'Rafael Nadal was already beating Roger Federer', says Brazilian player

At the age of 19 and 11 months, Thiago Seyboth Wild was the youngest Brazilian tennis player ever, and the first in the world born in the third millennium, to have won a title of the major circuit, the 2020 edition of the Santiago tournament.

Wild is also the youngest tennis player to win a title in the Latin American clay court since Rafael Nadal won Acapulco in 2005, at the age of 18. Wild climbed up 69 positions, reaching a career high ATP singles ranking of No. 113, becoming the second-highest ranked tennis player in Brazil. In March, Seyboth Wild became the first professional tennis player to announce a diagnosis of COVID-19. He is currently being investigated for an alleged breach of quarantine prior to receiving the test results. In a recent interview with Ubitennis, the Brazilian player talked about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Wild on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

"My favourite player is definitely Rafael Nadal," Thiago Seyboth Wild said. "I love the way he plays and the passion he shows on court. When I was younger he was starting his career. When I started playing tennis he was already beating Roger Federer, already winning Slams, becoming the World No. 1. He was making it to the Wimbledon finals and eventually winning it the next year despite Federer's dominance," Seyboth Wild added. "I think he just really impressed me when I was younger and he's the guy I have always looked up to. I like to play on clay, on fast surfaces. So I would like to defeat Rafael Nadal in the French Open," Seyboth Wild quipped. "Many people have done it before (laughs). Why dream about winning a Challenger when you have already done it? So I dream about defeating Rafa where he is invincible." As tournament seedings are based on rankings, with the top two seeds placed on opposite sides of the draw, 25 of Nadal and Federer's 40 matches have been in tournament finals, including an all-time record nine Grand Slam finals and 12 ATP Tour Masters 1000 finals. Another ten have been semifinals, two have been quarterfinals, with only three taking place before the last-8 stage. In 33 out of 40 matches between Nadal and Federer, the winner of the first set won the match. From 2006 to 2008, they played in every French Open and Wimbledon final. Their 2008 Wimbledon final was lauded as the greatest match ever by many long-time tennis analysts.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3fUxnQb