Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of those players, who wants to live up to his idols. Despite being an avid follower of Federer, he cannot deny finding “beauty in Rafael Nadal, too.” However, the Greek player picked Roger Federer over Rafael Nadal during the clay swing, even though the Spaniard has shown clear dominance on clay.

Tsitsipas is in town for the Monte-Carlo Masters and is set to play Alexander Zverev. He received a walkover from Laslo Djere and beat Tomás Martín Etcheverry 6-1, 6-0 to set up a clash with the German. Tsitsipas, who struggled the entire year, is being fueled by the thoughts of his idol. In an interview at the first clay Masters of the year, Tsitsipas was asked if he wanted to be like Nadal or Federer. 

The former number 3 said, “I would say a combination of both. I know I say a lot that Roger Federer is my idol, but I find beauty in Rafael Nadal, too.” Although being like Rafa would certainly have more merits on clay, Tsitsipas stuck to his guns as he chose Federer to be his penultimate mental guide. 

Being like the Swiss Maestro on clay will certainly have its advantages, but the Spaniard clearly dominates the dirt. Tsitsipas will likely choose Federer in most situations, but he once gave Rafa the advantage when it came to a particular situation.

Stefanos Tsitsipas chooses Rafael Nadal as he shows the accessibility of tennis over Roger Federer 

In the 2023 French Open, Tsitsipas gave a statement which no one believed would ever be heard from him. In a post-match presser, Tsitsipas was questioned about the simplicity and complexity of the sport. He replied, “In that regard I want to say that having asked that question, I thought about it the other day, and I had a little bit of a read of Rafa’s book of how Rafa relates to a lot of players because of he kind of shows you that anyone can do it, and I think that’s a great example right there, you know. Now, on the other instance, Federer’s precision is kind of difficult to duplicate or replicate in a way.” 

Federer’s precision has been touted to be one of the best and has been stated to be a major factor behind his wins over the year. The Spaniard shows the hard work required to win titles, which one can see in his victories over Federer. Regardless of one resonates more, both have inspired players to pick up the racket and make their claim in the sport.

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