via Imago

With Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022, the tennis world witnessed the end of an era. But Canadian tennis star Vasek Pospisil sees this as a “wake-up” call for the sport. Describing Federer’s monumental success on the court, he made a connection between Novak Djokovic’s illustrious career and that of Federer in a podcast interview.

With 20 Grand Slams to his name, Roger Federer ruled the No. 1 spot for a total of  310 weeks. Not only that, but during his career, he was the only player to win three different tournaments for at least five teams each! Therefore, when he retired after having persistent knee problems, Federer left a void in the tennis world. Referring to this, Vasek Pospisil said, “I mean, I think even when Roger left, it was a little bit of a wake-up call for everyone. Everyone was ready for the era to end. And that was a bit of a, you know, definitely a blow to the sport.”

Further illustrating his over two-decade-long career, Pospisil further added, “But obviously, he played for a very long time, which is pretty incredible. That he was able to play at such a high level for so long”. Vasek Pospisil’s own encounters with Roger Federer have been significant, especially during a memorable match at the 2013 ATP Basel SF semifinals. However, during their three encounters with each other, Pospisil has never managed to earn a victory.

But off the court, their friendship is remarkable. When Djokovic launched a player-focused organization called the PTPA, he put his friend Pospisil as the lead next to Rafael Nadal.  While their friendship still remains strong, after having a firsthand experience with the Swiss legend, he also spoke of the similarity between him and Novak Djokovic. He continued and said, “which we’re seeing now from Novak as well. Which is, you know, he’s superhuman, obviously.”

Novak Djokovic has also earned his place in the top ranking for a total of 422 weeks. Not only that, he has also bagged 24 Grand Slam titles to his name. And even against Pospisil, he won six times on court. However, when it comes to appreciating Federer and Djokovic, Pospisil has never shied away from sharing his opinions on them.

Pospisil reflects on working with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

When on the ATP Player Council, Vasek Pospisil, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic discussed various ideas for the players. And later on, Pospisil revealed how he had a “pretty amazing experience” during that time. He further appreciated the two players’ incredible contribution to the sport. Apart from that, the former World No. 25 also added how the three players, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, were so easy to get along with.

“When you have three guys coming in with the position that they come in, it can be challenging. They work very well together. They are very open-minded, and Novak’s been incredible,” he said. Further referring to Federer as a “super smart guy,” Pospisil also mentioned how he is “very open-minded. So it’s been a very cool experience.”

Although Roger Federer’s reign might have come to an end on-court, his influence in the tennis world still speaks volumes about his contribution to tennis. And with Djokovic carrying on his prowess on court, fans remain hopeful about seeing his incredible skills in the upcoming tournaments.