Murray reveals why Federer refused to practise with him — and why Djokovic and Nadal didn’t
Andy Murray has revealed that Roger Federer refused to practise with him once he broke onto the tour, contrasting the Swiss with Djokovic and Nadal, who trained willingly with their nearest rivals.
Andy Murray and Roger Federer | © BPI / Bestimage / PsnewZ
Andy Murray has lifted the lid on a quiet divide among the Big Four, revealing that Roger Federer stopped practising with him once he arrived on tour – and that Federer’s approach was the opposite of the one Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal took.
Speaking on YouTube, in a relaxed interview recorded around a round of golf, the three-time Grand Slam champion was asked how players manage rivalries while sharing a locker room. His answer drew a sharp line between Federer and the two men who would become Murray’s regular hitting partners.
Murray: “When I first started on the tour I practised with Federer a lot, initially, and then he didn’t want to practise with me anymore.”
Djokovic and Nadal were different. They wanted to practise with one another, with their nearest rivals.
He framed it as a calculated choice rather than a snub. A top player will look at a promising junior, he explained, and want to see what the game is built on – until that junior turns into a threat.
Murray: “Normally if you’re a top player and there’s a good junior coming on the scene, you’re interested to practise with them. And then over time, if the junior progresses, they become a rival.”
Federer, on Murray’s account, applied that logic to everyone. He never trained with Nadal or Djokovic either, treating the practice court as territory not to be shared.
Murray: “If I was Federer, I would never have practised with any of them. I’d have said, ‘See you on the court.'”
Djokovic and Nadal operated differently, and Murray placed himself in their camp. He practised with both regularly and valued it, particularly in the build-up to majors.
Murray: “Djokovic and Nadal were different. They wanted to practise with one another, with their nearest rivals.”
The logic, he said, was about calibration. With a clear gap between the leading group and the rest of the field during his peak years, hitting with the very best told him more than facing a player outside the top 15.
Murray: “It’s a great way to see where your game is at against the best.”
Murray’s rivalry with Federer ran to 25 meetings, the Swiss leading 14–11, a series that began with a straight-sets defeat in the 2005 Bangkok final. The pair never met on clay. Their only Grand Slam decider in Murray’s favour was the 2013 Australian Open semi-final.
The relationships, he stressed, look nothing like they once did. Murray never shared a meal with any of his rivals while still competing; the warmth came later.
