They're separated by one spot in the rankings, but world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and second-ranked Roger Federer are world's apart when it comes to forging friendship.
Boris Becker, Djokovic's coach, confirms what followers have long believed: the rivals who squared off in the 2014 Wimbledon final "don't particularly like each other."
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In his new autobiography, Wimbledon: My Life and Career at the All England Club, the Hall of Famer suggests the second-ranked Swiss's popularity is partly the product of a carefully crafted image.
"The reason Roger is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time is because he's liked by everybody. But think about this — you can't possibly be liked by everybody," Becker wrote in comments published by The Telegraph. "He makes good money out of his image, but would he make less if we saw a bit more of his true feelings?"
The six-time Grand Slam champion, who had several rivals throughout his career, including Federer's coach, Stefan Edberg, says fans sometimes tell him they miss the days when rebels and rogues, including Ilie Nastase, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe brought personality and character to the game.
Becker believes today's players have brought the game to new heights and have plenty of personality, too, but asserts techonology — court-side microphones that pick up every remark — and fears of fines and public scrutiny prevent players from expressing their real emotions on court.
"People occasionally put it to me that tennis is more boring now than when I played, and when I ask them why they say there are fewer characters," Becker said. “I reply that we have great characters, but it’s true they don’t show it as much because they can’t. They get fined and there are microphones on the court that pick up every curse or utterance in frustration.
“As a result, it’s very difficult to verbalize your frustration nowadays because everyone hears it and you go back to the locker room to face a fine of $10,000 or $20,000 or even more."