“Roger Federer won’t be loved as much as Rafael Nadal” Top Coach dishes out behind-the-scenes experiences to back up ‘unpopular opinion’
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The debate of who the GOAT is has Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer always in competition with each other. French Open 2020 Champion, Iga Swiatek’s coach brought about a new angle from which these two can further contest. The Pole’s coach, Piotr Sierzputowski highlighted that Nadal is very well-liked on the tour, even more than Roger Federer.
Nadal’s personality has most who come across him whipped. Inspite of his 20 Grand Slam titles, the Spaniard’s down-to-earth persona is quite commendable. He is a hyper-aware individual who, despite of amassing a huge amount of wealth, has remained in touch with ‘reality’. Rafa sports a friendly relationship with most players on the tour. He is respectful towards every being he meets.
Recently, the 34-year-old also stated that he is not one to “hold on to grudges” when clearing the air about his and Nick Kyrgios’ feud.
Further, Swiatek made her adoration for Rafa abundantly clear during her dream run at the French Open 2020. The 19-year-old mentioned that he is her “favourite player” and that “he was the only player” she watched. To elaborate on this, Sierzputowski disclosed how Rafa and Federer present themselves behind-the-scenes after lifting the Roland Garros title with Swiatek.
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Tennis Sensation Iga Swiatek’s coach explains what makes Nadal “more likeable” than Federer
Piotr Sierzputowski stated that he understood why Swiatek was such a big Rafa fan. He explained that Nadal is “a great, well-mannered guy” who always makes it a point to interact with others. More importantly, the Olympic gold medalist is never impolite or in any way less than perfectly cordial with any one.
Furthermore, he added, “Novak Djokovic is a very helpful” individual. Roger on the other hand, wasn’t as fortunate to get an ounce of praise from him in this regard. Sierzputowski agrees that “Roger is a legend.” In contrast, he also observed that, “Roger is not where all the players are, he disappears.”
Plus, he shared a few anecdotes from his experiences whilst traveling on tour with Roger and Rafa. Here, Nadal’s like-ability came into sharp focus.
Sierzputowski divulged how Nadal likes to mingle with his team and other players very often. He also said that “Nadal plays board games with his team. Also, Rafa sits with other players, and eats the same thing as everyone else.”
This falls in contrast with Federer’s demeanour on the tour. He unveiled that the Swiss champ “has his own cook who travels with him.”
According to Sierputowski, these details ultimately make Rafa more approachable and “more likeable” when compared with Roger.
Players have certain routines which allow them to be in their comfort zone whilst they are away from home. As it happens, Rafa’s comfort level is achieved when he’s partaking in these very activities with other individuals. Nadal may seem like the easiest of ‘The Big 3’ to talk to. However, it doesn’t render the personalities of Federer and Djokovic any less than that of Rafa.
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Chhavi Jindal
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