"Novak Djokovic came in with his strong personality & I was criticised a lot heavily" - Roger Federer on how he was chastised after losing matches

In his recently released documentary, "Federer: Twelve Final Days," Roger Federer opened up about facing heavy criticism following his losses in matches. He attributed this backlash to Novak Djokovic coming into the tennis circuit with his "strong personality."

Federer's documentary, which was released on Amazon Prime Video on June 20, 2024, revolves around the final 12 days of the former World No.1's tennis career leading up to his last tournament as a professional player, the 2022 Laver Cup.

In the film, the 20-time Grand Slam champion reflects on how his fans initially favored his playing style over Novak Djokovic's. However, as Djokovic's "strong personality," his "unbelievable grit", and relentless drive to win became more apparent, Federer faced heavy criticism from both fans and critics alike.

"The Federer fans in the beginning didn't really like him [Novak Djokovic] because they just thought, well, Roger's, like, a bit more easy, you know, he does it with ease. Then Novak came in with his strong personality and that unbelievable grit, and wanting to win at all costs. I know that this was something and I was criticised a lot heavily," he said.

The Swiss maestro expressed that he was confused over the intense scrutiny he faced despite continuing to fight until the very end, even in defeat. He admitted to having believed that he should have incorporated more aggression, shouting, and intensity into his game to appease his critics.

Despite attempting to adopt these qualities, Federer acknowledged that they were not true to his nature. He stated that all these qualities come more naturally to other players as if they were ingrained in their DNA.

"Why wouldn't I fight more when losing? I didn't quite understand what that meant. Do I have to grunt? Do I have to sweat more? Do I have to shout more? Do I have to be more aggressive towards my opponents? What is it? I tried, but it was all an act. I'm not like that. It's not my personality. For some of the players, it's maybe easier to have that, it's, like, more ingrained in their DNA," he added.

Roger Federer: "I didn't give Novak the respect he deserved because of his technical flaws"

The Championships - Wimbledon 2019

In the documentary, Roger Federer talked about the initial impression he had of Novak Djokovic. He recalled their first encounter in 2006 at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he suffered a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 defeat. The Swiss admitted that at the time, he didn't think much of Djokovic despite the hype surrounding him.

"I played him [Novak Djokovic], I believe, in the very first time, and I walked off the court and thought like, "Yeah, he's okay." Even though there was some hype around him, I wasn't really fully convinced," he said.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion confessed that he initially underestimated Djokovic due to his technical flaws. Federer acknowledged that Djokovic has since refined his game and evolved into a "monster of a player."

"I think I didn't give Novak the respect he deserved because of his technical flaws. I felt like Novak had a very extreme forehand grip, and his backhand for me wasn't as fluid as it is nowadays. But then he ironed those things out super well, and he became an unbelievable monster of a player," he added.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic competed against each other 50 times on the ATP Tour, with the Serb leading with 27 wins in their head-to-head record.