"When Serena Williams reacted like this she was a b*tch & sore loser" - Fans recall Roger Federer's remarks on Novak Djokovic after US Open 2011 SF

With the 12 year anniversary of Roger Federer's defeat to Novak Djokovic in the 2011 US Open semifinal around the corner, tennis fans were prompted to revisit the Swiss legend's comments following his loss.

In the blockbuster semifinal clash at Flushing Meadows, Djokovic battled back from a two-set deficit and fended off two match points to claim a 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory after a three-hour and 51-minute long battle. The defining moment of the Serb's victory occurred when he struck a remarkable forehand return winner on match point, while Federer served at 40-15, 5-3 in the decider.

When asked about the pivotal moment during his post-match press conference, Roger Federer expressed frustration over the Serb's "lucky shot" which altered the course of the match.

"Disappointing, because you feel like he was mentally out of it already. Just gets the lucky shot at the end, and off you go," Federer said.

The Swiss also conveyed his exasperation over Djokovic's choice of shot when facing match point.

"Confidence? Are you kidding me? I mean, please. Some players grow up and play like that, in junior matches, being down 5-2 in the third, and they all just start slapping shots and it all goes in for some reason. That's the way they grew up playing when they were down," he said.

"I never played that way. I believe hard work’s going to pay off, because early on maybe I didn’t always work my hardest. For me, this is very hard to understand. How can you play a shot like that on match point? Maybe he’s been doing it for 20 years, so for him, it was very normal. You’ve got to ask him," he added.

A user shared a clip of the 20-time Grand Slam champion's press conference on social media, highlighting the apparent "bitterness" and "frustration" evident in the Swiss ace's words and demeanor after his loss.

"I'll forever remember Roger Federer's press conference after this. Absolute bitterness and frustration. Sport hurts even the best sometimes," the user posted.

One fan argued that while the Swiss had received understanding and support after his defeat, the same courtesy had not been granted to Serena Williams when she expressed similar sentiments after her shock semifinal defeat to Roberta Vinci at the 2015 US Open.

"Mind you when Serena reacted like this after the US Open 2015 semi final loss she was a b*tch and a sore loser for that!" the fan commented.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

Novak Djokovic won his maiden US Open title in 2011 after SF win over Roger Federer

One year after he secured a five-set win over Roger Federer after fending off two match points, Novak Djokovic repeated the feat at the 2011 US Open to advance to third final at the New York Major.

In a rematch of the previous year's final, the Serb turned the tides on Rafael Nadal and secured a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 victory to claim his maiden US Open title. In doing so, the Belgrade native recorded the fourth Grand Slam title of his career.

With his win, Novak Djokovic also capped off one of the greatest seasons in tennis history. Over the course of the year, the Serb won three Grand Slam titles, five ATP Masters 1000 titles and attained the World No. 1 ranking for the first time. He also ended the year with an impressive 10-1 win/loss record over arch-rivals Federer and Nadal.