"It is an honor to play against them"- Borna Coric on playing against Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer

Borna Coric said that playing against the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer was an honor for him.

The Croat is currently in the United Arab Emirates, preparing to compete at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi.

Coric was recently the guest of honor at an event at the All Court Tennis Club in Dubai and was asked how it felt to play against the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

The 26-year-old responded by saying that it was an honor to play against them and that he played some of the best tennis of his career in those matches. Coric added that Roger Federer retiring was a strange thing.

“It is an honor to play against them. I also did very well against them and played some of the best tennis of my career. I have said many times that I like big crowds and big stages. When you play against them, that's a guarantee. It's strange now that Federer is gone, but it will also be a bit easier for many players. He has done incredible things for the sport," Borna Coric said.

How did Borna Coric fare against Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer?

Rafael Nadal and Borna Coric after their match at the 2015 US Open

Borna Coric has played a total of 15 matches against Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, winning five of them.

His best record out of the legendary trio is against Nadal, having won three out of five meetings against the Spaniard. The most recent encounter between the two came in the second round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Coric beat the King of Clay 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 and went on to win the tournament by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

The Croat trails 2-4 in the head-to-head against Roger Federer with his first victory against the Swiss coming in the final of the 2018 Halle Open. He beat the 20-time Grand Slam champion for the second time in the semifinals of that year's Shanghai Masters.

Coric is yet to win a match against Novak Djokovic with the Serb coming out on top in each of the four meetings between them. This includes the Croat's maiden Masters 1000 final at the 2018 Shanghai Masters.

The last meeting between the two came in the round of 16 of the 2020 Erste Bank Open in Vienna, with the latter winning 7-6(11), 6-3.