he added.

Below is the Day 1 schedule of the Laver Cup. Each game will take place after the previous game.

Afternoon, 12 p.m. EDT