Novak Djokovic got candid about his struggles in the tennis world, revealing that he often felt like he didn’t quite belong. He shared that, unlike Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, he didn’t feel as loved or accepted by fans during the initial phase of his career.

Djokovic made his professional debut in 2003, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he truly broke through, winning his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. By then, Federer had already collected 12 Majors and Nadal had three to his name, with everyone fully invested in the Federer-Nadal rivalry.

When the Serb began rising through the ranks, many saw him as an outsider trying to crash the Federer-Nadal party. He wanted to be part of that elite group so badly that, by his own admission, he tried to act a certain way to fit in. But even then, he never got the same love that the other two did.

“I acted and still felt like an unwanted child,” Djokovic said during an interview on Failures of Champions. “I asked myself why that was. It hurt me. Then I thought the fans would accept me if I acted differently. But that wasn’t the case either.”

“I was never as loved as Federer and Nadal because I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was the little guy, the third guy who came along and said, ‘I’m going to be No. 1.’ Many people didn’t like that,” he added.

Although Novak Djokovic’s success came a bit later than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he eventually outperformed them both. He holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles with 24, while Nadal and Federer retired with 22 and 20, respectively.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer reunite at French Open 2025

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer finally had an emotional reunion at the 2025 French Open, something fans had been hoping to see for a long time. The moment came during Nadal’s farewell ceremony at the tournament.

Andy Murray joined in too, turning it into a full ‘Big Four’ reunion. They chatted, hugged, and shared a few laughs like old times. After the ceremony, they had a touching moment with Nadal’s son to wrap up the emotional day perfectly.

Djokovic is the only one of the four who hasn’t retired yet, and he participated in Roland Garros this year, aiming for his 25th Grand Slam title. But that dream will have to wait, at least till Wimbledon, as he lost to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals in Paris.