I've also made mistakes, and Deyo revealed that Federer helped him learn to manage and plan his career

Recently, Djokovic spoke about Federer's positive impact on him when it comes to coping with a busy tennis schedule. In recent years, the Serbian has been very cautious in his match schedule, strategically prioritising certain events. According to himself, it was Federer, a former opponent, who set an example for him in this regard.

Later in Federer's illustrious career, he managed to make sure he was at the top of his game at the top of tennis' most important tournament. Djokovic, the only player in the 'Big Four' who is still active on the field, said in an interview with Croatian football legend Slavin Bilic that observing Federer's approach eventually prompted him to adopt a similar strategy.

"For most of your career, especially when you're younger, every race counts," Deyo said in the podcast. A lot of people say that the Grand Slams are the most important, but the reality is that they don't really train and play at the pace of the Grand Slams to get themselves in the best shape and fitness in these events. They didn't do that. Why? Maybe it's because they don't have enough confidence in themselves to feel that they can't go very far in a Grand Slam. ”

Djokovic went on to mention Federer's indirect influence on him, with the former world No.1, who is now world number five, admitting that he had made mistakes in scheduling his matches.

"Not everybody is fit to compete at the top level, that's normal, but there's a way. Federer helped me a lot in this regard, although not directly by teaching me, but by observing his arrangement. He taught me how to adjust and when to rest, even if I didn't want to. I've also made mistakes and sometimes I didn't take a break when it should be. But most of the time, I made the right decision. ”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion talked about the same topic back in 2019. After a frequented injury and a slump in form in 2016 and 2017, Djokovic rediscovered his peak form in 2018. The following year, he reflected on how he managed to get out of the slump by planning his schedule, while also praising Federer's caution and wisdom in choosing to compete.

"Federer has been very good at coping with the schedule. I think I've learned a lot from him in that regard, like how to choose the races, how to be at the top of the game at the right time to play at the best in the most needed and important events. Djokovic said in an interview.

The epic matchup between Djokovic and Federer was staged a total of 50 times, with Djokovic holding the upper hand 27-23. The last meeting between the two came in the semi-finals of the 2020 Australian Open, when Djokovic defeated Federer 7-6(1) 6-4 6-3.

Federer retired from the 2022 Laver Cup, while the 38-year-old is still shining on the pitch. Ahead of this year's French Open, he won his 100th singles title at the Geneva Open. Most recently, he reached the semi-finals of the French Open, where he was eliminated by runner-up Sinner.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)