‘I am highly inspired by how Rafael Nadal carries himself,’ says Sebastian Korda
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Rafael Nadal keeps creating history on the clay. He won his 12th title in Barcelona last week by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in three epic sets. In the process, the Spaniard also got back to No.2 in the ATP rankings. He will now play the upcoming Masters event in Madrid next week.
Besides winning consistently, the 20-time Grand Slam champion is also one of the few seniors to help the youngsters in the circuit. From advising to hitting with them, Nadal has always been receptive and kind. We have also seen quite a few upcoming players in Felix Auger and Casper Rudd learn the tricks of the trade from the tennis great.
Recently, American youngsters, Sebastian Korda too had plenty of praises for the 13-time French Open winner. The rising star also revealed how he has been inspired by the on and off court demeanor of Nadal.
“There is always a lot of inspiration, especially from a guy like Nadal. He has always been an inspiration for me [with] the way he carries himself on the court, how professional he is and how humble he is. It is a big inspiration for me,” said Korda in the interview.
Cat named after Rafael Nadal
Interestingly, Korda also named his cat ‘Rafa’ after the King of Clay. Both players have met only once on the tour thus far. Nadal dismissed Korda in three easy sets at the French Open in 2020. Korda, though is hopeful that he will get another shot at the legend going ahead.
“Hopefully he can keep playing tennis. I’d love to get another opportunity to be able to play him.”
While Nadal will be looking to add to his Masters titles in Madrid and Rome, Korda would be keen to better his premature exits in Belgrade and Munich.
Also read: ‘My career will finish soon but I still enjoy playing’, says Richard Gasquet
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Vivek Krishnan
(767 Articles Published)