Djokovic Hails The Competition Between Famous 'Big Four' As Catalyst to His Improvement: Report

Novak Djokovic claimed that his rivalry with Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer made him more resilient in the midst of difficulty.

It was seemingly a easy win for the 22 time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. He already won one set and was nearing a crucial break point in the second set. However, his opponent came back and Djokovic had to stretch his limits to continue the onslaught on the 3rd set to reach the victory.

Djokovic on His Power to Hit Back at Adverse Situations

The 35-year-old Serbian was forced into a decisive period of play against Grigor Dimitrov, where he improved to finish off a 6-3 4-6 6-1 victory after more than two hours.

“Luckily for me, in my career, I managed to win more matches than I lost when I was facing difficult circumstances,” Djokovic said, as quoted by Sportstar.

For a few years, whenever I needed to make that final step or win a Grand Slam, I didn’t manage to do that, so I learned a lot. I got stronger because of the rivalries, particularly with Federer, Nadal and Murray,” he added.

The 'Big Four'

The 'Big Four'—Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Murray—were known as such because they gained a total of 67 Grand Slam championships during a record-breaking period of supremacy and took part in some of the most spectacular matches of the previous two decades.

“Staying the course, staying patient and believing in the process and the journey,” Djokovic said. “Understanding what works for you best, what’s your winning formula mentally and also physically and emotionally, and then sticking to it.”

Djokovic will play British player Cameron Norrie on Tuesday for a spot in the Rome quarterfinals. Djokovic is aiming for a men's record 23rd grand win at the French Open, which begins later in the month.