'I Couldn't Win Slams Because Of Those Two': Novak Djokovic Makes HUGE Remark About Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal

Ace Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has admitted that he couldn't win Grand Slams for a long time during his initial days as a professional because of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He said that it took him time to understand how to beat the two greats of the game and those struggles ensured that his hunger for achieving more increased with every passing day. With Federer retiring from professional tennis two years back and Nadal nearing his farewell at this year's Davis Cup, Djokovic's legendary rivalry with his contemporaries is nearing its end. The Serb won 31 of his 60 encounters against Nadal, while the latter enjoyed a slender 5-4 lead in their Grand Slam final encounters. Djokovic holds a 27-23 head-to-head lead over Federer on tour, including a 4-1 winning record in Grand Slam finals.

"I see it as you describe it: as one of the biggest rivalries, without a doubt, in all of sport and I am very proud and I feel honoured to be part of that group. They are older than me, Rafa by one year and Roger by six. And they influenced my game and my development as a tennis player more than any other player," Djokovic said in a recent chat with La Nacion. "I became a candidate for the Grand Slams and started to be at the highest level of the professional standard when I won the Grand Slam in 2008. But the next one I won was in 2011. It took me three years to win the second Grand Slam and I was number 3 in the world for those three years," Djokovic added. The Serb said that Federer and Nadal prevented him from winning majors during that period, admitting his struggle to find a way to get the better of the duo. "I was also number 2 in 2009 and I was playing at a very high level, but I couldn’t get to win Grand Slams because of them two. They dominated everything. I didn’t have the formula to beat them," Djokovic said. The Serb will face Nadal for a third-place encounter at the , October 19.