"Novak Djokovic is a reference for everybody, he's the only guy to stop me as of late" - When Roger Federer discussed Australian Open SF loss to Serb
Roger Federer had nothing but praise for Novak Djokovic following his loss to the Serb in the semifinals of the 2016 Australian Open.
Federer and Djokovic established one of the most captivating and intense rivalries on tour. The duo faced off in 17 encounters at the Majors, with the Serb enjoying an 11-6 winning record. One of their memorable clashes took place in the 2016 Australian Open semifinals.
Djokovic claimed a 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over the Swiss to advance to the final in Melbourne. The victory marked his fourth consecutive win over Federer in their Grand Slam matchups.
Following the loss, Roger Federer was asked if he had any concerns about his ability to beat Djokovic in future meetings at the Majors. However, the Swiss affirmed his unwavering self-confidence, asserting that it wouldn't diminish easily.
"Well, I mean, I have self-confidence as well, you know. That doesn't fade away very quickly. I know it's not easy. I never thought it was easy," he said in his post-match press conference.
The Swiss also shut down any concerns about slowing down with age, emphasizing that he faced no issues with his stamina during lengthy and strenuous matches.
"But, you know, I don't know. Best-of-three, best-of-five, I can run for four or five hours. It's not a problem. I prove it in practice again in the off-season no sweat. So from that standpoint I'm not worried going into long rallies. I know you guys make it a different case. I get that, because you think I'm old and all that. But it's no problem for me," he said.
Federer also stressed that facing opponents in their prime didn't evoke any fear in him. While the Swiss expressed disappointment with the loss, he found satisfaction in his level at the beginning of the season.
"But it doesn't scare me when I go into a big match against any player who's in their prime right now. But of course you need to prove yourself. You need to have all that going," he said.
"It's disappointing, but at the same time I'm going deep in slams right now. I'm having great runs. I thought I had a tough draw here, so I'm actually pleased where my level's at at the beginning of the season," he added.
Federer then recognized Novak Djokovic as the benchmark for other players, being the sole opponent to have bested him recently. The Swiss also lavished praise on Djokovic's outstanding level of play in the match.
"Novak right now is a reference for everybody. He's the only guy that has been able to stop me as of late, and Stan when he was on fire when he was in Paris. It's okay. I wish I could have played a bit better, and who knows what would have happened. Today Novak was very, very good. There's no doubt about it," he said.
Roger Federer: "I've seen Novak Djokovic play this well before, he returns very well, like Andre Agassi"
During the press conference, Roger Federer acknowledged encountering Novak Djokovic's exceptional performance in previous clashes as well. Federer explained the challenge of staging a comeback after the Serb's strong start to the match, stating it was hard to stem his momentum.
"Yeah, I mean, I've seen Novak play this well before. It's tough when it's from the start because obviously you got to try to stop the bleeding at some point, you know," he said.
The Swiss also commended Djokovic's return, drawing a comparison to Andre Agassi's stellar return prowess.
"Because he returns very well, like Andre Agassi. He can get one or two sets all of a sudden. Those sets run away very quickly," he added.
Novak Djokovic took on Andy Murray in a blockbuster final at the 2016 Australian Open. The Serb claimed a dominant 6-1, 7-5, 7-6(3) win over Murray, successfully defending his title to clinch his sixth trophy at the Melbourne Slam and his 11th Grand Slam title overall.