Roger Federer Says 'Thank God' For Rivalries With Djokovic, Nadal

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have dominated men’s tennis for over a decade by winning most of the major honors with their on-court brilliance.

Many predicted the younger generation of players such as Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios and Dominic Thiem would eventually take the reins, but they had always fallen short to triumph against tennis' "Big Three," especially when it came to the Grand Slams.

Federer, who has held long-standing rivalries with both Djokovic and Nadal, pointed out that his grueling duels with the two tennis superstars made him a better athlete.

“I think you always need somebody with who you can have a good rivalry with,” the 20-time Grand Slam winner said, as quoted on Tennis World USA. “With me and with Djokovic, thank God I had them, I think we get the best out of one another.”

Federer's claim was supported by Djokovic, who is currently ranked No.1 by the ATP. The 33-year-old Serbian believes he wouldn't where he is at right now if not for his high-octane encounters with the Swiss maestro.

“I’ve played so many thrilling matches with Roger Federer over the years,” Djokovic stated. “Every time I step on the court against him it’s thrilling, it’s very exciting because it kind of exceeds that match. It goes beyond the sport”.

Unfortunately, Federer’s lack of playing time in 2020 due to a knee injury dropped him to No. 5 in the ATP rankings. Still awaiting medical clearance from his doctors, he could miss half of the tennis season in 2021.