3 times Novak Djokovic retired mid-match against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

Novak Djokovic is currently one of the most feared and respected tennis players in the world, who will go down in the history books as arguably the greatest ever.

However, it was his turnaround in 2011 and the stellar performances that followed that made him a force to be reckoned with. In the initial years of his career, the Serb had built a reputation for taking extended medical timeouts and throwing in the towel while trailing in a match. Between 2005 and 2009, he retired mid-match on seven occasions, four of which were in Grand Slam tournaments.

Numerous players, including Roger Federer, took a dig at the 35-year-old, suggesting that he often called for timeouts just to disrupt his opponent's rhythm.

"I don’t trust his injuries. I’m serious. I think it’s a joke, you know, when it comes down to his injuries," Federer commented during the 2006 Davis Cup.

Former US Open champion Andy Roddick also poked fun at the 10-time Australian Open champion, sarcastically asking if he had a "back and hip injury, cramps, bird flu, common cold, and SARS as well."

After being called out multiple times, Djokovic decided to respond during the 2009 Australian Open, saying:

"I did have some retirements but I always retired with a reason. I don’t see why anybody should criticize me. Whenever I retired, I retired because I felt I cannot go on."

On that note, here's a look at three instances where the 22-time Grand Slam champion retired midway against his biggest rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

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#1 2006 French Open QF: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal

The Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic rivalry is currently the biggest one on the men's circuit, with the Serb winning 30 of their 59 clashes so far. The first time they faced each other was in the quarterfinals of the 2006 French Open, where the Spaniard was the defending champion.

Nadal was leading 6-4, 6-4 when Djokovic decided to stop due to lower back pain. After the match, he remarked that it was he who had control over the match and not the Spaniard.

"I think I was in control because I think everything was depending on me," Djokovic said. "How I was playing, the result was like that. Even with a sore back, I played an equal match against him. I realized today that I don't need to play anything special [to beat Nadal]."

Later, Nadal's response to his comments made the room burst into laughter.

"Oh yes (laughs). If he said that, it's okay. I don't need to answer then," Nadal said.

#2 2007 Wimbledon SF: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal

The sixth chapter of their rivalry was written in the semifinals of the 2007 Wimbledon. Seed No. 2 Nadal was leading 3-6, 6-1, 4-1 when the fourth-seeded Serb complained of a blister on his toe and back pain before retiring. He held his five-set quarterfinal against Marcos Baghdatis responsible for the blister.

"I didn’t sleep during the night because I had a lot of bleeding and everything, so I was barely walking this morning," Djokovic said.

The Spaniard empathized with him, saying:

“It is tough. In the semi-finals, playing good tennis, winning a match like yesterday. That’s tough for everyone. So I am sorry for him."

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#3 2008 Monte Carlo Masters SF: Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer

In a match where Roger Federer yelled at Djokovic's parents and asked them to be quiet, the Serb cited a sore throat and dizziness to concede defeat. The Swiss icon was leading 6-3, 3-2 before he was declared the winner.

After the match, the Serb weighed in on his image of often quitting midway, saying:

“I’m very unhappy if that is my reputation. I’m a big fighter. Maybe I could have gone another three-four games and finished the match, but I think everyone saw how tough I was breathing.”

A few months later, Federer took a jibe at him, saying:

"He gave up against me in Monaco last year because of a sore throat."