‘I played Federer, Nadal and Djokovic – I felt I could be beat two of them’
A former rival of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic has lifted the lid on which one he found hardest to play against
A tennis ace who has faced off against the sport’s legendary ‘big three’ says only one of them felt invincible to him. The trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic dominated men’s tennis for 15 years, accumulating an astonishing 66 Grand Slam titles between them.
Federer and Nadal hung up their rackets in 2022 and 2024 respectively, while Djokovic continues to play on at 38. For Baghdatis, a Cypriot star who once ranked eighth in the world, it was the Serbian legend who proved the toughest opponent.
Despite losing to a young Federer in the 2006 Australian Open final, Baghdatis always believed he had a chance against Swiss maestro and Spanish titan Nadal. However, he didn’t feel the same about Djokovic.
Speaking to Tennis365, Baghdatis recalled: “I think, whenever I played Novak, [they were] pretty close matches. That’s my thinking. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I remember. But I think I once got a nice beating out of him, and it was in Indian Wells. It was a 6-1, 6-2 (6-1, 6-3).
“I came off the court, and I felt the guy gave me a lesson. I never felt like that with another player. I never felt like that with Roger or with Rafa.
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“Even when I was younger, and I played Roger, I always felt like, ‘Next time I can beat him.’ I always felt that, but with Novak, I didn’t have that feeling, especially after that match.”
While Djokovic continues to perform at a high level, his prowess is diminishing, as he’s been surpassed by the current ‘big two’ of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Baghdatis, 40, who retired in 2019, reckons it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to secure his 25th Grand Slam title.
Baghdatis said: “Year by year, it’s going less and less, the chances, that’s for sure, but he’s still there, he’s still in the top five players in the world, he’s still competing with the top two, even top three.
“So, he’s still there. But how long, I think, depends only on him, depends especially on his mind, if he’s still enjoying it and playing at that level. If I were in his place, I would never retire either. But it all depends on him, it might become a bit harder.”
Djokovic, who recently relocated to Athens, is currently preparing for the Australian Open in Melbourne, which begins on January 12. Staying injury-free is proving as much of a challenge as trying to topple Sinner and Alcaraz.
He made history in November when he became the oldest man to win on the ATP Tour as he won the Athens Open. Djokovic claimed his 101st title after beating Lorenzo Musetti in three sets.
However, he played with strapping on his shoulder and later announced he was not fit enough to play in the end-of-season ATP Tour Finals in Turin. He posted on his Instagram story: “I was really looking forward to competing in Turin and giving my best but after today’s final in Athens, I’m sad to share that I need to withdraw due to an ongoing injury.
“I’m truly sorry to the fans who were hoping to see me play – your support means so much. I wish all the players an amazing tournament, and I can’t wait to be back on the court with you all soon.”
