Vajda: 'Djokovic is the sum of Nadal and Federer'
"Each has strengths, but Djokovic is a combination of the two. He has the perfection of Federer and the tenacity of Nadal," Vajda said in an interview with Serbian media on February 16.
According to the 57-year-old coach, Djokovic possesses an iron will, which helps the 35-year-old player maintain his toughness even at the end of his career. Vajda said: "The three of them prefer different pitches. But they are always the best thanks to their forward mentality. The rivalry has helped them dominate for 20 years."
The "Big 3" own a total of 64 Grand Slams, with Nadal and Djokovic sharing a record of 22 titles. Federer retired last year, while Nadal and Djokovic are still top title contenders at ATP tournaments. Last season, Nadal and Djokovic shared three majors, before the Spaniard was injured at the US Open, and Nole was unable to attend.
20 of Djokovic's 22 Grand Slams have contributions from coach Vajda. They cooperated in two phases, from 2006-2017 and 2018-2022. Vajda and Nole's teacher-student relationship ended in March 2022, with the published reason being professional issues.
"Our personal relationship is still good," Vajda said. "It was a difficult separation emotionally. But life goes on and Nole is still Nole. He's perfectly fine, knows how to train to stay fit and gets along with Goran Ivanisevic. I'm fine and you. It's okay, that's the way it is."
Vajda, who mainly lives in Slovakia, said he is still in regular contact with the elite student via the WhatsApp app. When Djokovic won the Australian Open last month, Vajda texted congratulations.
Vajda thinks Djokovic can go down in history as the male tennis player who has won the most Grand Slams. He said: "I don't see the limit of Djokovic. He's doing extraordinary things. If he hadn't been injured, he could have won more major titles."
Vajda is working with fellow tennis player Alex Molcan, who is 51st in the ATP. Last year, Djokovic met Vajda again when he beat Molcan in the second round of Roland Garros.
