Watch: F1 star Lando Norris picks Nick Kyrgios when asked to choose between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Formula One star Lando Norris recently gave an entertaining and unexpected response when asked to choose between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Instead of picking either of the two tennis legends, the British driver named mercurial Australian Nick Kyrgios.
Federer and Nadal are largely considered to be two of the greatest tennis players of all time. The Spaniard has won a men's record 21 Grand Slams, while the Swiss is tied second on 20 with the pair's other great rival, Novak Djokovic.
The duo share an epic and iconic rivalry, with Nadal having won 24 of their 40 encounters to date. Their first meeting came at the 2004 Miami Open, while their most recent clash was at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
In an interview with ESPN F1, Norris had to answer a range of questions requiring him to pick from one of two choices.
Lando Norris HAS to answer 👀 https://t.co/ZGeQB2PT2n
When asked to choose between Federer and Nadal, Norris turned to his teammate - Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo - for some clarification. After asking his fellow McLaren driver for the name of "the Australian tennis player", the Brit answered Kyrgios instead of the Swiss or the Spaniard.
Here's how their conversation went:
Norris: "Who's the Australian tennis player?" Ricciardo: "Kyrgios?" Norris: "Yeah him, Kyrgios."
In a tweet quoting the video, Kyrgios expressed his approval for Norris' choice, while suggesting he is also a fan of the F1 star.
🤍 twitter.com/espnf1/status/…My fucking guy!!! Keep being you and inspiring brother 👑🤍 twitter.com/espnf1/status/…
"My f***ing guy!!!" Kyrgios posted on Twitter. "Keep being you and inspiring brother."
Nick Kyrgios won his first matches against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, holds the distinction of being the only active player to have beaten Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in his first encounters with the 'Big Three'.
His fellow Australian, former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, is the only retired player to achieve the feat in tour-level matches. Dominik Hrbaty also won his first clashes with each of the legendary trio, though his 2004 victory against Djokovic was not at ATP level.
In his maiden meeting with Nadal, Kyrgios downed the Spaniard in four sets in the fourth round of 2014 Wimbledon Championships as a wildcard. The following year, he beat Federer in three tie-breaks in the second round of the Madrid Masters in what was the pair's first duel.
The Australian then won his first match with Djokovic in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Mexican Open in Acapulco.