"I have a lot of respect for Rafael Nadal and I have affection for him, but I have to pick Roger Federer" - Jil Teichmann
Jil Teichmann, who was born in Spain but plays on the WTA tour under the Swiss flag, recently revealed that she would pick Roger Federer over Rafael Nadal if she had to choose between the two legends.
Speaking in an interview with Punto de Break, the World No. 35 remarked that she had respect for the Spaniard for everything he has accomplished so far. Despite this, Teichmann admitted that she had to pick her adopted countryman.
Former player Alexander Waske: "If Djokovic is the greatest for some people, then Federer is the greatest for me. Roger has the changed the game, his elegance and style of play did not exist before. I have the biggest respect for the person he is, too." (via Tennis Magazin)
Funnily enough, the 24-year-old was lost for words trying to explain why exactly, implying that it should be self-evident why anyone would pick Federer over Nadal. It is not uncommon for players in the sport to pick the Swiss over the 21-time Grand Slam champion despite the latter having the edge statistically, for reasons that have to do with his elegant playstyle and larger-than-life personna.
"I have a lot of respect for [Rafael Nadal], besides he is left-handed and I have affection for him, but the thing is that Federer... I have to pick Federer [between the two]," Jil Teichmann said.
Berrettini: "I grew up idolising Roger Federer. I liked the way he made everything look easy, almost like Ronaldinho. The way he was on the court, his elegance, the way he speaks, the vibe he gives."
Jil Teichmann also expanded on how she manages to transition between Spain and Switzerland, stating that she does not even have a Spanish passport. Although she was born in Spain, the World No. 35 stated that she felt more at home in Switzerland.
"People don't know it, but I don't even have a Spanish passport. I speak very good Spanish, yes. I was born in Barcelona, yes. But I grew up in Switzerland, I went to Swiss school and at home I only speak Swiss," Teichmann said. "Holidays, family... sounds weird but I'm very Swiss."
The 24-year-old further added that it was a "bit weird" to have to split everything between the two countries, especially since her family was based in Switzerland. However, Teichmann revealed that she underwent most of her training in Spain, since her team were all Spaniards.
"I train in Barcelona, my whole team is from Barcelona, but I live in Switzerland," Jil Teichmann said. "My parents are Swiss, my whole family lives there, but yes, I have everything between two countries, it's a bit weird."
"You can always do better, but I'm not going to complain about this season" - Jil Teichmann
Jil Teichman also expanded on her 2022 season, where she has already racked up 10 wins. The Swiss has reached the third round of the ongoing Madrid Open following stunning victories over Petra Kvitova and Leylah Fernandez and will take on Elena Rybakina next.
Canada’s Leylah Fernandez @leylahfernandez and No. 17 seed was upset 6-4, 6-4 by Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann @jilteichmann in the 2nd round of the #MMOPEN on Sunday. https://t.co/mLaa9wksBV
The 24-year-old was elated that she has managed to stay fit, which was a huge problem for her last year. Teichmann also sounded cautiously optimistic about the future, adding that she had no complaints about how she has performed so far.
"At the moment I haven't had any injuries, that's already a great victory for me, last year I was injured a lot," Teichmann said. "In fact, here in 2021 I remember that I came without games and then in Strasbourg I was injured again. Obviously, you can always do better, but I'm not going to complain about this season."
Raducanu d. 
Kostyuk 62 61
Teichmann d. 
Rybakina d. 
Match Results | Day 6⃣
🇬🇧 Raducanu d. 🇺🇦 Kostyuk 62 61
🇨🇭 Teichmann d. 🇨🇦 Fernández 64 64
🇰🇿 Rybakina d. 🇨🇿 Siniakova 60 10 ret https://t.co/IRBaswPoDW