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

Novak Djokovic has stated that Roger Federer did not like the way he behaved when he broke onto the scene. Djokovic made the comments during the press conference after his third-round match at the ongoing Australian Open.

The Serb has always been vocal about the challenges he has faced while competing on the ATP tour in an era that had the established presence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Asked if his big, expressive personality caused any trouble when he first started competing on the tour and if any senior players were unhappy with his character, Djokovic said Federer did not like the way he behaved.

"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 opined that other players did not like his manner of not being shy to voice his thoughts and goals.

"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.

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Novak Djokovic beats Tomas Martin Etcheverry, to face Adrian Mannarino in 2024 Australian Open 4R

Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open.

On Friday, January 19, Novak Djokovic extended his unbeaten streak to 31 at the Australian Open when he beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round. He won 49 points (of 57) behind his first serve, hit 10 aces among his 34 winners, and didn’t face a single break point during the 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(2) win.

After previously saying that he wanted to find better form as he progressed deeper in the tournament, Djokovic expressed satisfaction with the manner of his win against Etcheverry.

"I played better than I did in the first two rounds, so that's a positive change, I guess. Starting to feel better game-wise and physically, as well. It's positive signs. I still haven't been playing at my best," he said at his press conference.

The Serb, who now has 100 wins at the Melbourne Major, will next face 20th seed Adrian Mannarino, who beat American Ben Shelton in a grueling five-set contest in the third round.