The image that Federer gives is something that a tennis player has to see, says Lorenzo Musetti
Lorenzo Musetti has expressed his admiration for Roger Federer, stating that the impression the Swiss has made is something for the players to learn from.
Musetti is among the plenty of young players on tour who respects and adores the 20-time Grand Slam champion for the influence he has had on and off the court. The Italian conveyed that the Swiss maestro is a "source of inspiration" for him.
In an interview with ESPN, the World No. 20 revealed that his "favorite player" is Federer. He also highlighted the "elegance" and "personality" that the 41-year-old radiates.
"Federer is special, he is my favorite player. A source of inspiration for me and not only on the pitch. He is also outside with his elegance and his personality. The image that he gives is very good and it is something that a tennis player has to see," said Musetti.
Musetti's 2023 campaign started off at the Australian Open. He suffered a first-round exit upon losing against Lloyd Harris in five sets. While the Italian has not been able to hit the ground running of late, he has made it clear that he will not try to "copy" the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, who have tasted much success in recent times.
"Copying them would not be good for me. We are all different players, with different personalities, what Carlos did last year was incredible. he deserves everything he has done and two thumbs up. But I think I have to focus on my career, not look outside of who I am as a player. I think Carlos is going to win more Grand Slam tournaments, Nole too. And working hard I will go one step closer to get closer to them," the 20-year-old stated.
Lorenzo Musetti will next be playing at the ATP Buenos Aires where he will face off against Pedro Cachin in the round-of-16 on Wednesday.
Roger Federer will always be the one who influenced tennis the most, says Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem is yet another player currently on tour who has nothing but respect for Roger Federer. The Austrian stated that the former World No. 1 influenced tennis more than anyone.
In an interview with Gol Tennis, Thiem remarked that "we all" should be "grateful" for the contributions the Swiss has made towards the sport.
"No matter how much the others win, Rafa [Nadal], Novak [Djokovic], or someone in the future, Roger will always be the one who influenced tennis the most," affirmed the 29-year-old.
The Swiss maestro retired with 20 Grand Slams to his name, spending a record 237 consecutive weeks as World No. 1.