Mike Tyson: Rafael Nadal doesn't look great playing; Roger Federer is smooth and very elegant
It's nothing less than a miracle what Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have achieved in the last two decades — three of the best players dominating the tour at the same time.
So much so that the Big 3 walked away with 63 out of the last 77 Grand Slam titles. Never before in the history of the sport has there been a period when three players have been so commanding for such a long time. While Nadal is currently leading the race with 22 titles, Djokovic is right behind him with 21, and Federer has retired with 20.
Speaking on the 'Advantage Connors' podcast recently, boxing legend Mike Tyson was asked about the players that he followed on the tour. The 56-year-old was quick to name Djokovic and also revealed that he was a fan of Federer. Tyson stated that he loved watching Federer play in his prime.
It was obvious for him to talk about the third member of the Big 3. However, he didn't have many nice things to say about the Spaniard.
"Djokovic, definitely, and Federer. Talking about Djokovic, he came back from all those injuries," Tyson said. "You know, I love Djokovic personally but I'm just a big fan of Federer. When he was in his prime, he was always moving in the air. He's smooth. He's really smooth. Nadal was just all over the place. He's a great player, but he doesn't look great playing. Federer is smooth and very elegant."
Even in the past, Tyson has expressed his likeness for Djokovic as he once picked him as his favorite for overcoming injuries and beating his biggest rivals..
“Novak Djokovic is my favorite at the moment. If he is okay, I really like to watch him. He is my favorite because the way he has come back from injury and beaten guys like Nadal and Federer is amazing. He's a true fighter,” Tyson said.
"It will be interesting to see if he increases or reduces the level of motivation by competing" - Andy Murray on Rafael Nadal
Andy Murray was recently present in Spain to participate in the ATP 250 tournament, the Gijon Open. Although the Brit won his first two matches, he lost in the quarterfinals to America's Sebastian Korda. Speaking to the media during the tournament, Murray talked about Rafael Nadal and how great the season has been for him.
However, the World No. 48 also stated that whether the Mallorcan's level of motivation goes up or down in the future will be interesting to see.
“The Australian Open was an amazing event for him, coming back from a long time without competing. The way he woh such tough matches along the way, he could have lost a couple of them," Murray said. "In the final, he was done, two sets down, 3-2 and 0/40. In the French Open it was not a big surprise for me with the record that he has there. I think he also had his first child with his partner a few days ago. It will be interesting to see if he increases the level of motivation or if he reduces it by competing, I don't know, but he's had an amazing year this year.”