Kevin Anderson praises Rafael Nadal for being his ‘motivation’


Kevin Anderson praises Rafael Nadal for being his ‘motivation’

Kevin Anderson

Kevin Anderson.

Two time Grand Slam finalist, Kevin Anderson has stated that he drew inspiration to pick a racquet from legends like Pete Sampras and Juan Carlos Ferrero. However, now it is Rafael Nadal who keeps the South African motivated to keep playing.

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The level of success he has at 34, makes Nadal a player who is a class apart for Anderson.

He motivated me to keep working hard: Anderson

On a recent podcast with MatchPoint Canada, Anderson spoke highly about Nadal.

“It’s a bit of an adjustment for me going from watching him… to being a competitor. He was having amazing success at 16 or 17 and I turned pro a few years later,” Anderson said about the 20-time Grand Slam winner.

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Although, Anderson idiolized Sampras and Ferrero, he never looked up to their playing style. Meanwhile, it’s Rafael Nadal who makes the difference for him to push harder.

“Nadal’s been somebody who’s motivated me to keep working hard,” Anderson said. “He’s been a pretty standout player, not only in our generation. He’ll go down as one of the best in the history of our sport,” He added.

Kevin Anderson has reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 on July 16, 2018, the same year in which he reached the finals of Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic. He currently holds the 79th spot in the ATP Rankings.

Also Read: “It costs” Toni Nadal on leaving Rafael Nadal

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