Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at the 2018 Laver Cup

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are two of the greatest players in the history of tennis. They have both won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, one fewer than record holder Rafael Nadal.

The legendary pair are involved in one of the sport’s best and fiercest rivalries, with the Serb having won 27 of their 50 matches. Only Djokovic and Nadal have played more times (58) on the men’s tour in the Open Era.

While the duo share great respect, their rivalry has had slightly more edge than any other in the men’s game over the past two decades.

Here is a look at seven of the Serb’s best quotes about his Swiss contemporary:

#7 “You really have to wonder if he’s even from the same planet” (2006)

Roger Federer at the 2011 Monte-Carlo Masters
Djokovic and Federer contested their second meeting when Serbia and Montenegro faced Switzerland in the 2006 Davis Cup World Group playoffs. The Swiss prevailed 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth rubber to seal the tie for his nation.

Following the defeat, the then 19-year-old Serb reflected on his defeat to the then World No. 1.

#5 “I just handed him the win” (2015)

Roger Federer at the 2015 ATP World Tour Finals
During the round-robin stage of the 2015 ATP Finals in London, Djokovic was beaten 7-5, 6-2 by Federer, ending his 23-match winning streak. The Serb credited the Swiss’s performance, but suggested he gifted his rival the victory with his own poor display.

“You have those days when you are not feeling your best, not even close to the best,” the World No. 1 said. “Credit to Roger for mixing up the pace, giving me always a different ball. He used the slice and spin very wisely. He served very efficiently. I made a lot of, lot of unforced errors. I just handed him the win, especially in the second set. He tactically played well. Undoubtedly, he was the better player on the court. But I think I also allowed him to play and penetrate through the ball and dictate the tempo from the baseline.”

#4 “I’m the player I am today because of him” (2018)

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in doubles action at the 2018 Laver Cup
At the 2018 Laver Cup, Djokovic and Federer joined forces for the only time in their careers to compete for Team Europe. Prior to their three-set defeat to Team World’s Kevin Anderson and Jack Sock, the Serb lauded the Swiss’ impact on his career.

“I’m the player I am today because of him. We’re very excited for this unique experience,” said Djokovic. “We never played doubles together so this is what this competition is all about, bringing us all together.”

#3 “He’s so talented – he’s got a perfect game for this surface” (2019)

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer shake hands following the 2019 Wimbledon final
At the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic famously defeated Federer in a remarkable five-set final after saving two championship points. In his post-match press conference, he discussed the victory and the challenge of facing his great rival on grass.

“It was probably the most demanding, mentally most demanding, match I was ever part of,” the Serb said. “I had the most physically demanding match against Nadal in the finals of Australia [in 2012] that went almost six hours. But mentally this was different level, because of everything.”