"You got to go to the streets and ask those people" - When Roger Federer downplayed Novak Djokovic being "No. 3" guy to him and Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. But he is also well-known for his aesthetic playing style and charismatic personality off the court, in addition to his Grand Slam wins.

During his 24-year-long career, Federer was also known for giving honest answers to the media about his opponents. One such instance was in the aftermath of his Wimbledon 2019 title clash against Novak Djokovic.

Federer put on a strong display against the Serb in his last ever final at SW19, hitting some tremendous winners. The Swiss maestro, in fact, won 14 points more than Djokovic in the match.

The outcome didn't go Federer's way though, as Djokovic showed his trademark resilience to pip the Swiss at the post. Federer lost the final 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-4, 12-13(3), and he was subsequently asked a variety of questions by the media regarding his opponent.

One of the interviewers suggested that Novak Djokovic had spent the majority of the Big 3's overlapping careers being the "No. 3 guy", regardless of his Wimbledon triumph. Federer, however, showed his class as he responded:

"That was a long time ago, though (on Novak being the No. 3 guy). You got to go to the streets and ask those people and the fans. I mean, look, we know how strong Novak is and has been for many, many years as well. Yeah, of course, every win, every other extra win, every other streak all adds to the tally, no doubt about it."

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Roger Federer trails both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in their head-to-head tallies

The Big 3 at the 2022 Laver Cup

Roger Federer's numbers at the Majors were eventually eclipsed by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. While the Swiss maestro won 20 Major titles during his career, Djokovic and Nadal have so far recorded 24 and 22 triumphs at Grand Slam tournaments respectively.

Federer also trailed Djokovic 23-27 in their career head-to-head meetings. The Swiss lost 10 of their last 14 encounters, which included tough losses at the Australian Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon.

Federer's head-to-head record vs Rafael Nadal was even more lopsided. He only managed to win 16 of his 40 encounters against the Spaniard. Having said that, the Swiss maestro dominated his rival after the latter's physical prime came to an end, winning six of his last seven matches against Nadal.

The Swiss retired from professional tennis at the 2022 Laver Cup in London after suffering from chronic knee injuries.