I have watched Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal over and over again, says Alex De Minaur
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the biggest names in the tennis world. With 20 and 19 titles respectively, the duo lead the all-time Grand Slam leaderboard.
Moreover, the duo hold a plethora of other records in the sport too. Besides being the only pair to clash in three successive Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals in as many years, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the only players to have appeared in at least five Grand Slam finals at all the four Majors.
Forming two-thirds of tennis' exalted Big 3 club (the other being Novak Djokovic), Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have legions of fans all over the world; most young players on the circuit today have grown up watching the legendary duo. One such player is Australian Alex De Minaur.
"I'm lucky to be able to play with all these guys that I saw playing growing up," De Minaur said in a recent interview. "Whenever there was a Roger-Rafa final during a Grand Slam tournament, I watched them over and over again."
One day I hope to be in Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's situation: Alex De Minaur
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have epitomized sustained excellence and consistency during their stellar careers. Two of only five players in the Open Era to have accomplished the coveted career Grand Slam, the Swiss and the Spaniard have achieved unprecedented success on the tennis court.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the only pair of players in tennis history to have won 10 or more titles at multiple tournaments.
Rafael Nadal has 12 titles at Roland Garros - the most by any singles player, male or female, at a Grand Slam title - to go with his 11 titles apiece at Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Roger Federer, on his part, is the first player to win 10 titles at a grass-court tournament, doing so in Halle last year.
Later in the year, the Swiss triumphed for the 10th time at his hometown tournament in Basel to become the first player to win 10 titles at a hardcourt tournament. In the process, Roger Federer also became the first player to win 10 titles at a tournament on two different surfaces.
Incidentally, Federer beat De Minaur in the 2019 Basel final to win his landmark title at the tournament.
The Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal rivalry is one of the most enticing in the sport's history. The duo have clashed in several title matches of the biggest tournaments on tour.
Federer and Nadal have locked horns in a record nine Grand Slam finals, with Federer winning three and losing six. In 12 Masters 1000 finals between the pair, Rafael Nadal leads Roger Federer 7-5, while the Swiss maestro triumphed in the pair's lone meeting in the final of the season-ending ATP Finals.
Alex De Minaur said in this regard that the matches between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have made him hungry for success on the court. The legendary duo have made De Minaur want to improve every aspect of his game, thus leaving no stone unturned in realizing his tennis dreams.
"These are the matches that made me hungry and want to fulfill my tennis player dreams. It is thanks to them that I try to keep improving so that one day I can be in their situation," De Minaur said.