Novak Djokovic's Valuable Takeaway from Roger Federer.

Novak Djokovic said that Roger Federer gave him ideas and showed him how to plan his schedule so that he could be at his best for the Grand Slam events.

The Serbian also thought about what makes him different from other players when it comes to returning serves. He said that the mix between “speed, anticipation, and timing” is the most important thing.

Federer was Djokovic’s biggest enemy in tennis, and they played each other 50 times over a 14-year period. After the Laver Cup in 2022, Federer quit tennis, and Djokovic won 27 of those matches.

In the final of the 2023 US Open, the 36-year-old beat world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to win his fourth title at the New York major. He has now won 24 Grand Slam titles, which is a record for men.

This year, the number one player in the world won three of the four major events. However, he lost the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets. This is the fourth time in his career that he has won at least three majors, which is a record for men.

In an interview with John McEnroe for ESPN, Djokovic talked about how Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer affected his success. He also talked about what he learned from Federer in particular.

“Nadal and Federer have had a huge impact on my career and on who I am as a player. Federer taught me how to plan my schedule so that I could be at my best at the Grand Slams, the Serbian said.

“He was one of the first players to really change the way they planned and trained. I was moved by that, so I took notes with my team and learned a lot from the way they planned. And seeing what he and his team have done and how he has done it. So, thank you, Roger!”

Seven-time major singles winner McEnroe also asked the 36-year-old what he thinks “sets him apart from everyone else” on his return of serve.

“I wouldn’t say there’s one thing or one trick. Depending on the surface, it goes without saying that I like to change my position. But if I had to choose one thing that I always think about when it comes to the return, it would be the split step,” Djokovic said.

“I think the split step is what really tells you when to get ready for the opponent’s serve. I also try to do my study before I go out on the court. I like to know who I’m playing against and what his habits are.

“But I think it’s more about timing than that, because if you’re too quick, speed can work against you in returns. That’s what sometimes happens to me, right? That I want to guess too early, so when the ball hits me, I don’t hit it ahead. So the key is finding the right mix between speed, preparation, and time.

“When I’m up against a big computer, I like to take a step back. But I think it was a lack of faith in my comeback, as strange as that sounds. (Laughter) Yeah, I know. But there were times when I didn’t feel sure about my return, so I slowed down to give myself more time.”

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