‘Novak Djokovic does not make people dream like Roger Federer does,’ says ATP veteran
Novak Djokovic does not have a game that makes anyone ‘dream,’ according to Gilles Simon – but Roger Federer does.
Djokovic is part of the ‘big three’ with Federer and Rafael Nadal, although he enjoys much less mainstream popularity than his rivals.
And that, according to Simon, is not down to substance, it’s down to style.
âItâs okay to sell Federer to everyone because itâs admirable in so many ways,â Simon told the French media.
âBut a Novak Djokovic is also admirable. Except that with him, we especially want to remember that he is not Federer.
âEveryone would like Roger to be the greatest of all time. Because the public first loves a player for his game.
âThen, he projects it on his personality. With Federer, everything fits. With Djoko, no. His game does not make anyone dream.
âAnd he suffers from it, as in the Wimbledon final against Federer, where he has the whole public against him. It must be hard for him.
âPerhaps he should have played his âcharacterâ thoroughly. Like Andy Murray did, in the self-sacrifice side, beating that which never lets go, even if it means being painful.
âWith Djokovic, we would have liked him to take the wrong role: Iâm going to beat everyone with my unspectacular game, period.â
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