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Boris Becker reveals why Roger Federer was Novak Djokovic’s ‘enemy’ at Wimbledon

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Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer’s rivalry is among the greatest in tennis history, with the 50 meetings between the two only bettered by Djokovic’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal in the men’s game.

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Tennis greats Djokovic and Federer combine for a staggering 44 Grand Slam singles titles and 109 titles overall, with almost 14 years separating the first and last official meetings between the two tennis icons.

It is Djokovic that narrowly leads the overall head-to-head 27-23, and the Serbian picked up significant victories over Federer at a tournament that lies close to both men’s hearts: Wimbledon.

The Swiss beat the Serbian in the semi-finals of the tournament in 2012, on the way to the seventh of his eight titles at the All England Club, though it was Djokovic who had the better of his rival after that.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion beat Federer in back-to-back SW19 finals in 2014 and 2015, before memorably saving championship points to beat the Swiss once again in the 2019 final.

Djokovic’s coach for his 2014 and 2015 Wimbledon titles was Boris Becker, himself a tennis great — with three SW19 titles and six Grand Slam titles overall to his name.

Becker coached Djokovic during one of the most dominant spells of the Serbian’s career, and how now offered insight into how he helped his former charge combat one key element in his rivalry with Federer: the Swiss’ popularity.

Federer was arguably the most popular male player of his generation, and that was particularly the case at Wimbledon, with the crowd largely behind him across all three of his finals versus Djokovic.

However, it was Djokovic who prevailed in all three of the championship matches the two contested inside Centre Court.

And, speaking on the High Performance Podcast this week, Becker revealed how he instructed Djokovic not to take a lack of crowd support “personally” during the 2014 and 2015 finals.

“Federer was always Djokovic’s enemy, especially at Wimbledon, for two reasons: because he was very good on grass and because he was the most loved,” said Becker.

“So I explained to Djokovic that the people in the stands weren’t against him, but they were there to cheer for Federer, so he shouldn’t take it personally and should fight to find a way to make these people like him.”

Becker and Djokovic’s partnership proved to be a huge success, with the Serbian winning six Grand Slam titles during their time together.

Outside of Wimbledon triumphs in 2014 and 2015, Djokovic also won the 2015 and 2016 Australian Open and 2015 US Open titles under the German’s guidance — before ultimately completing the Career Grand Slam with victory at the 2016 French Open.

The Serbian also won 14 Masters 1000 titles under Becker’s coaching and sealed back-to-back year-end No 1 finishes in 2014 and 2015, a spell which is widely recognised as the greatest of Djokovic’s career.

 

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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