"I was lucky to play against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, not everyone can say that" - Feliciano Lopez
Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have dominated the ATP tour for more than two decades now. The trio, popularly known as the Big 3, have won a combined 64 Grand Slam titles — besides a plethora of other big trophies.
Despite their dominance, Spanish tennis player Feliciano Lopez counts himself lucky to have played in the same era as the Big 3. His statement might come as a surprise, considering the lopsided head-to-head records he has with the trio.
The 41-year-old played Federer 13 times, losing all their meetings. He has faced Djokovic 10 times and emerged victorious only once when an eye problem forced the Serbian to retire midway through their Dubai Championships quarterfinals in 2016.
Lopez had slightly better success against Nadal, winning four of their 14 encounters. He won their first-ever meeting in Basel in 2003, before registering wins at the Queen's Club in 2010, the Shanghai Masters in 2014, and most recently at the Cincinnati Masters in 2015.
Speaking at a press conference about his experience of playing the Big 3, Lopez said (via Eurosport):
"Those of my generation are lucky; when I am old, I will be able to say that I was lucky to play against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic; not everyone can say that."
He added:
"I feel lucky to have played against the best three in history; they have put tennis at a level that it was not there and that helped us all. It is fair to be grateful to those three teachers."
Carlos Alcaraz knows Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic kept on improving with time and hopes to do the same 👏
#NovakDjokovic #RogerFederer #RafaelNadal #CarlosAlcaraz #Tennis https://t.co/TKWbQdoyVg
Novak Djokovic happy to see youngsters learning from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and himself
Novak Djokovic has expressed delight at young tennis players looking up to the legends of the sport, including the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and himself.
The Serbian believes that it is important for players to learn from those who have already proven themselves at the top level.
Speaking to the press at the Dubai Tennis Championships, the World No. 1 stated:
"I'm sure that the young players in tennis are studying Federer, Nadal, my career, how we go about things on and off the court, what made us successful. That's what I was doing. I mean, if you really want to be No. 1 in the world, best in your craft, so to say, you need to learn from the people that have been in those shoes."
Novak Djokovic is not afraid of the new generations 👏
But can new generation say the same about Novak Djokovic? 💪
#NovakDjokovic #NextGen #Tennis https://t.co/lnkagMqUrC
The Serb is in action this week at the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai, where he is eyeing a sixth title.