Serbian ace Novaj Djokovic might be on top of the tennis rankings currently, but the Djokovic family is popular for their abrasive comments more than the quality of the tennis they play. The Serb’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, recently took at legend Roger Federer and threw a number of allegations at the Swiss star.
“[Djokovic and Federer] have developed a kind of respect over the years, but why do you think he still plays at 40?” Srdjan Djokovic said about Federer in a recent interview.
“Imagine that, a 40-year-old man still plays tennis, when he can go home and do some more interesting things. But since both Nadal and Novak are breathing down his neck, he simply cannot accept the fact that they will be better than him. Go man, raise children, do something else, go ski, do something. Tennis is not my whole life, it is just my son’s current hobby. He is only a tennis player at the moment,” added the Serb’s father.
‘15 years ago, he attacked my son while he was still young, aged 18 or 19,’ he said.
‘[Federer] knew that someone was coming who would be better than him.’
‘I said then he was a great champion, the best at that time, but as much as he is a great champion, he is not as good a man.’
The comments by his father have taken Novak Djokovic off guard, as he didn’t see these coming. When asked about the statements during a recent media encounter, Djokovic was unaware of these allegations.
Novak Djokovic, though, did mention that he has trouble agreeing with his father at times.
“I love him, he is a great support of mine,” Novak Djokovic replied when asked his thoughts on his father’s recent comments.
“I can’t control what he says, everyone has a right to speak his mind, but I don’t always agree with everything he says.”
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_i5EmdcxbQ