I would pick Rafael Nadal to play for my life, he would give his life for the cause: Fernando Meligeni
Former Roland Garros semifinalist Fernando Meligeni has admitted that if he were asked to put his life in the hands of one player, he would pick Rafael Nadal over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The Brazilian made a poll on Twitter, asking his followers who they would choose out of the Big 3 in such a scenario.
Meligeni also revealed that his personal pick would be Nadal, saying that the Spaniard has the attitude of a warrior.
"You asked and I will answer. In that case my choice would be Nadal. He would leave his life for the cause, he would come out all covered in clay, with the attitude of a warrior. Leaving everything you have. And that would be what would make me calm."
Over 3300 people voted in Meligeni's poll, with 47.2% of the votes going to Nadal while 27.4% voted for Federer. Djokovic got 25.4% of the votes.
How have Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer fared in 2022?
Rafael Nadal has fared the best out of the Big 3 in 2022. The Spaniard has won 20 out of 21 matches so far this season. He won a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January after producing a sensational comeback in the final against Daniil Medvedev.
Nadal also won the Melbourne Summer Set and the Mexican Open by beating Maxime Cressy and Cameron Norrie in the final, respectively. He did not drop a single set in either tournament.
The Spaniard also reached the final of the Indian Wells Masters, where he lost to Taylor Fritz. Nadal has been sidelined for over a month by a rib stress fracture he suffered in the semifinals of Indian Wells against Carlos Alcaraz.
Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has played only eight matches in 2022 so far, winning five of them. He most recently reached the final of the Serbia Open, where he lost to Andrey Rublev.
Federer is yet to play a match in 2022 but has confirmed that he will participate in the Laver Cup in September and Basel in October.
Nadal and Djokovic will both compete at the Madrid Open and could face each other in the semifinals. The Spaniard will be a heavy favorite to win the tournament but he will have to face a few tough opponents en route to the title. Nadal could face Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round and the talented Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Djokovic has not played a lot of tennis this season and his list of potential opponents includes Gael Monfils, Andy Murray/Dominic Thiem and Casper Ruud.