On May 25th, Roland Garros paid a heartfelt tribute to Rafael Nadal, gifting fans an unforgettable image: the Spanish legend surrounded by his greatest rivals from the past two decades Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray.

Despite the fierce on court rivalries they shared throughout the years on the sport biggest stages, their reunion highlighted the respect, camaraderie, and mutual admiration that now exists between these tennis icons. Among them, only Djokovic remains an active player.

But it wasn’t always like this. For a long time, the tension among the members of the legendary ‘Big 4’ was very real, fueled by the intense competition to reach the top of the tennis world.

In a recent interview with the German edition of 20 Minuten, Novak Djokovic opened up about how he truly felt during that chapter of his career.

“I was never as beloved as Federer and Nadal because I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was the little guy, the third one coming in saying: ‘I’m going to be number one.’ A lot of people didn’t like that,” the Serbian star admitted.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion added:

“Just because someone is my biggest rival doesn’t mean I wish them harm, hate them, or want to do anything beyond the rules to beat them. We fight to win, and the best player wins.”

Finally, Djokovic revealed which of his legendary rivals he always had a better relationship with.

“I’ve always respected both of them; I’ve never said a bad word about them, and I never will. I admired them and still do. But I’ve always gotten along better with Nadal,” Djokovic concluded, as he enjoys some rest before heading to London for his next big challenge: Wimbledon.