"He wanted to be more likable and now he stopped caring" - Victoria Azarenka on relating more to Novak Djokovic than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Victoria Azarenka recently called Novak Djokovic a 'relatable' person while talking about the most influential players in tennis.
When asked to name a male player that according to her has made the biggest impact on the sport, Azarenka expressed her admiration for the 23-time Grand Slam champion. While praising his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the Belarusian stated that Djokovic sometimes faced undue criticism.
"He's been painted, I don't know, like, a villian so many times. This is where I can understand him, where there is a double standard for some people and I think for him to maintain a good image, he needs to do so much more than Rafa and Roger," she said in an interview on Up Front by William Hill.
Azarenka further claimed she has seen a change in Djokovic's demeanor, and that he doesn't worry about being 'likable' anymore. This, she said, has made him more 'relatable'.
"In my eyes and probably many many people's eyes, Roger can do no wrong. Rafa can do no wrong. Everything about them is supportive. He [Djokovic]? He is always climbing uphill," she said.
"What I've noticed and I might be completely wrong, I feel like when he was younger, he wanted to be more likable and now I feel like he just stopped caring. To me, something changed with that there. He's more relatable," she added.
Novak Djokovic to clash with Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon 2023 semifinals
Novak Djokovic will lock horns with Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the 2023 Wimbledon on Friday, July 14.
Djokovic has reached the last four after overcoming Hubert Hukacz and seventh seed Andrey Rublev in the fourth round and the quarterfinals respectively. The World No. 2 is currently eyeing his 24th Grand Slam and a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title.
Unstoppable 🔥
@DjokerNole takes out Andrey Rublev 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 to make it to his 46th Grand Slam semi-final 👊
@Wimbledon
https://t.co/EqWqdy2lWs twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Sinner, on the other hand, comes into the semifinals on the back of victories over David Galan and Roman Safiullin in the fourth round and the quarterfinals respectively. He will look to make the most of his maiden Major semifinal appearance.
The Italian has improved his game significantly since his last year's five-set encounter with Djokovic in the quarterfinals at SW19. He has a Montepellier Open title to his name this year and an impressive 32-10 win-loss record.
Djokovic, meanwhile, is in remarkable form this season, with two Grand Slam tiles to his name already. The widening age gap between his opponents and himself has been made redundant thanks to his exceptional athleticism.
The head-to-head between the two players stands at 2-0 in Djokovic's favor.