It is a deafening silence that makes people talk. While the world of sport and tennis have been quick to pay tribute to the new feat of the unsinkable Novak Djokovic, Federer has not yet published any comments on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. The king of Roland-Garros, Rafael Nadal, with 14 Porte d’Auteuil titles, absent this year, because injured, was quick to draw, from Sunday evening on twitter, to salute the performance of the one who passes him in terms of Grand Slam titles (23 for the Serb, 22 for the Spaniard).
“Congratulations on this incredible achievement. 23 is a number that was impossible to think of a few years ago, and you did! Enjoy it with your family and team! “Wrote the Spaniard, the big absentee from this 2023 edition.
It must be said that the man with 20 Grand Slam titles, very active in honoring his various partnerships, is however quite discreet when it comes to talking about tennis in recent months. His congratulatory message is expected. It must also be said that Djokovic was also not very quick to greet the legendary Swiss at the time of his retirement. Twenty-four hours later, the withdrawal of the Basel, he was one of the few players who had not yet reacted.
Nothing suprising. If the two men respect each other, they are not the best friends in the world either. Federer being faster when it comes to congratulating Rafael Nadal, the one who was his favorite rival. In a recent interview with “Corriere della Sera”, the Serb admitted: “With Roger, we have never been friends, between rivals, it’s impossible. But we have never been enemies. I’ve always had respect for Federer, he’s one of the greatest of all time. He had an extraordinary impact, but I was never close to him. Djokovic and Federer have faced each other 50 times in total, the Serb having won 27 times (11 wins to 6 in Grand Slam).
One of their most memorable finals is that of Wimbledon in 2019 where, despite two match points, Federer failed to collect his 21st Major. This final is the longest in the history of the London tournament (4h57).
SEE ALSO – Ganago’s goal against Angers which offered Nantes L1 maintenance on June 3 (1-0)
