Roger Federer Isn’t Pleased That Boris Becker Says That He And Novak Djokovic Don’t Get Along

Becker is just drumming up sales for his book. He practically admitted it after claiming to be misquoted on the so-called Fed and Djokovic animosity, telling everyone to read his book to find out what he really said. (See the tweets at the bottom of this article: http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/06/boris-becker-says-roger-federer-and-novak-djokovic-dont-particularly-each-other/55251/#.VYGOBflViko)

June 17th, 2015 at 11:11 am

“But think about this: You can’t possibly be liked by everybody”…….He’s spot on with that statement!!

June 17th, 2015 at 11:19 am

“…they are still not friends saying the two “don’t particularly like each other”.

There is nothing about their respective statements that are contradictory. Federer does not deny they are not friends. His statement about Djoker being fair is easily sufficiently inaccurate to be be regarded as deliberately sarcastic. Djokovic is the ‘medical’ break king, always at the most opportune moment, and everyone knows it.

June 17th, 2015 at 11:31 am

I don’t think this is just a ploy to sell a book. Becker is Novak’s coach so some of this must be coming from Novak. Weird that Becker would let this slip out though. Makes for good bulletin board material for Roger the next time he steps onto the court with Novak.

As for the “…you can’t be liked by everybody”, I’ve never seen Humble Rafa write one nice thing about Federer so there is at least one person out there that doesn’t have a high opinion of him. So, Federer isn’t liked by everyone.

My question is, who really cares how many people like or dislike Roger Federer? Does it really matter or change anything. Boris can say whatever he wants. It’s a free world. Boris was a great player but his mouth leaks strange noises once in a while.

June 17th, 2015 at 12:47 pm

Boris is right – You can’t be liked by everybody. Just ask the rafanatics on this board!

June 17th, 2015 at 1:03 pm

Ugh, When I read what Boris had supposedly intimated, all I could think of was broom cupboard; lies, deceit, anything for a bit of salacious gossip.

He really is an old woman with a beard, is Boris.

He obviously needs the money, to pay for his indiscretions which have borne him unwanted children, whom he both denied and pleaded were not his.

How can anyone believe Boris verbatim?

Who could really believe anything that leaks out of his mouth.

Only recently, before Boris disclosed this, Roger said some fantastic things about Novak, and they were posted here.

As you have said, at the end of the day, he needs to sell a book, and let’s face it.

Boris is hardly a reliable source.

I think there is a much more healthy respect between these two. It was the same with many tennis players of past and present.

Boris needs to stop stirring it up. He is like an old woman who needs gossip to sustain him.

Good that Federer said something in one way, but in my view, I think he should have stayed quiet.

It just feeds the fire.

They are both professional athletes (Roger and Novak); Novak is the most gracious of all players. I saw him play against Roger in Dubai and he was nothing short of an ambassador for tennis.

It’s interesting too, how he puts the spotlight on Roger, rather than saying the other way around, Novak doesn’t like him. Would be interested to see if Novak reacts.

Boris should go away and do what he does best. Lock himself in the broom cupboard!

June 17th, 2015 at 1:11 pm

it’s all marketing people….and what better way to grab attention to a book that would fly under the radar by invoking the involvement of the world’s most popular tennis player.

and as far as not everyone liking roger or me or anyone of us on this site…..that’s life. not everyone’s gonna love us, but does it really matter?

June 17th, 2015 at 1:49 pm

Becker’s a jerk, and wants to bring jerk back to tennis.

There’s no reason anyone on the tour needs to be “friends” with anyone else on the tour. Friendship is a personal thing.

It’s more than enough that our top players have, for years since Sampras set the example, been respectful competitors. Compared to other teenagers and professional athletes in their twenties (think team sports such as basketball and football) tennis players have been outstanding in their maturity.

June 17th, 2015 at 2:45 pm

On one hand it is good that Becker reminds people that there is a degree of cynical fake marketing in insisting that every player is all friends and lovey-dovey with their rivals.
On the other, he is just being Becker, the media “color man” of books and broadcasting, knowing that he too is cynical in both arenas for ginning up controversy to amp up ratings, or sell his own books.
This time around, Djokovic doesn’t need to respond as he did when his cantakerous Dad slammed Rafa and Roger. The two know where the 3rd great player of this era stands. At present, there is great respect and admiration between Nole and Roger on and off court. And Rafa is a nice guy that hates playing Nole, but now likes him and thinks highly of Nole’s growth as a champion. Easy to see Nole and Rafa having some good times together once their careers are done.

June 17th, 2015 at 3:13 pm

“It is always dangerous when you’re talking about a lot. Sometimes you say things you should not.”

I’m not sure if Fed is referring to himself here or to Becker.

June 17th, 2015 at 3:50 pm

Re Becker – He has stated it was not in a Cupboard it was on the Stairs!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 17th, 2015 at 4:06 pm

Becker, back in his young days as a player, was always tactless, making personal remarks about others.

“Crass” is the word, I think.

June 17th, 2015 at 6:18 pm

Becker says “But think about this: You can’t possibly be liked by everybody”

hes so so wrong about Federer on this one.Everybody loves Federer .

June 17th, 2015 at 6:44 pm

“Re Becker – He has stated it was not in a Cupboard it was on the Stairs!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Too many spiky things in the Cupboard for a hot action, I would choose stairs to, more room, easier to balance the bodies and no danger of being speared with a broom stick during the action.

June 17th, 2015 at 6:55 pm

I think Boris Becker needs the money. May be another divorce is coming soon.

June 17th, 2015 at 7:41 pm

Roger should see that Novak has matured since thise esrly days and is very classy now. He’s a great sport on the court. He’s also a great champ, a very bright guy and a great family man. We love Nole in NY

June 17th, 2015 at 8:46 pm

Hey madmax @1:11pm, you’re not being nice to old women!

June 17th, 2015 at 9:43 pm

darlene, i love that post, cheers! :)

June 18th, 2015 at 1:20 am

andrea, no; you’re right. it does not matter. just a meaningless whirligig.

June 18th, 2015 at 1:23 am

I think this is one of those cheap tricks played to mentally distract federer before the big tournament. The more you cry about it, the more you loose.

June 18th, 2015 at 2:23 am

Roger doesn’t have the sportsmanship and fan favourite award record for nothing.

June 18th, 2015 at 5:28 am

`Everybody loves Federer`

Oh, DO they now?
mmm, interesting…..

June 18th, 2015 at 8:09 am

Re the cupboard or stairs thing
The one thing to note was that, allegedly, there was no, er `penetration`
The chick was a serious gold digger
(and very enterprising too).

June 18th, 2015 at 8:11 am

I didn’t understand a traitre word of this cupboard, stairs thing, and definitely need a little help here.

June 18th, 2015 at 8:56 am

Becker wrote: ‘The reason Roger is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time is because he’s liked by everybody. But think about this — you can’t possibly be liked by everybody… He makes good money out of his image but would he make less if we saw a bit more of his true feelings?’

Federer hit back, reportedly saying: ‘He should know me well enough to know that I’m a relaxed guy. It’s always dangerous when you are talking a lot. Sometimes you say things you should not.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-3128675/Boris-Becker-told-shut-Roger-Federer-Swiss-returns-fire-book-row.html#ixzz3dQ3uzdn2
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Yes. Absolutely right. Federer is unusual, in that everyone likes him. Everyone.

What is there not to like about Federer.

What is there not to like about Novak.

Both passionate about the game of tennis.

And, Roger has expressed his respect and admiration for Nole. Class act.

Unlike Becker.

June 18th, 2015 at 9:20 am

`Yes. Absolutely right. Federer is unusual, in that everyone likes him. Everyone…`

What is this?
No I’m sorry but NO…Not `everybody. Everyone` likes this tennis player
I don’t like him for a start, and plenty fans of other players dont like him either
Some (ie particular Nadal fans for example) despise him
Which is fine.
That’s life.
I hate the way that this kind of myth gets perpetuated…

June 18th, 2015 at 9:26 am

mat4. Trust me, my friend, none of it worth an ounce of precious time or intellectual energy.

Nothing to see or read here…

June 18th, 2015 at 9:36 am

Funny, when someone writes an absolute there are some that police that. Hyperbole. Becker sets up the statement by using the word “everybody”.

Of course Fed is not liked by everyone. Every person on the planet? lol. But it’s obvious he is the most loved player on the planet compared to the field of players that exist in todays game.

June 18th, 2015 at 9:54 am

And a lot of THAT is to do with how he is portrayed in almost in lockstep manner by the media as some kind of saintly figure…
At least in the UK that is.
It’s absurd.
Federer is alright I suppose, but he attracts more than his fair share of sycophantic loons.
Encourages it to an extent too.
Oh and Nadal is also a huge star, much loved by the little children, etc yawn

June 18th, 2015 at 10:22 am

blaming the media is in most cases always a cop out. right next to conspiracy theories . if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it is a most cases really really a duck.

June 18th, 2015 at 10:27 am

I don’t cop out in my opinions
And I’m not drinking the Kool aid on this one either

June 18th, 2015 at 10:44 am

Again, it comes as no surprise to me that both Federer and Djokovic would go out of their way to deny that they don’t get along, but I don’t believe it – I think they’re matches are better because it seems they would rather lose to anyone other than each other.

June 18th, 2015 at 2:19 pm

Don’t know wether Novak likes Federer or not.
Could be.
What I do know is that he doesn’t consider Federer as the greatest of all time. He only talked in those terms once or perhaps more than once about Rafa, but never about Roger.

June 18th, 2015 at 4:09 pm

@mat4 they are discussing the exact location where the conception of becker’s out of wedlock daughter ocurred

June 18th, 2015 at 5:31 pm

Wilfried – Nole prefers to sidestep the endless GOAT parlor game. He does agree with the obvious, that Nadal is the best clay court player ever…but more often than not likes to spread credit around saying that the Top 20 even Top 50 have players of incredible talent train as hard, and the difference between them and the Big 4 is very small..many could beat the Big 4 on any given say. And the difference is consistency and having the right mental perspective.
And prominently says he owes a lot to Roger and Rafa for challenging him and forcing him to improve.
Djokovic is at 151 weeks as #1 now. Trying to displace McEnroe and move into 5th spot in time spent as the number one player in the Open Era. 3 years as #1, all in the last 4 years, starting on Jul 4th, 2011.
You don’t have to be the GOAT to be plenty happy about an enriching and stellar results tennis career. Not “disappointed for failing to be best Evah!”. Because there is nothing wrong with being compared to Borg or Lendl or Agassi as a fellow great on their level, for example..Or Stan or Andy or Muster or Safin saying on their best day, they could have beaten even the best ranked players playing an excellent match themselves.

June 18th, 2015 at 5:56 pm

mat4,
I was just discussing where would be more comfortable, stairs or Cupboard..you know, when you are young Topolino (I had one) is like a king size bed and when you get older, Bentley (I don’t have one) is like a stool..mother nature does it.

June 18th, 2015 at 6:55 pm