Djokovic, about Nadal: “At first, we had dinner, but it was impossible”

Novak Djokovic is looking to take another step towards the Masters 1000 title in Rome this Tuesday. The world number 1 is still measured in the first game of the day (11am) against Cameron Norrie in a round of 16 match, although in the final hours the most talked about interview he gave to ‘Corriere della Sera’.

to him, Serbian opens the channel and talks about everything, both current affairs and others with more historysuch as his relationship with Rafa Nadal, which has not yet reconciled.

“He’s only a year older than me, we’re both Geminis, we even had dinner together for the first time. But friendship with him became impossible. I have always respected and admired him greatly. Thanks to him and Federer I grew up and became who I am, I know this will bind us together forever, therefore I feel grateful to them. Nadal is part of my life, in the last 15 years I have seen him more than my mother,” he explained.

Something similar happens with Roger Federer, where he says that “we have never been friends, it is not possible between rivals, but we have never been enemies.”. I have always had respect for him, he is one of the greatest of all time. He had an extraordinary effect, but I was never close to him.”

Nole also has no qualms when it comes to dealing with his controversial refusal to get vaccinated against covid and its consequences for him in recent months, both on a sporting and personal level.

“95% of what has been written and said on television about me in the past three years has been completely wrong. I’m not anti-vaccine and I never said I was, nor am I pro-vaccine. What I am is pro-choiceI defend freedom of choice. It is a basic human right to be free to decide what things should enter the body and what should not. When I came back from Australia I explained it to the BBC, but they removed many sentences, the ones that were inappropriate. That’s why I never talked about this story again” lamented the Serb, who also defended himself against criticism for attempting to enter Australia in January 2022.

“I followed all the rules and did not endanger anyone, but then I became a political case, endangering the world. The system built by the media needs a target that goes against the mainstream and they converted me. They labeled me completely wrong, I’m still sick to my stomach, I’m marked as persona non-grata. In the end, someone facing big media has no chance. A lot of people disappointed me, when half of society is against you is when you see the true face of people. Many people turned my head, including many players and some organizers,” he explained.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Djokovic said that “as a child of war, all I can say is that no one wins a war. War is the ugliest thing in life, the worst human inventionWorst idea ever. I saw the suffering and poverty in my country, all you can do is pray to God that it will be over tomorrow. War opens a void in every family, that is why I cannot support any war against any country”.

Nole also spoke about politics, to emphasize that “I want to return to Kosovo with my wife to baptize my children there.”, Stefan, eight, and Tara, five. I know the issue is delicate, the conflict is still there even though it is no longer armed, but the tension is intense. I don’t want to enter politics but, for every Serb, Kosovo is in the heart, it is the center of our culture, our identity, our tradition and our religion”.

Finally, the champion of 22 Grand Slam titles he was referring to his love story with his wife, Jelena. “He saw something in me, everything I know I learned from him. If I am a perfectionist it is because he is. I discovered Monica Seles and thought about it. Do you want a Coke? Monica Seles does not drink Coca Cola. do you want a hamburger? Monica Seles does not eat fast food. He raised me as a man, he prepared me for life. My whole holistic approach is based on this, my attention, how I sleep, how I heal, how I accept my thoughts.”.