"Based on what Roger Federer is considered humble and respectful?" - Fans recall Swiss' 'arrogant' remarks on facing Novak Djokovic at Australian Open

Tennis fans recently revisited Roger Federer's comments ahead of his fourth-round clash against Novak Djokovic at the 2007 Australian Open.

At the Melbourne Slam that year, Federer defeated Mikhail Youzhny in the third round to pave the way for a fourth-round showdown against the then 14th seed, Djokovic. The Swiss was asked at a press conference about his thoughts on facing the Serb. In response, he acknowledged the match as potentially being "dangerous" for him.

However, the former World No. 1 expressed his belief in his ability to defeat Djokovic, having triumphed over him on two previous occasions.

"It's Djokovic, yeah? I played him twice last year: the Davis Cup and Monaco. Beat him both times. He's definitely improved, since you know. Times go by, and youngsters always improve quickly. He's getting through his rounds fairly comfortably. It seems like it’s playing pretty good and it’s a dangerous match for me, that’s for sure," he said.

Roger Federer also confidently asserted that he was the "big favorite" in the match. He suggested that having defeated Novak Djokovic twice before, he had a good idea of the Serb's playing style, which would enable him to win the match.

"Of course, I’m the big favorite. This is maybe his big moment where he can make a name for himself, no doubt. But he already missed that opportunity twice. Usually, when I beat a guy twice, I know how to play him. So I'll take advantage of that," he added.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion proceeded to defeat Djokovic in straight sets, with the scoreline reading 6-2, 7-5, 6-3. The Swiss went on to successfully defend his title, making him the first player since Bjorn Borg at Roland Garros 1980 to win a Grand Slam without losing a single set.

However, several tennis fans deemed the response provided by the former World No. 1 to be arrogant. One fan expressed astonishment at how the Swiss player is often regarded as 'humble,' 'kind,' 'genuine' and 'respectful.' They argued that Federer's classy image is merely a product of powerful 'marketing' strategies.

"Now explain me based on what Roger Federer is considered humble, kind, genuine and respectful? This is the power of marketing, they did probably the greatest job in creating this perfect image of someone who is anything but perfect. He's very arrogant and full of himself," the fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another fan claimed that Roger Federer's response when talking about his younger opponents was in stark contrast to that of Novak Djokovic.

"Contrast this to how Novak talks about younger opponents...it's night and day," the fan posted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Novak Djokovic: "I know certainly Roger Federer didn't like the way I was behaving at the beginning"

Wimbledon Championships 2019

During a press conference earlier this year, Novak Djokovic revealed that when he burst onto the tennis scene, Roger Federer disapproved of the way he "behaved" on-court.

"I know certainly Federer didn't like the way I was behaving at the beginning. I think it didn't sit with him well. I don't know about the others," he said.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion claimed that he faced disapproval from numerous top players due to his confidence and unabashed desire to become the world's best player.

"I guess I wasn't the favorite type of guy to some of the top guys because I was not afraid to say that I want to be the best player in the world. I was kind of - not kind of - I was confident, and I felt like I have the game to back it up," he said.