Roger Federer baulked at suggestions that Novak Djokovic had climbed above his fellow 'Big Four' players on Saturday - but he admitted the Serb "deserves a little star" by his name. Despite Djokovic's dominance last year, Federer, who has arrived at the Australian Open with new coach Ivan Ljubicic in tow, insisted the Serb's competitors were not far behind.
The 'Big Four' of Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray has long dominated men's tennis, and has been joined by Stan Wawrinka, who won his second Grand Slam title last year. But the concept of an elite group has been called into question by the exploits of Djokovic, who fell only one win short of a calendar-year Grand Slam last year. "Who's had the most success? The top five guys really, with Stan, you know, Murray, myself, Novak and Rafa," Federer told journalists in Melbourne.