"Did struggle to see what it takes to win against Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer"- Novak Djokovic on Grand Slam drought after maiden Australian Open win

Novak Djokovic recently recollected his experiences of facing Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer during Grand Slam events in the late 2000s. He brought it up during a press conference at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.

The Serb defeated Denmark's Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Monday, July 8, on Centre Court to book his place in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. He will next face Australia's Alex de Minaur.

After beating Rune, he sat with the media to reflect on his campaign, and among several other things, he was asked to share how his life changed after winning the first Major title. He termed the achievement special, saying:

"It was back in 2008 I won Australian Open, that was my first Grand Slam title and. Obviously, the first Grand Slam is always the most special one. It was breaking the ice for me in a way."

The 24-time Grand Slam champion, however, also recalled the tough times during the three-year drought that followed his first glory. He waited for the 2011 Australian Open to double his Grand Slam tally as the likes of Nadal and Federer shared honors at every Major tournament except the 2009 US Open (Juan Martin del Potro).

"But it took me another three years to win a second one. So, I did struggle those three years to see what it takes to win against particularly Nadal and Federer. They were dominating the sport and winning basically all the Grand Slams at that point," Djokovic said.

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Novak Djokovic on his 2011 season: "Three Slams out of four, that's where I became a different player"

Novak Djokovic (L) and Rafael Nadal at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. (Getty)

In the same press conference at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic credited his Davis Cup success with Serbia in 2010 for the dominating tennis he produced in 2011.

"There were some key moments in my career that served as a great trigger. For example, the Davis Cup title with Serbia end of 2010 was a huge moment for me. I felt the wind in my back, I felt like I had wings after that because bringing the first Davis Cup to Serbia was extremely special in front of our crowd in Belgrade," he said.

"After that, I probably had if not the best seasons of my life, won 40 plus matches in a row, three Slams out of four, that's where I became a different player. It’s when I started believing that I deserved to be on the top and that I can be better than Federer or Nadal," the Serb added.

Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the semifinals and Andy Murray in the final of the Australian Open in 2011. That season, he added two more Grand Slam trophies to his name by triumphing at Wimbledon and the US Open.

The Serb overcame Rafael Nadal in both the title clashes to open his account in London and New York.