Players reveal a mysterious habit of Federer, Djokovic candidly admits Federer gave him a cold sense of distance.

Querrey asserts that during Federer’s whole career, nobody has ever witnessed him handling his own laundry, with former American players Isner and Johnson agreeing. These tennis legends note that Federer keeps a low profile regarding private affairs, so it’s uncommon to spot him in player communal spaces such as the restaurant or fitness center.

Throughout his career, Federer has been known as the “gentleman player” for his calm and composed demeanor, exhibiting elegance and grace. Therefore, it’s entirely believable that this 20-time Grand Slam champion has special arrangements to take care of personal needs, including laundry.

These American players expressed surprise that during Federer’s entire career, they never saw him hand over dirty clothes to tour staff. They jokingly speculated on the latest episode of the “Nothing Major” podcast that Federer might have a dedicated private laundry service.

Querrey said, “Have you ever seen Federer drop off a bag of clothes for washing—in 15 years, not even once? I honestly don’t know where he does his laundry; you just never see it. I’ve always wondered about this.” Johnson added, “I think he might wear each piece of clothing only once.”

Interestingly, Djokovic previously admitted that during his peak battles with Federer, he felt a “cold and distant” vibe from him. The two faced each other 50 times in their careers, with Djokovic winning 27 matches and Federer 23. Despite mutual respect on court, their off-court relationship was not always smooth.

They were never friends, and Djokovic revealed that during the era when the “Big Three” were active, he actually had a better rapport with Nadal. Recently, the Serbian veteran reflected on his relationships with his “Big Three” rivals in an interview with former West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, openly stating that Federer sometimes showed him “coldness and detachment.”

Djokovic said, “On this matter, my attitude towards them has never changed; what changed was their attitude towards me. I always tried to... how should I put it, I always admired them. Whenever they took a step closer to me, I would open my arms and say, ‘Great.’ Now they have all retired. When I’m with Nadal, I feel I understand him better. We are close in age, maybe that’s why.”

He added, “I still see them as the ones who paved the way for me, especially Federer, who is six years older than me. When I sensed that coldness and distance from him, I just said, ‘Okay, no problem.’” This statement came a year after Djokovic emphasized that he never became friends with Federer or Nadal, explaining that intense competition made it nearly impossible to maintain friendships on a personal level.

He told Argentina’s La Nacion, “For many years, I saw them more often than I saw my own mother. We are not close friends, but you could say we know each other very well.”

“These rivalries attracted millions to the sport and connected people in a timeless way. I say timeless because even those who are not tennis fans might be fans of one of us. I think everyone is a fan of our matches, and this influence will last for generations. I am very proud to have played over 60 matches against Rafa and about 50 against Roger; it’s incredible. I don’t know if there’s any other rivalry with so many matches like mine with Nadal.”

Despite disagreements over the years with Federer, Djokovic admitted feeling saddened when the Swiss legend decided to retire in 2022. Djokovic added, “Some said I would be devastated when Federer retired, but I didn’t believe it at the time. But when I was there in person and saw that he was really leaving the court, I thought, ‘Wow, this affects me too.’”(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Huohua)