Both tennis and football are highly intense sports that leave the athletes completely drained on the court or the field of play. A lot of stamina is a must for these sports. Recently, a crossover between two famous players from both these sports, Andy Murray and Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings, happened at Newport.

The quarterback expressed his views on the sport in general, and why he chose tennis for his training. Moreover, he also talked about the resilience of the British player who has battled many injuries but has never lost his passion for tennis.

Kirk Cousins visits Murray in Newport

Andy Murray was practicing at the International Hall of Fame in Newport when he got a surprise visit from the Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins. They both interacted, during which Cousins made his admiration for the British player very clear.

The quarterback has switched to tennis to train in a different manner than the rest of his teammates. He said, “I was looking for a way to train in the offseason and not just do boring training, but do something fun.” Cousins had considered playing basketball but did not want to take a chance with any potential injuries. So he ended up playing tennis, and he “…just fell in love with it.”

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Praises showered on Andy Murray

The football player benefitted a lot from his tennis training. During the interaction, Cousins did not hide his admiration for the former world no.1, as he praised his tenacity. He said, “I admire your grit,” to Andy Murray while shaking hands. Furthermore, he commended his efforts and said, “That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of him: his grit, toughness, the ability to come back from injury.”

He understood how lonely it can get in tennis if you are a single player. Kirk Cousins stated, “Tennis is already mentally (difficult) as a singles player, you’re on your own. Matches can get long, you need to dig deep. It can be mentally and emotionally heartbreaking”

The tenacious attitude of Murray

Andy Murray had to suffer grievous injuries during his career, which at some point also made him almost give up tennis. The quarterback drew inspiration from the tennis star. He said, “The way he’s handled not only his career but individual matches, it is inspiring to watch and kind of helps me with what I’m doing.”

The player rose during the dominating phase of the ‘Big Three’. However, that did not deter the Brit. He won 3 grand slam titles, one at the US Open and two at his home turf, Wimbledon. However, at Wimbledon this year, John Isner defeated him in the second round of the grass-court major. This brought an end to the British player’s Wimbledon dream.

WATCH THIS STORY: The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis

Murray is yet to win his first title of the year. He is currently taking part in the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. He had defeated Max Purcell in a tough fourth-round match. Now, he will face Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals.