"Novak Djokovic doesn’t get enough credit for how friendly he is": Andy Roddick puts Serb in same bracket as Nadal and Federer for locker-room conduct

According to Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic doesn't get as much praise for his locker-room conduct as he should.

Roddick recently praised the Big 3, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer, for their gracious decorum with people in and around the locker room during tournaments.

In the latest episode of the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, host Roddick revealed that he watched players on tour being ungrateful and cold, which is quite the opposite of how the Big 3 behaved. He said:

"There are a lot of tour guys who aren't nearly as good as Rafa, who, I said this about Roger too back in the day, but they will switch their grip tapes out, re-grip, then leave something on the floor and just walk away. It drives me absolutely crazy, they'll get a stretch from the trainer, get up and not say ‘Thank You’ and walk out. It just drives me crazy.

"It's been nice in tennis that two of your top three stewards, including Novak, Novak actually, he doesn't get enough credit for how friendly he is with people in and around the locker room."

The American laid extra stress on Nadal's courteousness inside the locker room, saying:

"I know how Rafa was in the locker room, it feels like he never had a bad day and even if he was having a bad day, it never got in the way of him being cordial, respectful."

Roddick continued:

"It's nice to see that those guys reset the table on, 'Hey listen, I'm one of the best players of all time, I'm one of the favorites every time I walk into a locker room but there’s also common courtesy involved with the way I go day to day'."

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Novak Djokovic fails to surpass Roger Federer for winning most Indian Wells titles

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic failed to make the most of his return to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after 2019 as he shockingly faltered against World No. 123 Luca Nardi in a third-round matchup on Monday, March 11.

Nardi, who entered the main draw as the lucky loser from the qualifying rounds, defeated the Serb 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 after a battle that lasted for two hours and 22 minutes.

Lardi's effort dashed Djokovic's hopes of overtaking Roger Federer in the all-time Indian Wells Masters winners' tally. He is currently tied with the Swiss at the top, having lifted the trophy at Tennis Paradise five times in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016.