"Novak Djokovic has surpassed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in part because he couldn’t be part of their rivalry" - Andrea Petkovic
Andrea Petkovic believes that one of the main reasons why Novak Djokovic has been able to "surpass" Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is because he couldn't be part of their rivalry when it was at its peak.
Speaking in a recent column she wrote on Substack, the German touched on the importance of rivalries in the sport and how they help make players better than they would have been otherwise.
Coming to the Big-3 rivalry and the influence it had on men's tennis, Petkovic opined that the presence of established forces in Federer and Nadal at the time forced Djokovic into forging his own path.
"The men were lucky, weren’t they? They just so happened to have the three greatest tennis players to ever play the sport competing with each other at the same time. How lucky is that? Novak Djokovic has surpassed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in part because he couldn’t be part of their rivalry, I am certain," Andrea Petkovic said.
"It was like walking into a railway carriage and all seats were already taken. Now, everyone else would have just sat on the floor or taken the next train. Not so Novak, no, he just went ahead and build his own carriage," she added.
Nadal and Djokovic are part of the most impressive rivalry in men's tennis, having met 59 times on the tour. The Serb leads the head-to-head 30-29. He also leads the head-to-head against Federer 27-24.
Federer and Nadal, meanwhile, played each other 40 times on tour, with the record ending 24-16 in favor of the Spaniard. Djokovic has taken the lead in the Slam race over both, having won 24 Majors so far as compared to Nadal's 22 and Federer's 20.
Andrea Petkovic continued talking about the Federer-Nadal rivalry in particular, marveling at how it was a battle of contrasts -- Federer with his beautiful technique and Nadal with his never-seen-before athleticism.
"What a rivalry Roger and Rafa’s was! Roger with his beautiful technique and delicate footwork, the polo-shirts and white cardigans, the tender hair flip, the man who never seemed to sweat," Petkovic said.
"On the other hand, el toro, the bull Rafael Nadal who brought a new kind of athleticism to the game, who played like his life depended on every single point. There was no lightness in his game. He made tennis look just the way it is: hard. Hard freaking work. And yet. And yet!" she added.
"There are some that will never forget Novak Djokovic for shattering the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry" - Andrea Petkovic
Andrea Petkovic also pointed to the similarities between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, how they were both family-oriented men and funny and showcased an extraordinary ability to prevail in the face of history.
However, as Novak Djokovic showed up to shatter the rivalry that had caught the imagination of fans unlike any other, Petkovic believed that there would always be a group of fans that would never forget the Serb for it.
"Both men are about the same height, about the same weight, have the same exact wingspan. They both like the simple things in life, being with their family near the sea or in the mountains. They are funny. And both had the ability to excel in moments when others would falter. Until Novak came and shattered it all. There are some that will never forgive him for it," Andrea Petkovic said.